Many of you will ask: "What on earth do you want to visit a place so inhospitable as the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and even worse, Mabuasehube?" The answer is simple and at the same time, complex.
The simple version:
You will seldom find a better place for your soul to truly rest from the everyday rat race. There are no cell phone reception and unless you can afford a satellite phone, you will be cut off from 'civilization' for the duration of your stay. Nobody can contact you with day-to-day problems, you have limited radio reception so the problems of the world remain the world's problems until you return from holiday.
The pitting of your wits against nature to stay on top of the food chain provides enough distraction to occupy your mind - there is nothing like the roar of a lion at night reminding you that there is a mere piece of canvas between yourself and the deadly jaws of the king of the jungle. (Adrenaline will provide the rest of the distraction.)
Sitting around a campfire with a nice hot cup of coffee (in winter) or a cold beer ( in summer) and craning your neck to the heavens will remind you that you are but a small creature in the whole of the universe. This indeed provides perspective on any insurmountable problem you might think you have. (Freezing your backside off during winter will also assist in this process.)
The complex answer is ....
too complex to explain here as few men would understand and most woman would think I am crazy to enjoy living simple, without modern comforts, cooking on an open fire, walking barefoot in the sand (and praying the scorpions went to bed already), showering in cold water in a shower without a door or roof and crouching in the same Kalahari sand to watch the smallest of bugs carry their meager findings into the tiny hole in the ground.
To get some idea what I am talking about, see the slide show next to the post.
Well, next time I will report again on the progress of planning the trip in December.
03 September, 2009
12 August, 2009
Trip to Kgalagadi, Mabuasehube and Botswana
Over the weekend hubby informed me he wants to go to the Kgalagadi again in December. Do I hear you scream 'December!'? Yes, you heard right. He wants to tour the Kalahari Desert in the hottest months when temperatures easily reach 40 - 50 degrees Celsius. Well, I thought it would be all right. We've done this before - no sweat. I actually took to the idea of traversing the wilderness again.
We grabbed the map of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and planned a route to the wildest places in the park where we haven't been before. Places like Sizatswe, Swartpan, Gnus Gnus, Polentswa and naturally, the Mabuasehube side of the park. No visit to the Kgalagadi is complete (for us anyway) without a visit to the A-frames and clay pans of Mabuasehube Game Reserve.
Without really knowing what facilities are available at Sizatswe, Swartpan and Gnus Gnus, I phoned the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks reservations office on 00267 318 0774 and proceeded to make a booking. The accommodation at Polentswa and Nossob was limited so I extended our stay in the far north of the park - a total of 8 nights. Fine, if it is just me and hubby there is no worries regardless of the facilities offered. With the provisional booking made, I enquired about the facilities in the northern part (Botswana side) of the Kgalagadi and was told...there is nothing. Not even a toilet, no water and no ablutions. You have to carry everything with you. This didn't bother me as we have plenty of space in the Cruiser and off - road trailer.
Then hubby dropped the bomb... he is taking his parents with. Suddenly I have to plan for 6 people, arrange drinking and wash water for 8 days and the Cruiser looked smaller every time I tried to fit everything in. I am still trying so do come back next week to check the progress.
The full trip is 18 nights and is as follows:
Day 1-3 at Rooiputs (Botswana side about 23 kilometers from Twee Riviere. Apparently, the bore hole hasn't been fixed so there is no water available, but at least there is a toilet and shower shelter.
Day 4-5 at Mata Mata (South African side - full ablutions and fences)
Day 6 - Nossob (South Africa side - full ablutions and fences)
Day 7 - Polentswa (Botswana - no fences, apparently no water, but toilet and shower shelter and A-frame)
Day 8-9 Sizatswe (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)
Day 10-11 Swartpan (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)
Day 12-13 Sizatswe (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)
Day 14 - Polentswa
Day 15 - Matopi (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)
Day 16-18 Mabuasehube ( Botswana - no fences, A-frame, ablutions and hopefully water)
Now the problem facing us is to carry enough water for drinking and washing for 6 people for 8 days. According to the information I could find, the gate at KAA seldom has water to provide so we can't count on getting some water there.
Next week I'll let you know how the planning comes along. For more information about the Kgalagadi Camps check out these articles:
Mabuasehube:
Camping at Mabuasehube
Campsite names of Mabuasehube
Kgalagadi (SA side:)
Nossob
Twee Riviere
Mata Mata
Until next week.
We grabbed the map of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and planned a route to the wildest places in the park where we haven't been before. Places like Sizatswe, Swartpan, Gnus Gnus, Polentswa and naturally, the Mabuasehube side of the park. No visit to the Kgalagadi is complete (for us anyway) without a visit to the A-frames and clay pans of Mabuasehube Game Reserve.
