Kalahari

Wildlife in the Kalahari

Besides classic Kalahari animals such as zebra, wildebeest, oryx, eland, springbok and giraffe, these parks also have a well-deserved reputation for predators and you’re likely to see black-maned Kalahari lions as well as cheetah, black-backed jackal, and brown and spotted hyena with rare wild dog and reclusive leopard also on the list.

A Kalahari safari also presents the best opportunity to see many of Africa’s smaller and more elusive animals such as wild cat, porcupine, aardwolf, meerkat and honey badger, and the birdlife is surprisingly good, especially in the rainy summer months known as ‘Green Season' between December and April. Birders can expect to train their binoculars on flamingos, secretary birds, martial eagles, great white pelicans and giant eagle owls.

The Zebra Migration

Speaking of rain, the word ‘Kalahari' is derived from the local Tswana word ‘kgala', which means ‘great thirst'. The Kalahari is not a true desert but rather a semi-desert and during the Green Season, the thirsty Nxai and Makgadikgadi Pans spring to life with lush grazing – and up to 25 000 hungry plains zebra.

Although the Great Migration in the Serengeti and the Masai Mara is the most famous and biggest land migration in the world, Botswana's zebra migration is actually the longest. The zebra cover vast distances from about November – when they're congregated in Nxai and Makgadikgadi – to mid-year when they've moved to the outskirts of the Boteti and Chobe Rivers, and Okavango Delta. Mid-year heralds the dry high season so the zebra move from the pans that are rapidly drying out to parts of Botswana with more permanent water sources.

As a rule of thumb, the zebra are massed in Nxai Pan National Park in about January and February, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park in about March and April and are back north at the rivers by May.

A group of zebras is known as a ‘dazzle' and rightly so: it certainly is dazzling to see hundreds of these equines at a time, each of their striped coats unique and their foals able to run at top speed within an hour of birth.

Active safaris for families & adventurers

In addition to luxurious safari lodge accommodation and traditional 4×4 game drives, a safari in the Kalahari offers interactive adventure and a wide range of activities that are perfect for thrill-seekers and families with children. Mobile expeditions take you to exquisite, remote parts of the Kalahari where you can have an exciting camping experience in fully furnished safari tents.

Other adventures include hot-air ballooning, interacting with habituated meerkats, ATV (quad bike) or horseback expeditions, desert sleepouts under the stars, and guided nature walks with San Bushmen in which you can learn about ancient tracking, spoor identification and survival techniques.

Nxai Pan National Park

The smallest of the three parks, Nxai Pan offers a great mix of desert and savannah animals in an easy-to-access environment. The sole dry-season waterhole makes game viewing simple during winter but it’s during the green summer that Nxai Pan comes alive as herds of buffalo and elephant arrive. Make sure you visit nearby Baines’ Baobabs, a stand of huge baobab trees marooned on a salt pan island.

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Botswana’s largest conservation area, the CKGR is as big as Belgium and a whole lot more interesting. It’s where to go to see classic Kalahari wildlife and the density of game and waterholes makes for a predator paradise. The springbok birthing season in December usually delivers a lot of predator action but it’s a good winter game viewing destination too.

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

The arrival of massed herds of zebra usually means the summer rains have arrived in the Makgadikgadi. The area’s grasslands provide good grazing but if the rains are good then the vast salt pans – once part of a prehistoric ‘super lake’ – fill up as well, attracting phenomenal birdlife from flamingos to waders and wildfowl. The open nature of the park suits predators such as wild dog, cheetah and lion and there’s always a good range of Kalahari animals to be seen at any time of year.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park is an immense desert area, with grass-covered sand dunes and ancient riverbeds. At over 38,000 square kilometres (15,000 square miles), it’s almost twice the size of the Kruger National Park and is about the same size as the Netherlands. Wildlife is plentiful in this region, with an astonishing 19 species of carnivore, including the black-maned Kalahari lion, cheetah, brown hyena, honey badger and the endangered African wild dog. This is a land of never-ending beauty and splendour – it calls to true adventure seekers.

Chat with someone who's been there. Get in touch with one of our Africa Safari Experts to help tailor-make a trip to the Kalahari that's right for you.

Visiting the Kalahari in January & February

Kalahari summers consist of incredibly hot days and mild nights. January is the peak of the rainy season which lasts until May when the dry season begins. January is the wettest month of the year in the Kalahari and is the best time to visit the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

The rainy season continues in February. This is the second wettest month of the year in the area and this climate mostly consists of long showers combined with hot humid weather. This is the best time to go to the Kalahari for a safari particularly for springbok, oryx and wildebeest sightings.

Visiting the Kalahari from March to May

March is officially the start of autumn in the Kalahari, which is welcomed by the locals after the very warm summer months. Things begin to cool down in the area and temperatures are more bearable for those visiting on a Kalahari safari. Occasionally, late rainfall occurs during the months of March, April and May.

The Kalahari's dry and cold winters last from April to October. Wildlife is found throughout the year in this semi-desert area, but the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve are where to go in the Kalahari. These two renowned game parks offer some of the best wildlife viewing experiences.

May is a great month for a Kalahari safari. With the dry conditions there is less vegetation around, making it much easier to spot elusive wild animals. Leopards, black maned lions and cheetahs are just a few of the big cats that reside in the Kalahari.

