News from the Kalahari

Like many of you, a backlog of trips postponed by the pandemic resulted in my feet barely touching the ground (or UK soil at least!) this year. For two incredible months, I had the good fortune to lead small group trips in the South African Kalahari, and I thank my lucky stars for the incredible sightings that we were able to experience.

In June, we operated our South Africa's Rare Mammals in Style, arriving at the spectacular Tswalu Reserve for a 7-night stay at an exclusive, private lodge, Tarkuni. As its name suggests, this trip is specifically designed to target the more unusual species found on the African continent, those animals which are often talked about but rarely seen on 'normal' safaris such as brown hyena, aardwolf, aardvark and even pangolin. Whilst our third departure was disrupted by unseasonal rains (the first time in a hundred years), all the target species were seen on the first two departures, as well as a remarkable bonus caracal sighting, multiple African wild cats, African porcupine and plenty of spring hares!

These more unusual species very much form our focus during our stay but certainly not to the detriment of viewing other wildlife and throughout our stay we were able to view cheetahs, often on foot, wild dogs, both white and black rhino, and perhaps most popular of all, families of meerkats complete with the most adorable pups. Sitting amongst these remarkable creatures and observing them at close quarters is, quite frankly, one of the most enchanting wildlife experiences to be had!

After a day spent traversing this vast and stunning land, taking in magnificent mountains and gemsbok standing tall atop red dunes, it's always a pleasure to head 'home' where a warm welcome awaits, with our own chef and housekeeping team hard at work preparing a delicious meal for us to enjoy around a roaring fire.

Later, in September, I was back! This time leading our fabulous Kalahari Conservation Experience. Boasting the potential to see the same range of species, albeit with less focus on the 'rare stuff', here we had a more hands-on experience, assisting in the day-to-day conservation and management of another large reserve. Activities were built into our game drives and ranged from completing tree surveys to applying herbicides to encroaching species, undertaking predator and prey game counts, or learning about anti-poaching initiatives. The trip provided a fascinating insight into the realities of, and challenges facing wildlife conservation today, but still delivered some exceptional sightings.

The camp here is simple, comfortable and welcoming with home-cooked food often served around the fire, under the stars, listening to the sounds of the bush. The reserve also has the added benefit that there are no commercial lodges, which means no one to radio sightings in to and no other vehicles waiting to take our place. It's just us. One camp, one vehicle, one reserve, and one vast tract of the Kalahari to explore. Absolute magic.

Browse all our wildlife safaris to South Africa, or to book your place on our Kalahari Conservation Experience or South Africa's Rare Mammals in Style holidays, just speak to our team.