08 DAY KALAHARI BIG CATS & RAPTORS SAFARI – 05-12 FEBRUARY 2027

PRE-TOUR     Sat 05 Feb    Arrival – Upington

Time of arrival will depend on guest’s’ travel schedule to Upington. Flight/bus schedule to be finalised. (Flight/bus not included)

Optional at own cost:

Wine tasting at the Tasting Centre of the Orange River Wine Cellar in Upington, the second largest cooperative wine cellar in the world. Except for wine and grape juice production, the Lower Orange River Valley is the major raisin production area – and one of the major table grape production areas in South Africa.

Dinner at own cost in restaurant

Overnight:     Tshahitsi Lodge***** (Air-conditioned Chalet or Camping)

220 V power supply. Pool. South Africa Mobile connection. WI-FI

 

DAY 01         Sun 06 Feb    Upington – Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Par / Twee Rivieren

Depart at 09:00 from Upington on a 03-hour drive through the Kalahari Duneveld (“veld” means natural vegetation), passing various pans (dry lakes), to the Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park.

The word Kalahari derives from the word Makgadigadi, meaning salt pans (salt lakes) in the language spoken by the Kgalagadipeople living in the Kgalagadi Region in south-western Botswana. The word Kgalagadi means salt pans too in their language. More than 1 000 pans are scattered throughout the park. The Kalahari is the largest area of sand in the world, covering 2.5 million square kilometres from the Orange River in South Africa in the south to slightly north of the equator.

The area referred to as the arid Kalahari covers some 900 000 square kilometres in the south and covers parts of South Africa and Namibia and most of Botswana. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is situated in the southern part of the arid Kalahari in South Africa and Botswana and is jointly managed by South Africa National Parks (Sanparks) and Botswana Wildlife.

 

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park covers 37 000 square km, which is one of the largest conservation areas in the world and one of the last truly unspoilt ecosystems.

Endemic game such as gemsbok, springbok, eland, giraffe, blue wildebeest and red hartebeest roam the sparsely vegetated red sand dunes and the dry river valleys of the Nossob and Auob where a variety of acacia species thrive.

The Park is well known for good sightings of lion, leopard and cheetah and spotted – and brown hyena are common residents. Because of an abundance of prey in the form of mice, whistling rats, birds and insects, smaller predators thrive in the park. The park is home to caracal, honey badger, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, cape fox, African wildcat, mongoose and the ever-popular suricate (meerkat). 

Kgalagadi is a bird watcher’s paradise with more than 300 species recorded including at least 20 larger raptor species. The world’s heaviest flying bird, the Kori bustard and the stately secretary bird patrol the riverbeds while the noisy northern black korhaan rule in the dunes.

Check in at accommodation at 14:00 at Twee Rivieren. Time at leisure

Depart on an afternoon game drive. The Twee Rivieren area is known for lion, leopard, cheetah and meerkat sightings.

Twee Rivieren has an illuminated waterhole on top of a dune. Predators and antelope visit the waterhole regularly and it is a good birding spot.

Optional 3 hr sunset drive with Sanparks guide on open vehicle at own cost at all camps @ R470 pp

Overnight:     Twee Rivieren Rest Camp (Air-conditioned Cottage or Camping x 02 nights)

Meals:          B, L & D (Full Board on all days)

220 V power supply. Pool. South Africa Mobile connection. MTN best data connection. WI-FI vouchers for sale at shop

 

DAY 02            Mon 07 Feb     Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park / Twee Rivieren

Morning and afternoon game drives in the southern section of the park.

Overnight:     Twee Rivieren Rest Camp

 

DAY 03            Tue 08 Feb     Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park / Nossob

Morning game drive along the Nossob River Valley to Nossob Rest Camp, situated on the bank of the Nossob River bed 165 km / 05 hrs game drive from Twee Rivieren.

The Nossob area is known for lion activities and brown hyena sightings. Good sightings of a variety of raptors are guaranteed.

Nossob has an illuminated waterhole. Predators and antelope are regular visitors.

Check in at accommodation at 14:00 at Nossob. Time at leisure

Depart on an afternoon game drive.

Overnight:     Nossob Rest Camp (Air-conditioned Chalet or Camping x 02 nights)

220 V power supply. Pool. No Mobile connection. WI-FI vouchers for sale at shop

 

DAY 04            Wed 09 Feb    Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park / Nossob

Morning and afternoon game drives in the Nossob area

Visit Cubitjie Quap Waterhole 10km north of Nossob at noon, when a variety of raptors go there, especially Bateleur.

