ZUTSHWA & KAA

THE EXPERT SAYS

Dawid de Wet, tour guide

toerboer.co.za “The Kaa concession is a wonderful piece of the Kalahari with no borders or people. The roads aren’t used often so attach shade cloth to the front of your vehicle to keep flammable grass seeds away from your engine.

“I recently stayed at Zutshwa Stop Over in Zutshwa village – a tidy unit with linen, a shower, toilet and selfcatering kitchen. There are also camping and braai facilities in Zutshwa. From there I drove to Masetleng Pan and I saw herds of red hartebeest, eland and gemsbok along the way. The landscape was the way I imagine the Kalahari must have looked before humans arrived.”

Masetleng Pan GPS: S23.70622 E20.90023

KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER PARK & MABUASEHUBE

These classic Kalahari destinations are 4x4 and lion country. Download Tracks4Africa for your GPS. Most visitors enter the park at Mabuasehube and drive west to the South African side of the park (the road is one-way). This guide only covers the camps on the Botswana side of the park. Visit sanparks.org for information about the South African camps.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park & Mabuasehube

Park fees: P120 (R154) per person per day; P50 (R64) per vehicle per day. Mabuasehube: Accommodation in this section of the park is run by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) and the Inter-Tourism Group. DWNP controls Monamodi, Lesholoago, Entrance Gate, Khiding and Bosobogolo. Camping P30 (R38) per adult per night; P15 (R19) per child under 15. Camping and park fees are half-price for kids aged 8 – 18; free for kids under 8.

The Inter-Tourism Group runs Mabuasehube and Mpayathutlwa. Camping P180 (R228) per adult per night; P90 (R114) per child aged 8 – 17; free for kids under 8.

The rest of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: On the Botswana side of the park, camps are managed by the DWNP. These camps include Swartpan, Sizatswe, Kaa, Thupapedi, Gnus Gnus, Lang Rambuka, Sesatswe, Tweeling Rambuka, Polentswa, Matopi and Mosomane. Camping P30 (R38) per adult per night; P15 (R19) per child under 15. DWNP: 00 267 318 0774;

dwnp@gov.bw Inter-Tourism Group: 00 267 350 0999; 00 267 71 116 090; traveloptions@inter-tourismgroup. com; inter-tourismgroup.com (Note: We couldn’t make contact with this concession holder.)

go! says:

Visit the travel blog travel4wildlife.com for detailed information about every place to camp in Mabua. North of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park you’ll find small communities like Zutshwa. Some of these communities run tourism projects for adventurous travellers.

Zutshwa Stop Over & KD2 bush camps

At Zutshwa Stop Over you can camp for P75 (R95) per person per night or stay in a four-sleeper unit for P150 (R191) per person. Basic facilities.

The area between Zutshwa and the Kaa gate into the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a concession area called KD2 (Kgalagadi District 2). You may drive through the area with a permit that you can buy in Zutshwa – P50 (R64) per vehicle. There are two bush camps at Name Pan and Kaa Pan with no facilities – you have to be selfsufficient. Camping P100 (R131) per person. (If you camp here, the permit fee is waived.) KD2 permits in Zutshwa (selfservice kiosk) GPS: S24.14193 E21.24628 Zutshwa Stop Over GPS: S24.14334 E21.24837 Name Pan bush camp GPS: S24.20060 E21.07282 Kaa Pan bush camp GPS: S24.34088 E20.75285

00 267 75 858 960 (Call Ontuetse if you want to book one of the units; if you want to camp, just show up.);

zutshwa.com; itten@ comanis.ch (Corinne – she’ll send you PDF brochures about the area.)

KHAWA

Khawa is tiny – do your grocery shopping elsewhere. In May each year, the town is overrun with motorbike enthusiasts who attend the Khawa Dune Challenge. The rest of the year it’s quiet.

Wolwepan Bush Camp

This camp is about 40 km from Khawa, in the adjacent KD15 concession area (see page 62). No facilities; only a pit toilet and a sun shelter. Bring your own drinking and washing water. Camping P200 (R256) per night for a group of up to six people. P200 (R256) per vehicle per day. Contact the Khawa Community Trust to arrange a visit. GPS: S25.98350 E21.49752

00 267 73 485 152 (Captain Piet Manjoro, community leader);

00 267 73 636 319 (Piet Bok)

WERDA

The filling station in Werda has closed down. Get fuel in Bray or in Tshabong. Tshabong also has shops if you need supplies.

Cornwall Safari Lodge

This lodge is near the town of Werda on the South African border. It’s a suitable place to overnight if you want to use the Bray or McCarthy’s Rest border posts – good for travellers coming from the Northern Cape, Western Cape or Eastern Cape.

Bush camp P125 (R158) per adult; P100 (R131) per child under 18. Camping at the lodge (with access to lodge facilities) P195 (R247) per adult; P100 (R131) per child under 18; free for children under 6. Luxury tents from P595 (R754) per night for two people. Rooms from P695 (R881) per night for two people sharing; luxury rooms with DStv and air conditioning from P895 (R1 134) for two people. Meals can be booked and there are braai packs available. There’s a swimming pool and tennis courts on the premises and you can have your laundry done, too. GPS: S25.26301 E23.48600 072 798 5051 (Heather); 082 444 1412 (Jannie); cornwallsafaris.co.za

Their food is delicious!

go! says: