Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park – Crossing Boundaries
Amongst the red and yellow-brown sands of the Kalahari, lies the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was proclaimed a conservation area in 1931, and together with the Kalahari Gemsbok Park and the neighboring Gemsbok National Park in Botswana, this park covers an area of 3.6 million hectares. This is one of the largest conservation areas of its kind and magnitude in the world. Due to the sparse vegetation and dry river beds, these parks are focused on protecting the migrating Gemsbok. The Kgalagadi Park provides the nature lover and eager photographer the most spectacular photographic opportunities between predator and prey. For the bird enthusiast, there is guaranteed to be some excitement, especially if your main interest is birds of prey.
Each area of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park attracts different
bird species
according to the location, vegetation and water supply. With
approximately
280 different species to be seen, only 92 are resident, while a great number
of
species are vagrant, migratory or nomadic. Birds that can be seen at the
Kgalagadi Park range from Snake Eagles, Martial Eagles, Bateleurs,
Pearl-spotted Owlets and many more birds of prey and seed eating
birds.
Amongst the ground troops, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Parks has a
variety of animals and this makes the Kgalagadi Park a premium mammal
viewing destination.
Not only will you see Blue Wildebeest, Springbok, Eland, Gemsbok and
others,
but you might get the chance to view cheetah, leopard, hyena and the
black-maned lion!
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park provides the outdoor enthusiast so
many
activities, it will be difficult to try and only stay for a weekend.
There are day and night game drives, various 4×4 trails and day walks. The
Kgalagadi Park have laundry and ironing facilities, swimming pools,
barbecue
areas, restaurants, shops, hides at waterholes and you are even able to
fill
up your petrol tank.
As with their wildlife, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park also provides a big
range
of accommodation, depending on what it is you are looking for from your
stay. There are three traditional restcamps, Twee Rivieren, Nassob
Restcamp
and Mata Mata Restcamp. These areas have chalets, park homes,
caravans,
cottages and camping facilities, with lots of little luxuries, such as
power
points and barbecue areas. The Wilderness Camps at the Kgalagadi Park
all
vary in facilities. The Kalahari Tent Camp, Grootkolk and Bitterpan,
are NOT
FENCED and tourist assistants are on duty at all times. Here your
accommodation will have gas and solar lighting, and waterholes are
available
to cool off in. The last three camps can be described as exclusive
camps,
not only because guest need to provide their own drinking water and
firewood, but due to their locations, namely Kieliekrankie, Urikaruus
and
Gharagab Wilderness camps also have gas and heating facilities.