Traveling to the Kalahari in June, July & August

A winter's day in the Kalahari is not the cold you would imagine. The early mornings can be crisp on a game drive before the temperatures rise from mid-day. The temperatures will fluctuate dramatically during the month of June, cold in the evenings and warm in the daytime.

July is high season in the Kalahari, especially in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. This is the largest reserve in the whole of southern Africa and covers an area of 5,200 square kilometers (2,007 square miles). The reserve is home to a wide variety of wildlife including springbok, wildebeest and kudu, while the predators are some safari favorites including lion and cheetah. This game reserve is extremely popular during this time.

August is bone-dry with very cold nights in the Kalahari, as this is the peak of the dry season. Game viewing is still very popular and spectacular cheetah hunts are a regular occurrence during this period. The grass is very short in the dry pan areas which makes for splendid wildlife viewing on a safari in the Kalahari. Sightings of smaller wildlife such as honey badgers and blacked-backed jackals are also common in August.

Traveling to the Kalahari in September & October

September is still a very dry and dusty month but is extremely hot during the day. The temperatures start to climb rapidly throughout the month and no longer drop below freezing at night, preparing for the warm, wet summer months ahead. This is a great time to go on a Kalahari Safari.

October is an extremely hot month in the Kalahari. During this spring period, just before the summer, plants start to come into bloom and the dry conditions slowly start to fade before the wet summer months ahead. The Kalahari is a year-round game viewing destination but during the dry season months which includes October, there is always more wildlife to been seen on a Kalahari Safari.

Visiting the Kalahari in November & December

November is the start of the wet summer in the Kalahari. The daily temperatures are high, and this extreme weather is often cooled by thunderstorms later in the afternoon. This weather brings the herds out to their local watering holes to cope with the heat and lion prides can often be seen waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey.

December is the hottest month of the year, but despite the heat this is the best time to visit the Kalahari for a safari. Wildlife migrate through the parks and during these months animals mostly congregate around the watering holes, making them easy to spot on game drives. December is right in the middle of the rainy season when the dry landscape turns into vibrant green hues. If you can handle a bit of rain on your safari, then the early summer months of the Green Season are often considered the perfect time to visit the Kalahari.

Best Kalahari Tours & Safaris

From KSh3,052,720 to KSh3,342,215 pps

Romantic Cape, Whale Coast & Kalahari

Highlights

Explore the attractions of Cape Town like Table Mountain & Cape Point. Explore magnificent estates and sip excellent wines on a winelands tour.

Destinations visited

From KSh1,030,770 to KSh1,308,585 pps

Kalahari Botswana's San Camp

Highlights

Fly into the remote and wild Kalahari. Explore the Makgadikgadi Pans' archaeological sites.

Destinations visited

From KSh3,085,175 to KSh3,324,690 pps

Community & Wildlife Luxury Safari: Kruger & the Kalahari

Highlights

Search for the Big 5 in Thornybush Game Reserve. Engaging community tour at Nourish Eco Village.

Destinations visited

From KSh1,073,610 to KSh1,865,515 pps

Kalahari Botswana's Jack's Camp

Highlights

Go on game drives for big game & predators. Watch the sun set over the Makgadikgadi Pans.

Destinations visited

From KSh4,112,050 to KSh4,201,625 pps

South Africa's Cape Town, Kruger & Kalahari

Highlights

A fantastic honeymoon or celebration holiday full of pampering. Search for the Big 5 in Sabi Sands.

Destinations visited

From KSh1,068,420 to KSh1,687,660 pps

Family Botswana's Okavango Delta & Kalahari

Highlights

Experience an authentic safari, orientated towards families. Go on motor-boat excursions in Moremi.

Destinations visited

From KSh3,052,720 to KSh3,342,215 pps

Romantic Cape, Whale Coast & Kalahari

Highlights

Explore the attractions of Cape Town like Table Mountain & Cape Point. Explore magnificent estates and sip excellent wines on a winelands tour.

Destinations visited

From KSh1,030,770 to KSh1,308,585 pps

Kalahari Botswana's San Camp

Highlights

Fly into the remote and wild Kalahari. Explore the Makgadikgadi Pans' archaeological sites.

Destinations visited

From KSh3,085,175 to KSh3,324,690 pps

Community & Wildlife Luxury Safari: Kruger & the Kalahari

Highlights

Search for the Big 5 in Thornybush Game Reserve. Engaging community tour at Nourish Eco Village.

Destinations visited

From KSh1,073,610 to KSh1,865,515 pps

Kalahari Botswana's Jack's Camp

Highlights

Go on game drives for big game & predators. Watch the sun set over the Makgadikgadi Pans.

Destinations visited

From KSh4,112,050 to KSh4,201,625 pps

South Africa's Cape Town, Kruger & Kalahari

Highlights

A fantastic honeymoon or celebration holiday full of pampering. Search for the Big 5 in Sabi Sands.

Destinations visited

From KSh1,068,420 to KSh1,687,660 pps

Family Botswana's Okavango Delta & Kalahari

Highlights

Experience an authentic safari, orientated towards families. Go on motor-boat excursions in Moremi.

Destinations visited

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