The wider Kalahari is a vast region of sandy soils, bleak landscapes and low rainfall. Only in the south does it resemble a true desert and even here the wilderness sustains a remarkable array of life forms. The Kalahari is a flat seemingly endless expanse of land where the days are scorching and the nights can be very cold. The Kalahari has a number of game reserves—the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR, the world's second largest protected area), Khutse Game Reserve and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Animals that live in the region include brown hyenas, lions, meerkats, giraffe, warthogs, jackals and several species of antelope (including the eland, gemsbok, springbok, hartebeest, steenbok, kudu, and duiker), and many species of bird and reptiles.
The Kalahari is home to the few remaining hunter-gatherers of Southern Africa, the San or Bushmen. That means they survive by hunting wild game with bows and arrows and gathering edible plants like berries, melons and nuts as well as insects. Bushmen rarely drink water; They get most of water requirements from plant roots and desert melons found on or under the desert floor: they often store water in the blown-out shells of ostrich eggs.
The winter months – June, July and August, are the best times for visitors. While there is no accommodation in any of the game parks guests have a varied choice of top quality Lodges and Hotels in the various areas which are located in close proximity to the parks. |
