If you are looking for a true nature experience without having to overlook it, you must visit the nature camps of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. All of these wild campgrounds are not fenced, which makes the park so attractive to people who want to be really close to nature.
Some facts about the camps before discussing our experiences in each one:
• There is a tour assistant / camp manager on duty at all times and, to maintain the serenity and uniqueness of the wilderness camps, a maximum of eight people is allowed in each camp, two people in each of the four cabins.
• All lodging units in the Wilderness Camps have en-suite bathrooms, gas coolers, and geysers, while solar panels provide electricity for lights. All units come with kitchen utensils, cutlery, ceiling fans, linens and towels, and are cleaned daily.
1. Kieliekrankie
This is the highest camp, located on one of the highest dunes overlooking a private water hole. The four dune cabins are spacious and number four is the most private, as it is at the end.
The views during the day are magnificent, as can be seen for miles. We have had regular sightings of brown hyena, gemsbok, black-backed jackal, cape cobras, secretary birds, and hawks. At night we have seen leopards, caracals, African wildcats, steenbok, porcupines, scorpions and owls. When there is a storm, the view is spectacular with the sky changing color and lightning lighting up the sky!
The water well is about 120 meters away, so you will need at least a 400mm lens to photograph the animals drinking. However, the resident leopard walks between the huts to and from the waterhole!
2. Urikaruus
This camp is built on stilts in the dry bed of the Auob River and the four huts by the river are connected by elevated walkways. Bedrooms and bathrooms are upstairs, while kitchens, dining rooms, and terraces are downstairs.
The views are not as impressive as in Kieliekrankie and Gharagab, but we have seen huge herds of gazelles, wildebeest and Tessebe passing by the cabins. We have seen lions, brown hyenas and cheetahs at the private waterhole during the day and even at night. For wildlife photography this campground is great especially if you don’t have a long lens as the water hole is only 50 meters from the cabins. One year we had a lioness walking through the camp while our neighbors were unpacking their vehicle!
3. Bitterpan
The camp is located in the dunes and is built on stilts with wooden walkways connecting the reed huts. Bitterpan is great for small groups of friends as there is a common braai (barbecue) and fire pit area.
Behind the cabins is a twenty-foot-tall observation tower that offers great views over the pan, the water hole, and the dunes. The road leading to the camp is one way and you must have a 4X4 to drive this road.
4. Grootkolk
Grootkolk, like Bitterpan, has a common kitchen area, making it more suitable for small groups of friends. Each desert cabin, however, has its own braai in case you want privacy. We found the units a bit cramped.
The water well is about 70 meters from the cabins and it is not easy to see if the grass is long. We have seen lions and leopards in the area.
5. Gharagab
The camp is located at the northern end of the park and the four log cabins are built high on a dune that offers magnificent views of the dunes and surrounding forests. Additionally, there is an observation deck behind the cabins that provides a 360-degree view of the area.
The private water hole is about 70 meters from the cabins and we have seen lions drinking here most mornings and evenings. The opportunities to photograph sunrises, sunsets, and thunderstorms are excellent here. The road leading to the camp is 1-way and you need a 4X4 vehicle.
6. Kalahari Tent Camp
This camp is the largest of the wild camps as it has 15 desert tents with bathroom made of sandbags and canvas.
The spacious tents are situated on a high sand dune overlooking a private water hole in the dry bed of the Auob River. This is the only camp in nature that has a pool and where children under 12 are allowed.
This camp and Urikaruus are the only two camps where we see giraffes. We have also seen lions and large herds of wildebeest and gazelles. The water well is about 120 meters away and the middle stores (numbers 6 to 10) are the closest to the water well.
Tents are erected on wooden platforms and year-old hyenas chase and kill a young wildebeest under our neighbor’s tent. You can imagine the noise – they were terrified and used a knife to cut through the back tent so they could get out and ‘escape’. The camp director assured them they were safe, but the next day they left. Needless to say, they came back a few months later – the Kalahari desert experience is truly addictive!
