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| Ground Squirrel |
I am a wildlife photographer and I am dreaming about the Kgalagadi! I have been there quite a few times, and it is way overdue that I (we) go there again. My wife, Marie, has recently said that it is high time that we go back to the Kgalagadi. Can't wait to get there.
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| Giraffe - not so common in the Kgalagadi |
I have already posted a few blogs on the Kgalagadi and I will most likely do a few more. I have got many photos from the Kgalagadi. It is an ideal location for wildlife photography. The best way to go about doing this is to spend some time at the same camp. Do not rush from one camp to the other to cover as much distance as possible. This is what many people who visit any Nature reserve, including the Kgalagadi are included to do, rushing around like madmen looking for animals. The animals all have their range and if you spend a few days in the same area, you can get to know where the animals "hang out". You might find an owl nest, or a hyena den or just about anything else. If you have an idea of where the animals stay, you greatly increase your likelihood of finding them in good light. Animals, like lions, do not normally move too much during the day. So if you know where they are, you can keep a lookout for them.
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| Sand grouse. Often come to the waterholes |
Another good way to spend time in the Kgalagadi is at a waterhole. There are quite a few waterholes throughout the Kgalagadi and spending time at these waterholes can be very rewarding. Worse case scenario is that you can get some good bird photos. There are pretty much always birds at these waterholes, and there are also normally raptors trying to hunt these birds. The Black backed jackal also try to catch these birds. So the possibility of good photos is high.
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| Happy Blue wildebeest |
There are three main camps in the Kgalagadi. These are Twee Riviern, which is the main camp at the main entrance gate. This is the main administrative camp for the reserve. There is a grocery store which has the basics. There is also a restaurant at Twee Riviern, although the menu can be quite limited. There is a museum with lots of photos. There is lodge accommodation as well as camping.
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| Lioness |
The border into Namibia at Mata Mata is now open and this has increased the traffic quite a bit. The rule, however, is that you have to spend at least 2 days in the Kgalagadi before you can exit from the Mata Mata gate. This prevents people from racing through the park to get to the boarder gate.
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| Springbok |
The Twee Riviern camp is the only place in the Kgalagadi which has cel phone reception. Once you leave the camp and about 3 or 4 km out of the camp, cel phone reception is gone. This is great - get away from the constant digital age! It is so funny when you are heading back to Twee Riviern and on your way out of the park. As you come over a hill close to Twee Rivieren, the cel phone comes to life again and all of your missed messages start coming through.
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| Bat earred fox. |
At Twee Riviern, there is quite a big area which is fenced and you can walk around quite a bit. This is a red sand dune desert and is really beautiful. There are some beautiful red sand dunes within the fenced area. On one trip, Marie and I were walking around in the fenced camp area and we came across some pretty fresh bit cat prints. I think they were lion prints, but they could have been leopard prints. There have been quite a few stories of lions which get into the camp, so not too strange!
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| Snakes on the road |
I will do separate blogs on the different traditional camps and then also the tented camps.
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