Kgalagadi and Mabuasehube selfdrive - The adventure of a lifetime

[Africalover]

@JayRon , here is our trip in Oct. 

Joburg

Upington

Kgalagadi Rooiputs

Kgalagadi Nossob

Mabuasehube Mpaya.

Ghanzi

Maun

Moremi 3. Bridge

Khwai Mogotho

Home

I will contact you for some questions, if ok.

Cheers.

michael.

[JayRon]

Hey @Africalover

Looks like an awesome trip, you just give med a call or PM regarding the questions ... 

[JayRon]

17.1 Mabuasehube,  last morning gamedrive and then to Tsabong

 

 

Last morning in Kgalagadi. we felt quite sad, but also satisfied, since the trip had exceeded our wildest expectations. 

We woke up at 5.00 and went straight to the waterhole, to see if we could get lucky with the lions. But no sight of lions and no sight of our friends from campsite no.2 . We found that strange , so we thought that we would check up on them. So we drove back to their campsite  and sure enough, they were occupied. The big female lion from yesterday morning had basically hijacked their campsite. She was having a rest just on the edge and it seemed, that she had no intention of moving for the time being. 

 

As we were having a talk with our friends, the rest of the lion pride came running by.

 

 

They showed real intend, so after we said a heartfelt goodbye to our new frinds (we still keep in touch, they were really Kgalagadi-veterans and had stayed more than 300 days in the Kgalagadi ). I somehow find it very easy to make new acquaintance while on safari. Back home I am not particular talkative, but when I am on safari that changes. I really like to met other people who have an genuine interest in the natural world (they are far apart in Denmark)
Before we left we once again checked the camera-trap and we had a cape fox and 2 brown hyenas visiting us in the night.

To end my report I would like to add some numbers from our trip.

I always liked numbers and luckily and my youngest son feel the same. He counted almost every predator (big and small) we saw in the Kgalagadi. So here are the numbers:

Lions             64  (20 sightings)
Leopard         1 
Cheetah        27 ( 12 sightings)
Brown hyena         6 (6 sightings including 2 at camera-trap)
Spotted hyena         4 (1 sighting)
Caracal             1 
Blackbacked jackal    102 ( ?? )
African wild cat         1 
And we also had loads of good sightings of giraffes, elands, mongooses, raptors, oryxs, springboks etc.. A very succesful safari, which I think we be hard to beat. And it also shows, that you will see plenty on a selfdrive safari. We had so many special sightings, that we still talk about back home. My favorite moment is probably the 11 lions walking trough our camp at Kalahari Tented Camp, but there are a lot of contenders. We will definitely be back at Kgalagadi. 

 

Packing the car for the last time (in Kgalagadi)

 

 

Lastly I will say thank you to the people who commented and like my posts. It really helped me keep going.
 

In july 2020 we will do a new self-drive safari to Kruger and Hwange. No Kgalagadi in july, the temperature could be as low as -10 degrees and that would kill my wife  

[mopsy]

An epic family adventure that will certainly be hard to top @JayRon

 

Thanks for sharing with us!

 

 

[Peter Connan]

Thanks for a great trip report. It has made me long to go back!

[xelas]

Epic, fantastic, one of a kind, ... I am really happy for your family to have this adventure, and for us to be able to follow it from the seat behind.

 

[Hads]

Thanks @JayRon for a sensational Trip report.Awesome experience with the family.

[JayRon]

@mopsy @Peter Connan @xelas @Hads Thank you all for taking your timee to write such nice feedback, I really appreciate it. And it was indeed a epic trip  

My biggest fear in the future is that all other trips will get compared to this one. It would be hard to beat (but I will try anyway  ) 

 

[pedro maia]

What a trip, it will be hard to beat, that´s for sure. 

 

Kgalagadi is one of the places I would like to go back, although I wouldn´t even dream of make a trip like yours, what an amazing adventure!!

[JayRon]

On 1/30/2020 at 12:59 PM, pedro maia said:

What a trip, it will be hard to beat, that´s for sure. 

 

Kgalagadi is one of the places I would like to go back, although I wouldn´t even dream of make a trip like yours, what an amazing adventure!!

 

It was an amazing adventure... It was our second time in Kgalagadi. First time was great, but this time was just amazing.So if I was you I would definitely go back. 

[michael-ibk]

Really loved following your adventure, an awesome report. Wow, your kids, are really lucky, how much I would have loved to do something like that as a boy. 

[JayRon]

1 minute ago, michael-ibk said:

Really loved following your adventure, an awesome report. Wow, your kids, are really lucky, how much I would have loved to do something like that as a boy. 

 

Thank you @michael-ibk I might not get all things right as a parent, but somehow I know that I/we succeed when my oldest son says, "I can´t wait to get back to Africa".

[Dave Williams]

Caught up with the SA side of the trip as I am contemplating going myself next year. I have to say you were extremely lucky with your sightings or is that par for the course I wonder?

I'm intending booking chalets and not camping so the choice is more limited and I have realised you need to book early to have any chance at all. I'm not sure about the unfenced camp I have to say, maybe just for a night to check it out.

Your experience with the shop in Namibia is what we found in Etosha, very little available to buy and the restaurant food in the camps was awful too.

Anyway,thanks for your report, I am inspired to visit, just not sure what time of year would suit us best as I want to incorporate Cape Town and the south too. I'd prefer to avoid the heat you experienced as well!!

[JayRon]

On 3/1/2020 at 7:21 PM, Dave Williams said:

Caught up with the SA side of the trip as I am contemplating going myself next year. I have to say you were extremely lucky with your sightings or is that par for the course I wonder?

I'm intending booking chalets and not camping so the choice is more limited and I have realised you need to book early to have any chance at all. I'm not sure about the unfenced camp I have to say, maybe just for a night to check it out.

Your experience with the shop in Namibia is what we found in Etosha, very little available to buy and the restaurant food in the camps was awful too.

Anyway,thanks for your report, I am inspired to visit, just not sure what time of year would suit us best as I want to incorporate Cape Town and the south too. I'd prefer to avoid the heat you experienced as well!!

 

Thank you @Dave Williams I must say that Kgalagadi is very special place. We were extremely lucky with the sightings, but I think that you will get good sightings year-round. And if you can get bookings, you must do some of the wilderness camps. Kalahari Tented Camp is great and so are many of the others (never stayed at the others because we traveled with kids.)