Visit to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

[robert]

Hi Guys.

It will be my first visit to the park. We are 3 families (6 adults & 5 children) and I am doing the majority of the reservation planning ( obvious with prior concent of the others) as to minimize double bookings. I would like to have your input(s) and privious experiences to assit me in planning my bookings. I successfully booked all my activities at the Botswana side of the park (Gemsbok Wilderness Trail and Mabuasehube Wilderness Trail), but obvious need to stay also on SANPARK side of the park with some facilities - just to find ones feet. THE PROBLEM is that I cannot find camp sites for the inbetween dates (most probably waiting to long) and would like to know if anyone of you had the same experience and how did you overcome it?

ANY HELP/INFO IS WELCOME.

Regards.
Robert.
0827751039

[CATS]

Robert

Give me some indication of your intended times that you will stay at some places and the missing pieces in between. I know the park reasonably well, having visited it 4 times in recent years and could assist, but need to know where you miss places to make suggestions due to the time that it takes to travel any distance in those parts. Bush camping is out of the question on the SA side. On the Bots side maybe, but this will also be frowned upon and is not in the spirit of paying for your stay. How self sufficient will you be? Rooiputs is a nice camp on the Bots side, but still relatively close to Twee Rivieren and could be a stop gap option, but remember that there is only long drop loos. You even need to take in your own water.

Also remember that the SA side roads are usually VERY corrugated, so check anything that can rattle or break loose before your trip. Where are your entry and exit points. Remember that the border procedures all surround the Twee Rivieren/Two Rivers side so even if you do not intend on staying there, you still need to visit there if you want to do the border thing between Bots and SA.

Also consider the guided wilderness off road trails on the SA side if you are not towing.

Enjoy - It is magic part of the world, although every time I return, I vow never to go there again due to the corrugations on the SA side.

CATS

[Gina]

Hallo Robert, wonderful trip that you are planning. We will be visiting for the first time in April 2010. You did not say when you will be going but camps like Nossob, etc were booked out within hours of bookings opening for that period.
Nonetheless sanparks website is very usefull. If you go to www.sanparks.org/parks/ and click on Kgalagadi, then on to availability, you can check all the available accomodation for a certain date. You might have to check several times daily. I have had luck in fully booked campsites in this way many times. The other thing to remember is that one's final payment is due about a month or six weeks before the visit, and if it does not get paid the reservation is cancelled. Some people do not pay and the space becomes available in a fully booked camp. Keep checking the website, if you see something phone them immediately and you might come right.

Good luck!

[robert]

Hi Cats & Gina.

Thank you for your inputs - very much appreciated.
My schedule is as follows :

Entering the Park on 13 June 2010 - no definit booking - provisional booking at Rooiputs.
14 June - Polentswa - Confirmed
15 & 16 June - Gemsbok Wilderness Trail
17 June - Nossob - No booking
18 - 21 June - Mabuasehube Wilderness Trail & Area
22 June - Nossob - No booking
23 June - Twee Rivieren - Confirmed
24 June - Exit the Park

As jou can see is my problem on 17 & 22 June 2010. Any Suggestions?

Many thanks.
Robert
0827751039

[JenB]

Hi Robert,

Unfortunately you've chosen the busiest of times as well as one of the most popular camps in KTP. I think your best bet would be to do as Gina suggested, keep an constant eye on the availability on the SANParks website and jump at anything that might become available.
Also keep an eye on this topic on the SANParks forum, you just might get lucky.
At least there are still a few months to go.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!
Any chance of a trip report upon your return?

[CATS]

Hi Cats & Gina.

Entering the Park on 13 June 2010 - no definit booking - provisional booking at Rooiputs.
14 June - Polentswa - Confirmed
15 & 16 June - Gemsbok Wilderness Trail
17 June - Nossob - No booking
18 - 21 June - Mabuasehube Wilderness Trail & Area
22 June - Nossob - No booking
23 June - Twee Rivieren - Confirmed
24 June - Exit the Park

I assume then that you will be entering and exit the park at Twee rivieren on the SA side? If this is true you technically would not need passports but this is not a definate as it seems the park rules change constantly, so make sure that all have valid passports and enquire if you need to do the pasport thing on arrival at Twee rivieren.

Rooihoek should be good as well as Polentswa. Long drive, but doable

Where is the Gemsbok Wildernis trail? Is this the same as the Kalahari Wildernis guided trail on the SA side? If so from where to where will you be traveling this trail and have you made sure that it is in fact possible to travel in that direction on that trail. Some trails have only one way traffic regulations. Will you be ending close to Nossob? If so there is a wilderness camp on that trail that might be used by you if you are on the trail called the Swartbas campsite, but this must be confirmed. A luxury option could be Bitterpan tented camp, but make sure about kids allowed, if applicable, as well as the driection of travel allowed to and from Bitterpan on the Bitterpan eco trail. Matopi campsite on the Boso trail on the way to Mabua could also be an option if available but than you will travel on the Boso trail and not the Mabu trail. This would however make sense to use at it would make the distances covered more achievable at leisure. Remember that distances could be decieving in Kgalagadi. Max speed is about 35km/h and then you stop every now and again for game viewing as well.

Is the Mabuasehube trail not only one way travel from Mabu to Nossob, ie east to west? From your itenary it seems that you will be traveling west to east. Might have it the wrong way round so just check. How do you intend returning to Nossob, via the Boso trail? Why do you want to return? You don't have a place to stay in anycase. I would rather spend longer time in Mabua and then exit the park at Mabua gate and reenter SA over Tshabong at the Mcarthys rest border post. Where will you be staying in Mabua? I hope you booked as they check your permits in busy times and people with bookings are generally not keen to share campsites with non-bookers!! Try and get additional night to stay there and skip the Twee rivieren exit. Remember that in this case you definately need pasports stamped at Twee rivieren(SA) and Two Rivers(Bots)

I think you need to rethink your travel plan urgently. I assume that you will not be traveling with trailers as some of these trails do not allow trailers. Also I assume that you will be fully self sufficient as most camps on Bots side has nothing more than a tree.

You might have some problems If not already used get Tracks for Africa maps and look at the map on your computer to try and replan.

CATS