Tails and Tales from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

[Sangeeta]

That lion is really a stunner. And he looks good with that nicely tucked-in tummy.

 

So if you're not a fan of heat (anything more than 30 C is too hot for me), then which month would you recommend, Morkel?

[Morkel Erasmus]

That lion is really a stunner. And he looks good with that nicely tucked-in tummy.

 

So if you're not a fan of heat (anything more than 30 C is too hot for me), then which month would you recommend, Morkel?

 

@@Sangeeta, even in winter months the temperature touches 28 degrees celcius LOL.

But yes, winter would be your best bet, although sightings can be less than in the hot months as the predators especially hide in the dunes early morning due to the cold temperatures in the fossil riverbeds (like stated above, normally between -7 and +3 Celcius in the early mornings). If the rains were very good the grass can be quite high which limits visibility in many places.

 

That does not mean winter is not a good time. We had amazing sightings on our last winter trip.

Photos attached for example.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Did I mention that the Kgalagadi is a birder's paradise? Raptors abound, especially in the spring/summer months.

 

Here are a few pics taken in recent years...

[Tdgraves]

@@Morkel Erasmus are you on commission??

[Sangeeta]

Thanks, Morkel. You did indeed get great winter sightings if those photos are anything to go by! Panthera Pardus got the wildcat sighting in winter too. I think this may be nice option for a lazy safari - if the animals are sleeping in, no point hitting the road at the crack of dawn. I would consider this.

[Morkel Erasmus]

@@Morkel Erasmus are you on commission??

 

Bwahaha @@Tdgraves - no, just a self-styled Kgalagadi Evangelist I would say

[Tdgraves]

@Tdgraves I've been following the progress of the Ta Shebube camps with interest, and have been considering visiting them.

 

Both Rooiputs and Polentswa are now open. Not sure when Union's End is expected to open.

 

 

BTW @@stokeygirl I forgot to ask, so you know whether you offically cross into Botswana via customs and immigration, or as you enter the park via RSA and it's a transfrontier park, you are ok? I only ask as I just realised I have 3 visa pages left in my passport, so unless I want a new one before Jan, Ta Shebube would be off if I needed to enter Botswana

[stokeygirl]

@@Tdgraves my understanding of the way tranfrontier parks work is that you don't need to go through any border formalities, as long as you are planning to exit through the same country you came in from. So coming in from SA, back out through SA, you won't need to officially enter Botswana.

[stokeygirl]

Also- do you have 2 blank facing pages? I have heard SA immigration can be a bit picky about that.

[Tdgraves]

i think so, but i'm gonna have to paranoidly check now

[madaboutcheetah]

 

@@Tdgraves I've been following the progress of the Ta Shebube camps with interest, and have been considering visiting them.

 

Both Rooiputs and Polentswa are now open. Not sure when Union's End is expected to open.

 

 

BTW @@stokeygirl I forgot to ask, so you know whether you offically cross into Botswana via customs and immigration, or as you enter the park via RSA and it's a transfrontier park, you are ok? I only ask as I just realised I have 3 visa pages left in my passport, so unless I want a new one before Jan, Ta Shebube would be off if I needed to enter Botswana

 

@@Tdgraves - please keep us posted of Ta Shebube if you go there ............ ON MY LIST!!!!

[Morkel Erasmus]

@@Tdgraves my understanding of the way tranfrontier parks work is that you don't need to go through any border formalities, as long as you are planning to exit through the same country you came in from. So coming in from SA, back out through SA, you won't need to officially enter Botswana.

 

@@Tdgraves - @@stokeygirl is spot on here. As long as you enter and exit from Twee Rivieren SA side, you can stay in the Botswana campsites and lodges. If you exit on the Bots side (Mabuasehube area, Kaa etc) then you need to have Botswana officials stamp your passport.

[Morkel Erasmus]

I'm leaving for Etosha and Kgalagadi in 2 weeks...starting to year for the red sand between my toes!

 

[madaboutcheetah]

 

@Tdgraves I've been following the progress of the Ta Shebube camps with interest, and have been considering visiting them.

 

Both Rooiputs and Polentswa are now open. Not sure when Union's End is expected to open.

