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48 hours in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

10/5/2017

12 Comments

 
Springbok, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
By Roxanne Reid
In some 40 visits to the Kalahari we’ve racked up about 400 days. And they’ve always been exhilarating. But on a recent trip around the Northern Cape’s arid parks, we had only 48 hours in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. We were worried it wouldn’t be enough. We were wrong.

Our first sighting the afternoon we arrived in the Kgalagadi Trasnfrontier Park was my favourite kind – a meerkat family. Mom, dad and three kids were at the entrance to their burrow, all alert and standing tall.

​We sat quietly and although dad stayed on guard duty, the rest of the family gradually relaxed. The kids started to play and mom began tidying the entrance to the burrow, flinging sand behind her as she dug, not caring that dad was getting a face-full. The Littles popped up and down, in and out of the burrow, went on short adventures, wrestled each other and fell down, all catching the soft rays of the late afternoon sun.
Meerkat, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Young meerkats
Next morning we drove the road that hugs the dry Auob riverbed. The veld was green in March, a happy reminder that good rains fell this summer. Although the grass was long – not always great for spotting small creatures – patches of yellow dubbeltjies (devil’s thorn), purple brandbone (thunderbolt flowers) and mauve cat’s tails were generous compensation.
Wild flowers, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Mauve cat's tails and yellow devil's thorn
A tawny eagle surveying its kingdom from the top of a camel thorn tree, a pygmy falcon perching on a dead tree, and an ostrich tending a gaggle of chicks were early excitements. 
Ostrich chicks, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Then we found three cheetahs on a springbok kill, resting in the shade of a camel thorn festooned with weaver nests. They’d eaten well, but every now and again would come back to the carcass for a couple of mouthfuls.
Cheetahs on a kill, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Further north three meerkat were busily excavating their burrow and a small herd of giraffe walked the veld before we spotted a mother cheetah with her four almost-grown cubs. We stopped to watch a baby springbok only just beginning to get the hang of its lanky legs and a grownup looking silly with a hat of greenery.
Springbok lamb, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Springbok lamb
​That evening we went on a sunset drive from Mata Mata with field guide Johan Vaalbooi, on loan from Nossob camp for the night. It was a super chance to get out of camp to watch the sunset and see animals after dark. But I’ll tell you more about that in another post.

​Our last morning
So many snapshots to take with our minds, to remember and cherish when we were back in the city. A field of bright yellow devil’s thorn flowers; a huge herd of springbok silhouetted against the sun rising through clouds; the orange sun rising through the branches of a camel thorn tree.

We found two African wild cats in the lower branches of a camel thorn. One of them climbed down towards a fallen branch, stopping to look right at us. The other joined it on the horizontal branch and there was some hissing and fisticuffs before peace returned. 
African wild cat, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
African wild cat
Lilac breasted roller, crimson-breasted shrike, African hoopoe, a bateleur preening at the top of a dead tree, swallow-tailed bee-eaters – there are so many colourful birds to see in the Kgalagadi if you take it slow and keep a lookout. If you can enjoy them as much as you enjoy sightings of big guns like lions and leopards, the Kgalagadi will make your heart sing.
Crimson-breasted shrike, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Crimson-breasted shrike
​There were lions too, as well as the cheetah mom with four cubs we’d seen the day before. She was looking interested in a springbok in the riverbed while the youngsters chased and wrestled each other as it started to drizzle.
Lions, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Black-maned lions
​Over the years we’ve seen springbok give birth, cheetahs hunt and kill springbok or ostrich, leopards play with their cubs, lions climb (and fall out of!) trees, and puff adders wrestle for dominance. Each sighting has value, no matter how small. 
Namaqua sandgrouse, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Namaqua sandgrouse
A martial eagle soaring overhead; a honey badger trotting pigeon-toed through the veld; Namaqua sandgrouse calling as they settle at a waterhole; wildebeest clowning around; electric storms crashing through the sky above the dunes. These are the simple pleasures of the Kgalagadi. And that's what lures us back time and again.

My name is Roxanne and I’m a Kgalagadi addict.

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48 hours in the Kalahari, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa
48 hours in the Kalahari, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa
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Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
12 Comments
Craig
24/5/2017 11:04:46 pm

The Kalahari has something special that no other SanParks have. I experience a sense of magic - a privilege to see wildlife, stunning sunsets and not to many people once out of the park.
The only problem everyone now wants to visit, so it's becoming very difficult to get a booking. It's a pity!

Reply
Roxanne
25/5/2017 09:00:04 am

You're right about it being a privilege, Craig. Yes, we tried to book for May 2018 and got through about five minutes after the booking opened, only to find everything, including camping, was already fully booked. I wish it was less popular so we could get in too!

Reply
Derek
24/5/2017 11:10:18 pm

A photographer's dream. The lighting and colors are exceptional. We are from the States and are bitten by the Kgalgadi. Hope to retutn soon.

Reply
Roxanne
25/5/2017 09:02:05 am

A dream indeed, Derek. When the grass isn't too long, getting good photos is easy because it's open. In many parks that are overgrown with trees and bushes (Kruger, for instance), photography can be very frustrating. Enjoy your next trip!

Reply
Jacques
25/5/2017 10:52:58 pm

An awesome 48 hours. When I compare my 48 hours ; 5 hours in traffic, work which is not fun and then some tv.
Don't you need a driver?!

Reply
Roxanne
26/5/2017 09:10:51 am

I know, Jacques, I feel so privileged to spend any time in the Kgalagadi. It beats sitting in city traffic by a million miles.

Reply
Karen
20/7/2017 12:57:00 pm

Last December was our first time to South Africa, we spent 3 days in the Kgalagadi and saw a lot of wildlife. We were amazed by the beauty and quietness of our surroundings, it's magic. Kgalagadi stole my heart and we are planning to go again next year. Thanks for your stories & pics

Reply
Roxanne
20/7/2017 01:06:22 pm

Watch out, Karen, the Kgalagadi quickly becomes addictive. I know, I'm an addict myself :-) Glad you enjoyed your stay.

Reply
Christine
11/3/2018 01:36:26 pm

I am also severely addicted and has to go regularly for a fix. This is a magical place that you step into. Thanks for this reading to take me back for a while.

Reply
Roxanne
11/3/2018 01:45:12 pm

Needing a 'fix' is a great way to put it, Christine. Only those who have been know how addictive it is.

Reply
Cecile
5/7/2019 10:50:51 am

When is the best time to visit Kgalagadi?

Reply
Roxanne
5/7/2019 02:59:24 pm

Such a hard question to answer, Cecile. I like April because it's the end of the rainy season so not too dry but also not too hot. For best sightings if you don't mind the heat, probably start of rainy season (Jan) to March. Winter can be slow with sightings and very cold at night, especially if you're camping. Hope that gives you some options to play with according to your own preferences. But booking are hard to get - people book 12 months in advance, so basically any time you can get is is a good time!

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    About 

    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
    My travel buddy and husband Keith is the primary photographer for this blog.
    We're happiest in the middle of nowhere, meeting the locals, trying something new, or simply watching the grass grow.
    Use this website to discover new places to go, revisit places you've loved, or take a virtual tour of destinations you only dream about.

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