The Kalahari, a mysterious and somewhat forgotten land.
The Kalahari spans three countries, namely South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia. The majority of the Kalahari lies in Botswana forming the Central Kalahari Game Reserve; however, the southern end of the Kalahari lies in the Northern Cape of South Africa. From the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park in the north down to Augrabies Falls in the south, the Kalahari is a vastly undiscovered destination with so much to offer.
The Kalahari landscapes are very distinct with their sweeping red sand dunes, small mountain ranges, long and dry riverbeds, and thornveld savannah. The average temperature is 25 degrees Celsius with temperatures reaching highs of 40 degrees Celsius during the peak of summer and lows of between 0 to 10 degrees Celsius on early winter mornings. The best times to visit the Kalahari are all year round, the dry season from April to November is best for game viewing as the animals congregate around the few waterholes providing excellent sightings, and in the wet season from December to March the Kalahari turns into a green oasis from the rainfall, this time is best for viewing the landscapes, this is also the time where antelope give birth and you may be lucky enough to witness all the young.
Despite the Kalahari being semi-arid, it supports a wide variety of wildlife and fauna. You are very likely to see predators such as leopard, cheetah, lion, brown hyena and jackals, there are many herds of plains game such as giraffe, springbok and oryx. One of the main animal attractions in the Kalahari is the meerkat populations, you may also be lucky enough to spot the elusive aardwolf.
Accommodation in the Kalahari varies from self-catering chalets and campgrounds for overland safaris in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park, to luxury lodges such as Tswalu and !Xaus Lodge. Whichever time of the year you choose to travel and wherever you choose to stay in the Kalahari, you will surely have an unforgettable experience.