 

 

BTW @@stokeygirl I forgot to ask, so you know whether you offically cross into Botswana via customs and immigration, or as you enter the park via RSA and it's a transfrontier park, you are ok? I only ask as I just realised I have 3 visa pages left in my passport, so unless I want a new one before Jan, Ta Shebube would be off if I needed to enter Botswana

 

 

Not sure how it works for UK passports - but, for us Indians .......... We can attach additional pages to our passport as and when we run out of pages. It's usually a straight forward and easy task.

[stokeygirl]

It's not possible to add pages to a UK passport- I think it once was, back in the mists of time, but not anymore.

[Morkel Erasmus]

...when in the Kgalagadi, it's important to keep an eye on those dunes...you never know what might pop up (the kitties love using it to scan the fossil riverbeds for snacks)...

 

 

[madaboutcheetah]

They use the dunes like a termite mound? and there aren't any here i suppose?

[Tdgraves]

Also- do you have 2 blank facing pages? I have heard SA immigration can be a bit picky about that.

 

@@stokeygirl, I will double check (and I think I do anyway), but now that they are not putting stickers into your passport, I guess it is less of an issue

[penolva]

 

@@Morkel Erasmus

 

@@Tdgraves there are a great many overseas tourist who come just for that - hire a rental 4x4 with rooftop tent and all the equipment you need and go for it

 

Maybe i just like my creature comforts too much

 

However, i am now considering ta shebube instead of kruger in jan - i see it is low season - do you still think it is a good time to go?

 

Ps your sighting wad indeed epic

 

Anyone looking for a bit of luxury with a twist in Kgalagadi should look at !Xaus Lodge which is jointly owned by the Khomani San and Mier communities in conjunction with SANParks. Almost all the lodge employees are said to be drawn from the local community. Pen

[TonyQ]

@@Morkel Erasmus

Beautiful images -the hunting lion sequence (via the link) is stunning - your blog writing describing your thought processes relating to the photography is also really interesting

[Tdgraves]

Anyone looking for a bit of luxury with a twist in Kgalagadi should look at !Xaus Lodge which is jointly owned by the Khomani San and Mier communities in conjunction with SANParks. Almost all the lodge employees are said to be drawn from the local community. Pen

 

 

@@penolva I have looked at this, but was put off by the apparent lack of emphasis on safari (more a desert experience...)

[penolva]

Anyone looking for a bit of luxury with a twist in Kgalagadi should look at !Xaus Lodge which is jointly owned by the Khomani San and Mier communities in conjunction with SANParks. Almost all the lodge employees are said to be drawn from the local community. Pen

 

 

@@penolva I have looked at this, but was put off by the apparent lack of emphasis on safari (more a desert experience...)

I think you have to go to Kgalagadi with the desert experience upmost, it's def not a Moremi or Kruger! But it has much much more to offer. Pen

[Morkel Erasmus]

 

Anyone looking for a bit of luxury with a twist in Kgalagadi should look at !Xaus Lodge which is jointly owned by the Khomani San and Mier communities in conjunction with SANParks. Almost all the lodge employees are said to be drawn from the local community. Pen

 

 

@@penolva I have looked at this, but was put off by the apparent lack of emphasis on safari (more a desert experience...)

I think you have to go to Kgalagadi with the desert experience upmost, it's%2

[Morkel Erasmus]

Something went horribly wrong with my connection and the message posted multiple times.

 

Here's what I typed actually:

 

I would agree, but I would state it as follows. To experience the Nossob river - book Ta Shebube. To experience the Auob river - book !Xaus.

The two fossil rivers are alike in some ways but different in so many other ways and both make up the Kgalagadi wilderness experience...

[penolva]

Something went horribly wrong with my connection and the message posted multiple times.

 

Here's what I typed actually:

 

I would agree, but I would state it as follows. To experience the Nossob river - book Ta Shebube. To experience the Auob river - book !Xaus.

The two fossil rivers are alike in some ways but different in so many other ways and both make up the Kgalagadi wilderness experience...

I agree, although for me the wilderness camps run by SANParks are the best. (I have pm'd you re cameras) Pen