Without really knowing what facilities are available at Sizatswe, Swartpan and Gnus Gnus, I phoned the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks reservations office on 00267 318 0774 and proceeded to make a booking. The accommodation at Polentswa and Nossob was limited so I extended our stay in the far north of the park - a total of 8 nights. Fine, if it is just me and hubby there is no worries regardless of the facilities offered. With the provisional booking made, I enquired about the facilities in the northern part (Botswana side) of the Kgalagadi and was told...there is nothing. Not even a toilet, no water and no ablutions. You have to carry everything with you. This didn't bother me as we have plenty of space in the Cruiser and off - road trailer.
Then hubby dropped the bomb... he is taking his parents with. Suddenly I have to plan for 6 people, arrange drinking and wash water for 8 days and the Cruiser looked smaller every time I tried to fit everything in. I am still trying so do come back next week to check the progress.
The full trip is 18 nights and is as follows:
Day 1-3 at Rooiputs (Botswana side about 23 kilometers from Twee Riviere. Apparently, the bore hole hasn't been fixed so there is no water available, but at least there is a toilet and shower shelter.
Day 4-5 at Mata Mata (South African side - full ablutions and fences)
Day 6 - Nossob (South Africa side - full ablutions and fences)
Day 7 - Polentswa (Botswana - no fences, apparently no water, but toilet and shower shelter and A-frame)
Day 8-9 Sizatswe (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)
Day 10-11 Swartpan (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)
Day 12-13 Sizatswe (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)
Day 14 - Polentswa
Day 15 - Matopi (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)
Day 16-18 Mabuasehube ( Botswana - no fences, A-frame, ablutions and hopefully water)
Now the problem facing us is to carry enough water for drinking and washing for 6 people for 8 days. According to the information I could find, the gate at KAA seldom has water to provide so we can't count on getting some water there.
Next week I'll let you know how the planning comes along. For more information about the Kgalagadi Camps check out these articles:
Mabuasehube:
Camping at Mabuasehube
Campsite names of Mabuasehube
Kgalagadi (SA side:)
Nossob
Twee Riviere
Mata Mata
Until next week.
28 July, 2009
Where is the Best Place to See Lions Mate?
Tourists often visit Africa with the ultimate purpose to see African Lions in the wild. Observing lions hunting or mating must be the most rewarding experience for any wildlife enthusiast - although the smaller creatures tend to offer even more pleasure to the astute observer. The question every tourist inevitably asks: "Where is the best place to see lions hunt/mate?"
Africa is riddled with nature reserves, both private and government owned, where African lions may be seen in their natural habitat. One of the reserves renowned for its sightings of the Big Five is the Mala Mala Game Reserve, which borders the Greater Kruger National Park. Several wildlife documentaries were filmed there, including some for National Geographic. The price range for this exclusive game reserve might however be out of most casual tourist's league.
One of the places I had the most success in observing lions mate, is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Close to Nossob Rest Camp, on the Botswana side and on the access road to Mabuasehube Game Reserve, tourists often find lions either hunting, resting or mating. Even the main road between Nossob and Twee Rivieren regularly deliver lions resting in the shade of the trees along the road. Due to the sparse vegetation in the semi - desert Kalahari landscape, spotting these magnificent creatures are easy.
The Kruger National Park is another nature reserve where lions are seen on a daily basis. In the middle of the Kruger National Park, the small camp of Balule regularly shakes with the roar of lions at night.
SAN Parks administer both the Kgalagadi and Kruger National Parks and their fees are reasonable by anyone's standards. Whether camping or staying in the other accommodation these parks offer, make sure you keep an eye - and an ear - out for the roar of the African Lions.
Africa is riddled with nature reserves, both private and government owned, where African lions may be seen in their natural habitat. One of the reserves renowned for its sightings of the Big Five is the Mala Mala Game Reserve, which borders the Greater Kruger National Park. Several wildlife documentaries were filmed there, including some for National Geographic. The price range for this exclusive game reserve might however be out of most casual tourist's league.
One of the places I had the most success in observing lions mate, is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Close to Nossob Rest Camp, on the Botswana side and on the access road to Mabuasehube Game Reserve, tourists often find lions either hunting, resting or mating. Even the main road between Nossob and Twee Rivieren regularly deliver lions resting in the shade of the trees along the road. Due to the sparse vegetation in the semi - desert Kalahari landscape, spotting these magnificent creatures are easy.
The Kruger National Park is another nature reserve where lions are seen on a daily basis. In the middle of the Kruger National Park, the small camp of Balule regularly shakes with the roar of lions at night.
SAN Parks administer both the Kgalagadi and Kruger National Parks and their fees are reasonable by anyone's standards. Whether camping or staying in the other accommodation these parks offer, make sure you keep an eye - and an ear - out for the roar of the African Lions.
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