Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Larger than Denmark or Switzerland, and bigger than Lesotho and Swaziland combined, the 52,800 square kilometre Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which was set up in 1961, is the second largest game reserve in the world. Situated in the centre of Botswana, the reserve is characterised by vast open plains, saltpans and ancient riverbeds.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
“Kalahari” is derived from the Tswana word Kgala meaning “great thirst” – and it has vast areas covered by red sand without any permanent water. The Kalahari Desert is the largest sand basin in the world stretching 2,500kms from the northern regions of South Africa through to Namibia/Angola and ending in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The term ‘desert’ is however not quite accurate when referring to the Kalahari, the region receives an annual rainfall of 60mm-175mm, too high to be classified as a true desert.
After the summer rains arrive in the northern section of the reserve, from Deception Valley to Piper Pans, the vast plains burst with sweet grasses and this becomes one of the prime game-viewing areas in Botswana. Not many people seem to be aware of this and visitors are few. The clear blue sky fills with gigantic clouds and the stage is set for an amazing transformation. Into the scene enter thousands of migratory gemsbok, springbok and wildebeest. This gathering of animals is a sight to behold and can be compared with the Serengeti/Masai Mara migrations of Tanzania and Kenya.
Predators abound with plentiful lions – especially the famous Kalahari black-maned lion, cheetah, leopard and jackals. Brown hyenas and wild dogs are also found in the area.
Several species of antelopes make the trip to the sweet grasses of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve which include the eland, springbok, steenbok, gemsbok, hartebeest, kudu and duiker. Honey badgers are regular visitors as well as ground squirrels and meerkats. Many an hour can be wiled away watching these fascinating animals.
In the winter months, the Kalahari is more typically a desert-type system: warm and dry. Game viewing remains productive and moves into the vegetated dunal belt and pan systems surrounding the valleys; a series of ecologically placed waterholes further enhance wildlife viewing.
Bird life is aplenty with the world heaviest flying bird – the Kori bustard being common as well as the black korhaan who continuously calls during the daytime. Ostrich are seen roaming free – usually in large flocks. Raptors from the most common pale-chanting goshawk to the rock kestrel, bateleurs and brown and tawny eagles are also seen regularly.
Nxai Pan National Park
Nxai Pan National Park adjoins the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park on its northern border. The pan itself is another fossil lakebed about 40 square kilometres in size. The landscape is dotted with clusters of umbrella acacia trees and mopane woodland in the north. During the rains from November to April, the pans become covered in grass - a landscape typical of the Kalahari.
Image supplied courtesy of Kwando Safaris
The famous artist Thomas Baines arrived in 1861, and painted an unusual group of Baobab trees, which became known as 'Baines Baobabs'. It is rare to see these trees so close together and as one was growing on its side, Baines named his painting 'The Sleeping Five'. The Green brothers passed this way too and to this day their inscription into the bark, “Green's Expedition 1858-1859”, can clearly be seen.
Perhaps the focal point of Nxai Pan is the water hole, in the midst of a large grassy plain which is dotted with a few clumps of short umbrella thorn trees. Here - and within the mopane woodland - lion, giraffe, kudu, impala, ostrich and large numbers of springbok are permanent residents. Also resident are jackal and bat-eared foxes, along with numerous smaller creatures and fascinating birdlife.
Nxai Pan is well known for a huge springbok population, as the short-cropped grasses can testify, and extraordinarily large herds of giraffe with up to 30 in a group. Also to be seen are blue wildebeest, gemsbok, eland, greater kudu and red hartebeest. The more commonly seen predators are spotted hyena, cheetah, leopard and jackal with the elusive brown hyena a rare treat.
Once the rains have started, gemsbok, elephant and zebra migrate to the area. At that time, zebra are present in their thousands and drop their young at Nxai Pan - rivalling the spectacle of the multitude of young springbok - to further enhance game-viewing opportunities. Birdlife is excellent. The noisy black korhaan is a hallmark of Nxai Pan and small raptors such as kestrel and goshawks abound.
Whilst many other parks and reserves are not considered to be at their best during the rains, Nxai Pan becomes a veritable Garden of Eden. The best game viewing months are December to April.
Kwara Concession
The 1,700 square kilometre Kwara Concession is located within the remote north-eastern part of the Okavango Delta and shares a 30 kilometre water boundary with Moremi Game Reserve. The concession has permanent water and seasonal flood plains as well as extensive dry bush wilderness. Habitats range from the clear Delta waters with reed-lined lagoons and channels, to open grasslands, mopane woodlands and palm-fringed islands.
Image supplied courtesy of Kwando Safaris
The Kwara area is home to a variety of animals including lechwe, sitatunga, reedbuck, bushbuck, hippo, crocodile, elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, impala and tsessebe. The endangered sable and roan can also be found here. Lion, hyena, wild dog, leopard and cheetah are abundant in this part of the Delta and regularly seen.
The area offers excellent birding opportunities and species you can encounter through the channels and rivers include herons, storks, kingfishers, pygmy geese, fish eagles, jacanas, darters and, if you're really fortunate, the elusive Pel’s fishing owl. |
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Sample Botswana Itineraries
 Darkling Beetle Trek
Diving Beetle Expedition
Ground Beetle Tracker
Kheper's Adventures
Leaf Beetle Discovery
Scarab's Wilderness Journey
Scarab's Untamed Lands
Siamufumbula's Discovery
Stag Beetle Retreat
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