The 3.7 million hectare Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is one of the world’s largest conservation areas and is a sanctuary to herds of gemsbok, springbok, blue wildebeest, eland, red hartebeest, as well as the black-mane Kalahari lions, leopard and cheetah. There are 60 species of mammals, as well as reptiles and amphibians. It has 307 bird species, and 52 of the registered 80 raptors have been registered in the park.
Day 1:
We depart early morning from Johannesburg. On route to Kuruman, we travel through Ventersdorp and Vryburg, lunch on route. We will stay overnight at Red Sands outside Kuruman. Dinner at the Red Sands restaurant
Day 2:
After breakfast, we continue the journey toward Kgalagadi Park. The route is via Olifantshoek towards Upington where we will have lunch. We then drive in a northerly direction towards the town of Askham. It is a slow drive, and around every corner, you will see more dune landscapes. We arrive at the Kgalagadi Lodge (5km from the gate) and check into the well-appointed chalets for 1 night. We relax for the remainder of the afternoon before dinner is enjoyed at the Restaurant.
Day 3:
After a healthy breakfast, we will drive up to the Kamqua picnic spot where the Game Ranger is from !Xaus Lodge will meet you and take you over 92 sand dunes to the Lodge. On arrival at the Lodge enjoy a welcome drink, and check into your rooms. Dinner at the Lodge.
Day 4:
Early wake-up call for a walk into the Dunes to learn some of the Bushmen Culture OR enjoy a very early morning game drive. Returning to the Lodge for breakfast and time to relax before lunch. Late afternoon game drive again followed by dinner at the Lodge.
Day 5:
After breakfast, it will be time to leave !Xaus Lodge back over the 92 sand dunes for our return to the Auob river and our return home. Overnight in Askam.
Day 6:
Enjoy breakfast and depart for our last night on tour. Lunch on route. Overnight and dinner at Red Sands.
Day 7: Friday 28 April
Depart after breakfast traveling back to Johannesburg. Lunch on route. Arrive back in Johannesburg late afternoon.
** optional fly back from Upington for own account.
!XAUS LODGE
The lodge is perfectly situated overlooking a salt pan.
!Xaus Lodge offers Kalahari accommodation as a game lodge situated in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park for eco-tourists and visitors.
The complex comprises a central lodge building and 12 individual chalets, each with its own deck overlooking a vast saltpan and waterhole fed with fresh water. One family unit (sleeps 4 people).
This Kalahari game lodge offers a unique living space. The central lodge building consists of a welcoming reception area with its unique wall hanging made by the ladies of Vezokhule, a sewing co-operative in Upington. The cosy lounge has a fireplace and a library of selected books for paging through before dinner. Our dining area overlooks the pan, with furniture hand-made in Upington and images burnt by Bushmen artists.
At the art and craft shop, you can purchase locally made Bushman crafts as well as crafts made in the wider Kalahari. Visit the large observation deck from which we gaze in wonder at the night sky, and by day the swimming pool provides cool relief from the desert heat. Wood is a precious commodity in the Kalahari, so the inviting fire in the boma is made in the traditional method with three or four crossed sticks around which everyone huddles companionably.
In the en-suite chalets, we provide purified drinking water from the desert which you will find in a flask in your bathroom. Winter sheets and gas heaters provide comfort for cold nights, and ceiling fans bring relief in the hot months.
