Background:

Botswana's part of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was formerly known as Gemsbok National Park, (28,400 square km) and lies in the extreme southwest of Botswana. The South African section was formerly known as Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and is 9,591 square kms in extent. There is no physical barrier between the two countries within the park. This allows wildlife to move freely and for many years there has been informal co-operation between the two authorities. This co-operation was formalised by the creation of the "Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park" on 12th May 2000 and the two former parks are now managed as a single entity, whilst still recognising the territorial integrity of each country. On the Botswana side, the park can be divided into three areas of focus as far as tourists are concerned - the Two Rivers section, the Wilderness Trail and the Mabuasehube section. Tourists entering from the Botswana side may travel around the South African part of the park at no extra cost and without any immigration formalities. Tourists wishing to leave the park into South Africa will find that there are immigration facilities in Two Rivers/Twee Rivieren.

Two Rivers Section

How to get there:

Access to Two Rivers, when setting out from Gaborone, is gained by travelling to the south-west on good tarred roads for some 540 kilometres to Tsabong. This is a desert town where camels, whose ancestors were once used for police patrols, can still be seen. Tsabong has basic overnight accommodation, vehicle repair services, fuel and supplies. From Tsabong the remainder of the journey to Two Rivers is along 310 kilometres of gravel road. This route passes through numerous small villages and heads to Bokspits (past some spectacular red sand-dunes) in the extreme southwestern corner of Botswana. Then the road heads to the north for the final 53 kilometres to Two Rivers. At present there are no reliable fuel supplies available after Tsabong, although petrol is usually available in Bokspits and petrol and diesel are available on the South African side at Twee Rivieren, where there is also a shop for food, drink and souvenirs.

Camping facilities:

Two Rivers, which faces the Twee Rivieren Rest Camp on the South African side of the border, has a camping ground with hot and cold showers and flush toilets. From Two Rivers visitors join the border road up the Nossob Valley, which is jointly used by South Africa and Botswana. Some 25 kilometres up this road on the Botswana side is the Rooiputs public camping ground, with rustic showers, pit latrines and shade shelters. For those visitors wishing to get away from the more frequently used areas, a further camping ground is situated on the Botswana side some 223 kilometres up the Nossob Valley road turning off at a place called Grootbrak. A short distance further, past a water trough, lies the Polentswa camping ground; just before which is the grave of a German diamond prospector whose remains were found after his vehicle broke down in 1958. Polentswa has a pleasant view and a good resident population of wildlife, and has the same type of rustic facilities as Rooiputs, though you need to bring all your own water.

Wilderness Trail:

The Wilderness Trail starts from Polentswa and is only open to 4x4 vehicles. It covers some 250 kilometres that wind from pan to pan through to the northern boundary of the park, through a new check-in point at Kaa, where trail participants may wish to have a shower and replenish water supplies. The trail then turns back into the park to follow a further route along more pans. Eventually the trail re-joins the Nossob Valley road 20 kilometres before a spot called Union's End close up against the Namibian border. The trail is only available on an advance-booking basis to 2-4 vehicles travelling together and taking a set time to complete the trail - only one group is permitted to commence the trail on any given day, thus ensuring that no others will be encountered along the way.

Mabuasehube Section

How to get there:

The pretty Mabuasehube section of the park is reached separately, either from Tsabong in the south or Tshane in the north or Kokotsha in the East. The route from the south will be described first. The turnoff in Tsabong is signposted "Tshane, 240 km". Soon afterwards you take the major fork to the right. The first part of the road is gravelled and then becomes a sandy track. You cannot miss the new park entrance gate, about 116 km north of Tsabong. If you are coming from Gaborone an interesting alternative is to take a cut line from Kokotsha. When you reach the large red-and-white telecommunications tower, turn right. Where the road does a sharp left turn you go straight on, due west on a track that widens out into a firebreak after about 30 km. After another 77 km you meet the Tshane to Tsabong road where you should turn left (south) and reach Mabuasehube entrance after a further 17 km. The nearest fuel supplies to Mabuasehube are in Tsabong.

