kgalagadi TP wilderness camps
eco-tourism residential institutional master planning other
kgalagadi transfrontier park wilderness camps
The Kalahari Gemsbok Park and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana were united to create the first functional Transfrontier Park 20 years ago. Mostly Kalahari sandveld, two rivers run through it, the Auob and the Nossob, which only flows during exceptionally wet seasons.
SANParks decided to diversify its tourism offering in 1999 by introducing wilderness camps. These 8 bed, unfenced camps looked after by an on-site ranger, became extremely popular and visitors now need to book a year in advance. They are placed in different biomes of the Park: Urikaruus is in the Auob riverbed (and therefore lifted off the ground to not hinder animal movement and safeguard guests); Gharagab overlooks the well-treed dunes of the north-western part of the Park; Grootkolk adjoins a pan adjacent to the Nossob River; Bitterpan overlooks a saltpan in the middleveld between the two rivers and Kieliekrankie is built into the top of a dune. The architectural styles of these camps are therefore all different, each one shaped to suit its particular environment.
