The Kalahari Desert covers a vast area of Southern Africa, spreading out of Botswana into neighbouring South Africa and Namibia. Its national parks and reserves provide sanctuary for antelope, elephant, giraffe, many bird species, and various predators which roam the magnificent semi-desert savannah.
The region and the seemingly inhospitable environment provides nourishment for man and beast, in the form of tough grasses and watermelons. Animals which manage to adapt and survive here include: gemsbok, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, zebra, kudu, elephant, giraffe, lion, leopard and cheetah. Other more specialised species thrive in this parched grassland, such as elusive pangolin, wild dog and brown hyena, with aardvark and aardwolf emerging into the cooler Kalahari evening from their underground dens.
The largest Big-5 reserve in South Africa – the Kalahari Private Reserve - is a vast region within the desert and has been restored from former cattle farms to a thriving ecosystem thanks to conservation activities and tourism.
The area also supports a wealth of smaller creatures with over 200 species of birds recorded in the Kalahari-Gemsbok National Park alone. The area is possibly best known for the San people, or Bushmen: hunter-gatherers whose long history is told in ancient rock paintings throughout the area. Sadly, their way of life is threatened by the modern world, but there are a few places where they still manage to survive. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve was established as a sanctuary for the nomadic San Bushmen and is now home to spectacular large herds of plains wildlife and accompanying predators.
For the visitor there are several wonderful tented camps and lodges which allow you to experience the tranquility, wildlife and vast panoramas of the Kalahari, and a stay in the desert contrasts wonderfully with the lush wetlands of the Okavango or the bush and savannah of other Southern African parks.
Our collection of Kalahari Safaris can also be tailored to suit your specific requirements and dates, just contact our safari experts who will be happy to help.
A dedicated small group mammal watching holiday in Botswana in pursuit of some of the region’s more difficult to see species, including aardvark, brown hyena and aardwolf, alongside such iconic species as black-maned lion, cheetah, meerkat and huge herds of migrating zebra. Find out more about Botswana’s Rare Mammals
Explore the exclusive and wildlife rich reserve in the Kalahari bushveld whilst supporting its preservation with a range of conservation-based activities. Learn about the intricate ecosystem whilst enjoying sightings of wild dog, cheetah, and rare species such as caracal, pangolin, and brown hyena. Find out more about Kalahari Conservation Experience
Following our popular conservation holiday to South Africa, we're delighted to offer a departure in the green season. Participating in several conservation activities, we enjoy morning and sunset game drives in search of wildlife and may also be fortunate enough to participate in pangolin monitoring. Find out more about Kalahari Conservation Experience in Green Season
Explore some of Botswana’s finest wildlife destinations during the scenic splendour of the green season as the arrival of the rains brings the landscape to life. As the arid plains are rejuvenated, large herds of herbivores gather to graze on the grasslands, followed by a host of predators, including hyena, cheetah and lion. Find out more about Kalahari in Bloom
From the flowers, birds and stunning scenery of the Cape, to wonderful flower-rich Namaqualand, this trip visits an astoundingly beautiful and varied land, rich in wildlife. All this at a time of year when the flowers and birds here are at their best, and when whales are displaying close inshore. Find out more about Spring Flowers from the Cape to the Kalahari
