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KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER PARK
General
In 1999 an agreement was made to manage South Africa's Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and Botswana's Gemsbok National Park as a single ecological unit. Subsequently, in 2000, they were combined to create the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) - Southern Africa's first trans-border conservation area or peace park.
Location
The KTP is located in the south west of Botswana and straddles the border with South Africa. Almost 75% of this 38,000 sq km Park is located in Botswana however the vast majority of the Botswana side is inaccessible to tourists.
There are three entrance gates into the Park - Twee Rivieren (Two Rivers) in the south, Kaa in the north and Mabuasehube in the east. A border post is located at Twee Rivieren for visitors wishing to enter through Botswana and exit through South Africa or vice versa.
In 1999 an agreement was made to manage South Africa's Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and Botswana's Gemsbok National Park as a single ecological unit. Subsequently, in 2000, they were combined to create the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) - Southern Africa's first trans-border conservation area or peace park.
Location
The KTP is located in the south west of Botswana and straddles the border with South Africa. Almost 75% of this 38,000 sq km Park is located in Botswana however the vast majority of the Botswana side is inaccessible to tourists.
There are three entrance gates into the Park - Twee Rivieren (Two Rivers) in the south, Kaa in the north and Mabuasehube in the east. A border post is located at Twee Rivieren for visitors wishing to enter through Botswana and exit through South Africa or vice versa.
Wildlife
Although similar to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve the habitat is harsher with
spectacular sand dunes comprising much of this vast area. The wildlife is concentrated along the Nossob & Auob valleys as well as around the calcrete pans of Mabuasehube.
Despite the harsh conditions this area has good concentrations of wildlife, with 60 mammals and over 300 birds, and is well known for its predators, particularly its black-maned lions. Desert antelope such as Gemsbok, Springbok, Eland and Wildebeest are commonly seen as well as Kudu, Steenbok and even Giraffe.
Camping
The Botswana side of the KTP is more remote (only accessible with 4x4s) with the campsites having only basic facilities if any at all. There are campsites at each of the large pans in Mabuasehube - Khiding, Lesholoago, Mabuasehube, Bosobogolo, Mpayathutlwa and Monamodi - as well as along the eastern side of the Nossob valley at Polentswa, Rooiputs and Two Rivers.
On the South African side the roads are accessible by saloon cars and, in keeping with that, the campsites at the rest camps - Twee Rivieren, Nossob and Mata Mata - are fenced and have facilities such as shops and fuel. There are chalets available here as well as at the wilderness camps at Grootkolk, Kieliekrankie, Urikaruus, Gharagab and Bitterpan.
Photos
See below for a selection of photos taken in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park:
See below for a selection of photos taken in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park:
