Travel Guide Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park

In 1937, South Africa and Bechuanaland decided to protect the area around the Nossob River to prevent the devastating effects on the ecosystem of the ranching practiced by large white farmers settled in the region. Botswana, still known as Bechuanaland, inaugurated its first national reserve: Gemsbok National Park, named after the oryx, the emblematic antelope of the Kalahari. In 1999, the country witnessed the birth of its first transborder park with South Africa. The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana became the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park. This gigantic park, comparable to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, covers a total of 38,000 km², including the Mabuasehube section in the eastern part of the Botswana part of the park. It offers a different experience of the Kalahari than the CKGR. It is rather a dune landscape and the sand is more orange. However, the fauna and flora remain very similar. The Transfrontier is one of the least visited sites in the country. The immersion in the Kalahari is guaranteed, but it is important not to venture there without a good preparation. Indeed, if on the South African side, the structures are well developed, they are minimal in Botswana. A tour in the Botswana part of the park is therefore an expedition that only travelers experienced in driving 4WD and in the bush can undertake. For the others, it is advisable to solicit a tour operator who knows the region well.