Camping facilities:

There are a number of campsites each overlooking pans in the Mabuasehube section of the park. These campsites are situated at Mabuasehube, Lesholoago, Khiding, Mpaathutlwa, Monamodi and Bosobogolo Pans have rustic latrines, showers and shade shelters. There is also a camping ground with an ablution block just inside the entrance.

Kaa Entrance

You can also enter the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park through a new entrance at Kaa, on the northern boundary of the park. Kaa (which means "nothing" in the local language as that is what the first people found there) is not yet marked on maps. To get there from Kang on the Trans Kalahari Highway, take the road to Hukuntsi, and then take the road to Zutshwa. The turn-off to Zutshwa is between the buildings of Hukuntsi Wholesalers, next to the airstrip. After about 60 km you will reach Zutshwa, (where the water is so saline there is a salt works on your left as you enter the village). From Zutshwa head eastwards and after about 24 km you will find a turning to the left. From this turning proceed southwestwards for about 73 km and then turn right and continue for 5 km to Kaa.

Kaa Gate Rest Camp

Nice campsite with only 2 spots. Spot 1 with individual ablutions. Very wild. Friendly staff. The first 20 km of the road towards Nossob/Grootkolk are sandy and wider vehicles will get some scratches. Great for viewing lions. There is a permanent artificial waterhole about 200 m from the campsite. Campers have to be very careful - no fences. Kaa Gate Rest Camp consists of 2 sites with cold showers and water. Note that you are not allowed to arrive at the gate without a prior booking. There is an entrance gate into the park here.

Located at Kaa North Gate (4WD Required), Kgalagadi, Botswana.

Reservations

Gnus Gnus Camp

Location: 66 km from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park North Gate.
The Gnus Gnus Camp is located near the Gnus Gnus Pan in the remote northern parts of the park. There are no facilities and no water. Booking and prepayment required.

Kaa Gate Camp 1 & 2

Location: Located at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park North Gate.
This camp situated at Kaa Gate in the Kgalagadi, consists of 2 sites with cold showers and water. Booking and prepayment required.

Lang Rambuka Camp

Location: 68 km from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park North Gate.
This camp is on the Polentswa 4x4 Trail in the Kgalagadi and offers a basic camp site with no facilities. Booking and prepayment required.

Sesatswe Camp

Location: 33 km from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park North Gate.
This camp is on the Polentswa 4x4 Trail and offers a basic camp site with no facilities. Booking and prepayment required.

Sizatswe Camp 1

Location: 30 km from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, North Gate.
This camp site at Sizatswe Pan in Kgalagadi has no facilities. Booking and prepayment required.

Swartpan Camp 1 & 2

Location: 77 km from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park North Gate.
Swartpan Camp has two sites and is located near the Swartpan waterhole in the northern parts of Kgalagadi. The camp sites have limited recources and you need to be self-sufficient. It has water which can be used fro drinking. Booking and prepayment required.

Thupapedi Camp 1

Location: 32 km from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park North Gate.
The shaded camp is next to the Thupapedi Pan in the northern parts of Kgalagadi. The camp site has no facilities. Booking and prepayment required.

Mabuasehube

Bosobongolo Camp 1 & 2

Location: 23 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Located at the Bosobogolo Pan in the Mabuasehube Game Reserve. The camp site has basic facilities like a toilet and shade shelter. Booking and prepayment required.

East Gate Camp 1 to 3

Location: At Mabuasehube East Gate.
The three East Gate camps are close to the main gate and offer the best facilities of all camps in Mabuasehube, even hot showers. They do however lack the views of the other camps. Booking and prepayment required.

