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Kalahari
Tswalu:
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Choice
Tswalu
Private Desert Reserve
Tswalu Game Lodge combines
the rustic character of a traditional African settlement
with the comforts and facilities of a luxury hotel.
Tswalu, an oasis of luxury in a breathtaking setting.
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KALAHARI
PRIVATE RESERVES
KALAHARI
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There
is something very compelling about the Kalahari
and it is probably nothing like you imagine. It is
not a flat sand desert, nor is it rippling with endless
pale dunes. On the contrary, it is undulating with
rich red sand dunes and well vegetated with shrubs,
patches of trees and even some grasslands.
It
seems like a pretty inhospitable place for man to
live, yet the San Bushmen have inhabited the Kalahari
for at least 10,000 years. Their legacy of rock
art and engravings tells us about their past lives,
but very few San are left to continue that nomadic
hunter gatherer lifestyle.
KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER PARK
Since 1948 South Africa and Botswana have co-operated
in the management of two adjacent Kalahari parks.
In 1999 the first cross-border collaboration of
its kind united the two parks into one under the
name, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.This has unified
the southern Kalahari into one huge conservation
area, twice the size of Kruger National Park, and
will hopefully serve as a model for future transfrontier
conservation projects.
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This
vast wilderness of the Kalahari fulfils the need for
space and solitude and encourages a certain slowness
into a hectic safari.
ANIMALS
& BIRDS
The park was previously called
Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, as
the animal most at home in this arid region is the
gemsbok (also called oryx). This large horse-like
antelope is supremely adapted to the desert environment
and can go for months without water as it reabsorbs
its own waste fluids and barely sweats. Its core temperature
can rise far beyond that which would kill most animals,
and to avoid literally boiling its brains, blood is
first passed through the nostrils to cool it down.
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animal that epitomises the Kalahari is the meerkat
(also called suricate). These cute mongooses scamper
around in gregarious packs, foraging for scorpions,
beetles, lizards and mice and scatter at the first
sign of danger from an eagle or other predator.
Large-scale
migration can occur in such a huge park and gemsbok,
springbok, blue wildebeest, eland and red hartebeest
follow their instincts in order to find better pastures.
Such a good supply of food attracts carnivores like
lion, leopard and cheetah. Other distinctive creatures
of the Kalahari are small monogamous bat-eared foxes,
sociable weavers who live in the feathered equivalent
of an apartment block of nests, and the King of the
Kalahari - the black-maned lion.
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FALLS NATIONAL PARK
The Kalahari sands of the Northern Cape are transformed
by the mighty Orange River, which brings life to South
Africa's hottest driest area. Along its banks vineyards
thrive and soft fruits like peaches and apricots grow
willingly.
The
river widens to over 1 mile (2km) across and flows
gently until it suddenly meets the narrow cataracts
at the Augrabies Falls. The whole river is forced
under great pressure through narrow rocks just a few
feet across, before plunging 211 feet (65m) into a
deep pool. It is thought that there is a fortune in
diamonds, washed down by the river into this pool,
but its depths are impenetrable so the curiosity continues.
The incredible power of this water has cut a deep
and impressive ravine through sheer granite rock for
several miles below the falls.
The
National Park is well organised and well visited,
with several driving and walking trails offering viewpoints
over various sections of the river.
SEASONS
Summer: Spring and early summer from
September to December is dry and warm, but by January
it is very hot (up to 102°F (39°C), and the
rain arrives. If you brave the very hot late summer
months of January to March, you might be entertained
by formidable light and sound extravaganzas from thunder
and lightening storms.
Winter: The cooler winter months
of April to September are probably the best times
to visit the Kalahari as the days are clear and warm,
but nights can get very cold.
KALAHARI
SPECIALITIES
· Gemsbok - highly adapted
to the Kalahari
· Space and solitude
· Black-maned lions
· Meerkats
· Social weaver nests
· Augrabies Falls
· Red dunes
· San Bushmen
· San Rock art and engravings
FACTS
This is not a malarial area
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