In assocciation with Kalahari Wildlife Tours

Tour 47: 8 Day Kgalagadi – Etosha Wildlife Tour

This tour covers 01 Transfrontier Park & 01 National Park

THIS TOUR GOES THROUGH A MALARIA AREA!

9 Days
8 Nights

DAY 01 Upington – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa)
DAY 02 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
DAY 03 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
DAY 04 Windhoek (Namibia)
DAY 05 Etosha National Park / Okaukuejo
DAY 06 Etosha National Park / Halali
DAY 07 Etosha National Park / Namutoni
DAY 08 Windhoek – Departure

DETAILED ITINERARY

This tour is combination of the wildlife of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Etosha National Park. Kalahari landscapes, abundant raptors, adapted antelope species and big cats of Kgalagadi and the high numbers of game concentrated on the open grass plains and around waterholes in Etosha, make this a unique wildlife tour.

DAY 01 Upington – Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park (South Africa)
Time of departure will depend on clients’ travel schedule to Upington. Flight schedule to be finalised. (Flight not included)

Depart 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 Kgalagadi people 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.

En route visit to 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 can’t be guaranteed)

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 Twee Rivieren.

Depart on an afternoon game drive. All scheduled game drives in Kgalagadi are in the tour vehicle.

The Twee Rivieren area is known for lion, leopard, cheetah and meerkat sightings.
Optional 3 hr sunset drive on an open game drive vehicle and 3 hr morning guided walk with Sanparks guide at own cost
Overnight: Twee Rivieren
Meals: B, L & D (Full Board on all days)

DAY 02 Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park
Depart early morning, when the gates open, on a circular game drive. The route goes along the lower Nossob River Valley, Lower Dune Road and lower Auob River Valley. Return to Twee Rivieren at noon.

Do an afternoon game drive. The route will depend on sightings on the morning drive and reported sightings on the sightings board at Twee Rivieren
Overnight Twee Rivieren
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 03 Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park
Early departure on a game drive along the Auob River Valley to Mata Mata 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, African wildcat and giraffe sightings.

Do an afternoon game drive along the Auob River Valley.

Relax around the fireplace, overlooking an illuminated waterhole. Predators are regular visitors.

Optional 3 hr sunset drive and 2 hr night drive on an open game drive vehicle with Sanparks guide at own cost
Overnight Mata Mata
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 04 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park – Windhoek (Namibia)
Enter Namibia at the Mata Mata Border Post. Proceed through the Kalahari along the dry Auob River Valley via Gochas, Stampriet and Rehoboth to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Afternoon at leisure.
Overnight Arebbusch Travel Lodge.
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 05 Windhoek – Etosha National Park
Depart to Okahandja, home of the woodcarvers of Namibia where we stop to give guests the opportunity to view and purchase from a wide variety of African craft.

Continue to Etosha National Park via Otjiwarongo and Outjo. Enter the Park at Anderson Gate in the south. The Park covers an area of 22 270 square km. Etosha Pan is 120 km long and 72 km at its widest. Four of the big five species, elephant, black rhino, lion and leopard, are in the Park. Except for the rare and endemic black-faced impala and Damara dik-dik, giraffe, red hartebeest, gemsbok, eland, kudu, cheetah, hyena and large herds of wildebeest, springbok and zebra are common.

After arrival, an afternoon game drive can be done to Okondeka Waterhole where the chances are good to see lion and to the nearby Newbrowni Waterhole where there is always animal activity. An alternative option is to relax and watch the wildlife activities at the waterhole at the Rest Camp.

Game watching at night at the flood-lit Okaukeujo Waterhole at own time.

Optional 3 hr night drive on an open game drive vehicle with Namibia Wildlife guide at own cost
Overnight: Okaukeujo
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 06 Etosha National Park
Depart at on a game drive to Halali Rest Camp. Take the loop route via Newbrowni, Gemsbokvlakte, Olifantsbad and Aus Waterholes. Continue via Homob, Sueda and Salvadora Waterholes to Rietfontein Waterhole, one of the most popular waterholes in Etosha and burial site of Johanna Alberts, wife of the Dorsland (Thirstland) Trek leader Gert Alberts, who died here in 1876. Proceed to Halali Rest Camp.

Depart on an afternoon game drive to Goas Waterhole. Return to Halali.

Game watching at the flood-lit Moringa Waterhole at Halali at own time.
Overnight: Halali
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 07 Etosha National Park
Depart on a game drive to Namutoni Rest Camp along the pan road via the Pan Look-out. Continue via Springbokfontein, Kalkheuwel, Chudop, Koinagas and Klein Namutoni Waterholes, where there is always game coming and going. Proceed to Namutoni Rest Camp at noon.

Do on an afternoon game drive to Klein Okevi, Groot Okevi Waterholes. Re-visit the nearby Klein Namutoni and Chudop Waterholes, where the chances are good to see predator activities.

Game watching at the flood-lit Namutoni waterhole at own time.
Overnight: Namutoni
Meals: B, L & D

DAY 08 Etosha – Windhoek
Early departure to Windhoek to be in time for departing flight. En route we stop at the wood carvers in Okahandja.

Flight schedule to be finalised. (Flight not included)
Meals: B

Clients can overnight in Windhoek at own cost. Windhoek has a wide range of accommodation facilities to choose from. It is expected from clients on camping tours to assist with pitching and packing up camp and with general camping duties on request.

Rates on request:
E-mail: dantes@kalahari-tours.co.za or click on CONTACT US.

contact us

KALAHARI SAFARI
TOURS & TRAVEL
Upington 8801

TEL/FAX: + 27 (0) 54 3380375
CELL: + 27 (0) 82 4935041