Overnight:     Nossob Rest Camp

 

DAY 05            Thu 10 Feb     Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park / Mata Mata

Morning game drive along the Nossob River Valley, Upper Dune Road & Auob River Valley to Mata Mata Rest Camp, situated on the bank of the Auob River bed on the Namibian Border

This is cheetah territory and is one the best, if not the best, places in Southern Africa to see cheetah. The Mata Mata area is also known for lion, hyena and giraffe sightings.

Mata Mata has an illuminated waterhole. Predators and antelope are regular visitors.

Check in at accommodation at 14:00 at Nossob. Time at leisure

Depart on an afternoon game drive.

Overnight:     Mata Mata Rest Camp (Air-conditioned Chalet or Camping x 02 nights)

220 V power supply. Pool. Namibia MTC Mobile connection. WI-FI vouchers for sale at shop

DAY 06            Fri 11 Feb       Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park / Mata Mata

Morning and afternoon game drives along the Auob River Valley.

Visit the Raptor Interpretation Centre. The centre features the 27 resident species of raptor and the 10 or so annual migrant raptors or vagrant species that swell the numbers when the food supply is abundant.

Overnight: Mata Mata Rest Camp   

 

DAY 07            Sat 12 Feb     Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park – Upington

Game drive to Twee Rivieren until noon. Exit the park.

Depart to Upington. En route stop at the last indigenous San tribe in South Africa, the Khomani. Today these earliest residents of the Kalahari, living here for 40 000 years, consist of only 400 people and are resident in an area between 40 and 70 km south of Twee Rivieren. Clients will have the opportunity to view and purchase their handcraft at one of the roadside stalls. The presence of the San at the roadside stalls can’t be guaranteed.

Continue to Upington to be in time for departing flight/bus or drop-off at accommodation. Flight/bus schedule to be finalised.  (Flight/bus/accommodation not included)

Post-tour accommodation in Upington can be booked and added to RATES on request

It is expected from clients on camping tours to assist with pitching and packing up camp and with general camping duties on request

 

RATES

 

TOUR PRICE:

Please contact us for Tour Price at
Office:            dantes@kalahari-tours.co.za
Direct:            liebenbergdantes@gmail.com

Whatsapp:       +27 82 579 3344 (Dantes) / +27 82 776 3817 (Dennis) / +27 82 493 5041 (Elize)

Please specify if you are a SADEC Resident or International visitor. Different rates apply at National Parks & Game Reserves.

 

INCLUDED:

Air conditioned transport & driver/guide (Type of vehicle will depend on number of persons on tour)

Accommodation as per itinerary

Camping equipment on camping tours (See CAMPING EQUIPMENT below)

All entrance fees to National Parks and Nature Reserves (Conservation Fees to Sanparks)

Meals as per itinerary (Full board; See MEALS below)

Bottled water & soft drinks

Activities as per itinerary (All scheduled game drives are in the tour vehicle)

Guidebooks about flora, fauna, area etc & maps in guide vehicle

15% VAT         

EXCLUDED:

Flights or bus pre/post tour

Accommodation pre/post tour in Upington if needed.

Alcoholic and after hours private drinks

Travel insurance (Suggested to be obtained in country of residence)

Any activities not included in tour itinerary

All activities & meals in red.

CAMPING EQUIPMENT FOR CLIENTS ON CAMPING TOURS

2.5m x 2.5m x 1.9m Ground pitched canvass igloo tents

Camping beds

40mm fold-up mattresses

Sheets, pillows, sleeping bags

Bedside table

Chairs & tables

All eating utensils

 

MEALS

Meals are provided in restaurants where available or prepared by the guide or crew member. Coffee/tea and a light breakfast are provided before early morning departures on game drives, followed by a brunch at a picnic area.  On a normal schedule breakfast and light lunches are provided in restaurants or by guide/crew member. Dinners are in restaurants or catered by guide/crew member and on some occasions it will be a typical South African Braai (BBQ). Coffee/tea, juice, soft drinks & bottled water are included with all meals.

It is important to inform Kalahari Tours and Travel in advance of any special dietary requirements!

CLIENTS NEED:

Binoculars, sun block, hat, closed shoes or boots for evenings (scorpions), insect repellent, torch light or head light

INFORMATION NEEDED:

State of health and any dietary requirements (vegetarians, vegans etc.)

                                                           

Please contact us if you need more information.

Kalahari Tours & Travel
Dantes Liebenberg