Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Kgalagadi was created in 2000 by joining Botswana's Gemsbok National Park with South Africa's Kalahari Gemsbok, making a single conservation area of around thirty-eight thousand square kilometres with no fence between them. The two dry riverbeds, the Nossob and the Auob, run through red dune country, and animals concentrate along them at the boreholes. The park is known for black-maned Kalahari lions, cheetah on the open dunes and a long list of raptors. The Botswana side is far less developed than the South African.

What you actually see

• The dry riverbeds - the Nossob and Auob, where animals concentrate at boreholes.
• The black-maned lions - the Kalahari lion, the park's best-known animal.
• The red dunes - long parallel dunes running across the whole park.
• The raptors - eagles, falcons and vultures in unusual density along the riverbeds.

When to go

March to May and September to October give the most comfortable temperatures. Midsummer from December to February regularly exceeds forty degrees. Winter nights from June to August drop below freezing.

Honest expectations

The Botswana side has almost no facilities and requires full self-sufficiency including water and fuel for the whole stay. Campsites book out many months ahead. Crossing between the two countries inside the park requires the correct documentation and entry point.

Nearby

Mabuasehube is the park's eastern section, and Tsabong is southeast.