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From Red Sands to Majestic Wildlife: Exploring the Enchanting Kalahari Desert
Home to the San/Bushmen, wildlife, and breath-taking landscapes
The Kalahari Desert in Namibia is often overlooked by travelers in favour of the Namib Desert. A Kalahari Desert holiday, however, offers travelers something completely unique. Stunning landscapes of red sand dunes, which can turn green during the summer months, fascinating plant life and wildlife and an insight into the lives of the San/Bushmen awaits those who choose to journey into the Kalahari.
Nothing typifies a Kalahari Desert holiday in Namibia quite like its famous red sand dunes. The only thing which maybe comes close to being as well-known from Namibia’s Kalahari, is the Kalahari salt which you can buy at exclusive food outlets. Much like the salt, the red sand dunes in the Kalahari are special because of the minerals which they contain. Particularly iron oxide (in the sand – not the salt). The desert sand has literally rusted. The result is the beautiful red dunes which you can see in the southern Kalahari in particular.
You can explore the Kalahari desert for example on a self-drive tour and a guided tour.
The Kalahari is one of the ancestral homes of the San/Bushmen, who have lived here for approximately 20,000 years. Traditionally, the San lived a nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle in small cluster groups, stretching across Southern Africa. As other tribes from Africa and as Europeans increasingly moved into the region, the San/Bushmen all over were evermore forced into the Kalahari. Many now live a more sedentary lifestyle and rely less on their traditional hunter-gatherer techniques to survive. However, through tourism in the region and the subsequent San/Bushman experiences which can be booked at various accommodations and cultural living museums, much of this ancient knowledge of the land, its plants, and its animals, is still being preserved. You can gain an insight into these fascinating and remarkable people and learn not only about their customs and traditions, but also about their lives in the modern, contemporary world when traveling through the Kalahari.
One of the main attractions for a Kalahari safari is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The park is actually located in both South Africa and in Botswana, allowing the animals (and you) to travel freely between the two countries. It was in fact, the first park of its kind in Africa and is referred to as a peace park. Even though the park is not located in Namibia, there is a park entrance on the South African and Namibian border. To access the park, you do not even need to get a visa for South Africa, provided you also exit through the same Namibian gate again. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park covers around 38,000 km2 and can provide visitors with unique wildlife sightings in an untamed wilderness. One of the main highlights for wildlife enthusiasts is sighting the famous Kalahari lions. With their distinctive black manes, they really do make a striking appearance. You will not be able to spot the Big 5 here, but there is other wildlife which can keep you fascinated. The park is renowned for its predator sightings, including cheetah, hyena and leopard, as well as various antelope species including springbok, oryx, eland and kudu. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is also known for providing excellent raptor sightings and with a little luck you could spot specimens such as the bateleur, lappet faced vulture and the imposing martial eagle.
The Kalahari region in Namibia offers several accommodation options, including campsites, lodges, and guest farms. There pretty much is something for everyone’s taste. When camping at a remote campsite in the Kalahari, you can truly appreciate the serenity of your surroundings. There are no distractions from your normal everyday life around you. Just the silence of the wilderness and the beautiful landscapes. In the evenings, you can sit around a crackling campfire and be truly amazed at the countless stars above you. If you are more the lodge accommodation type of traveler, then a stay at a Namibian guest farm will be perfect for you. You will be greeted with the warmest hospitality, as most guest farms are still owner run. These farms often cover an enormous area and many are home to a diverse and exciting variety of wildlife. The guest farms are sometimes more like small game reserves of their own in fact. Almost all guest farms will offer you an assortment of activities, which means, you can often stay a couple of nights in the Kalahari and really get to know it and its many marvels.
The Kalahari is raw, authentic, and always worth a visit. No matter which time of year you choose to explore it, or how many times you have visited it before, a Kalahari safari in Namibia can always provide you with wildlife sightings which will stay with you forever. It gives you moments, where you find yourself serenely staring over the beautiful landscapes in complete and perfect silence – just soaking it all in.