Khiding Camp

Location: 31 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Khiding camp sites are close to each other and have a stunning westerly view of Khiding Pan. The camp site number is KT-KHU-02. Booking and prepayment required. They have showers and shaded camp sites.

Khiding Camp 1

Location: 31km or 1h 30min from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Khiding camp sites are close to each other and have a stunning westerly view of Khiding pan. The camp site number is KT-KHI-01, however reservations refer to it as KT-KHU-01. Booking and prepayment required. They have showers and shaded camps available.

Lesholoago Camp

Location: 22 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Situated in the Mabuasehube GR on the western perimeter of the Lesholoago Pan which makes game viewing easy. The camp site has a shade shelter and pit latrine. Booking and prepayment required.

Lesholoago Camp 2

Location: 22 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Situated in the Mabuasehube GR on the eastern side of the Lesholoago Pan, the camp site has a shade shelter, pit latrine, rustic shower, toilet and running water. Booking and prepayment required.

Mabuasehube 2 & 3

Location: 23 km or 1h 7min from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Situated on the south-western of the Mabuasehube Pan, camps 2 and 3 are close to each other, have shade shelters and share the same facilities, namely pit latrine, tap and rustic cold shower, which is sometimes visited by lions for water. Booking and prepayment required.

Mabuasehube Camp 4

Location: 22 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Camp 4 is a large site on the southern edge of the Mabuasehube Pan. It has a shade shelter, rustic shower, pit latrine and running water. Booking and prepayment required.

Mabuasehube Camp 1

Location: 25 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Situated on the western edge of Mabuasehube Pan, Camp 1 is small, with no facilities. It is elevated above the pan and offers stunning views with a nearby waterhole. Booking and prepayment required.

Matopi Camp 1 & 2

Location: 93 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
The Matopi Camps are conveniently located for people making their way between Nossob and Mabuasehube along the Boso trail. There are no facilities. Booking and prepayment required.

Monamodi Camp 1

Location: 7 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Located next to the Monamodi Pans in the Mabuasehube Game Reserve. It has very basic camping facilities, offering only shade shelter. Booking and prepayment required. They also have (cold water) showers.

Mosimane Camp 1

Location: 85 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
The camp site at Mosimane Pan on the Mabu Trail is unfenced and has no facilities. Booking and prepayment required.

Mpayathutlwa Camp 2

Location: 21 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Situated in the Mabuasehube Game Reserve, the camp is near Mabuasehube Pan. The camp site has a pit latrine and shade shelter. Booking and prepayment required.

Mpayathutlwa Camp 1

Location: 20 km from Mabuasehube East Gate.
Situated in the Mabuasehube Game Reserve, the camp is near Mpayathutlwa Pan. The camp site has a toilet, water and shade shelter. Booking and prepayment required.

Reservations:

Advance booking is compulsory.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Botswana side) - facilities at a glance: Public camping sites at:

Two Rivers: Entrance Camp (with ablution block)
Rooiputs (rustic showers, pit latrines, shade structures)

Polentswa (shower shelters (bring own water), pit latrines, shade structures). Polentswa is situated on the Botswana side of the Kgalagadi National Park. Facilities at the 3 sites include shower shelters (bring own water), pit latrines, shade structures. There is no fuel available. Campers need to be fully self-sufficient to travel the area.

Wilderness Trail
Mabuasehube: Entrance Camp (with Ablution block)
Mabuasehube Pan (rustic showers, pit latrines, shade structures)
Lesholoago Pan (rustic showers, pit latrines, shade structures)
Mpaathutlwa Pan (rustic showers, pit latrines, shade structures)
Monamodi Pans (rustic showers, pit latrines, shade structures)
Bosobogolo Pan (shower shelters (bring own water), pit latrines, shade structures)
Khiding Pan (shower shelters (bring own water), pit latrines, shade structures)
Kaa (rustic shower, pit latrine)

NO fuel or food supplies available in the park, except on the South African side.

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@ Bushmen in Botswana