The Kalahari in Botswana is everything but a typical desert. Known as a semi-desert, this large sandy savanna extends for 900,000 sq km, covering much of Botswana & parts of Namibia & South Africa.
Experience
Kalahari Desert, derived from the Tswana word Kgala, meaning "the great thirst", or Kgalagadi, meaning "a waterless place," offers more than meets the eye. It's not your typical desert. Although it can't be classified as a desert due to its annual rainfall (somewhere between 12-25 centimeters), the parched earth greedily absorbs any moisture that remains after the wet season.
The Kalahari’s rust-colored valleys & sand dunes are considered the largest continuous expanse of sand on the globe & is home to a variety of endemic fauna & flora that have learned to survive in this sun-baked wilderness.
Explore Exclusive 4x4 Game Drives and Adventure Activities
Here, guests can see the black-maned Kalahari lion as well as a host of predators such as the black-backed jackal, brown & spotted hyena, wild dog, cheetah & leopard.
Activities
A highlight is going on open 4x4 game drives through woodland, seasonally flooded pans & rolling grasslands in search of desert-adaptive wildlife. Guests can also go on exciting walking safaris with indigenous San bushmen who can still be found living on the fringes of the desert.
Other desert activities include quad biking, hot air balloon safaris & stargazing. Some lodges also offer romantic sleep-outs. There is nothing quite like spending the night under the beautiful, African skies.
When to travel
The Kalahari has 3 distinct safari seasons. The best time to travel to the Kalahari – unlike the rest of Botswana - is during the wet months between December to March. Animals migrate through the park with the seasons & during these months, congregate around the pans in the Deception Valley area.
Shoulder season, which is from April to June & November, is also a good time to travel as wildlife viewing is still good, but rates are less expensive than during the wetter months. Low season in the Kalahari is between the dryer months of July to October – while the rest of Botswana is experiencing high season. Temperatures are higher during this time.
