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Hi there Tony,

There are a few Lions in the park which had been 'Branded', these are lions which have gone out of the park and we had to go and get them back. Every lion which goes out of the park gets a different brand mark to be able to ID them.

The specific lion in your picture is currently between Leeuwdrill and Samevloeiing, he has met up with another male (Have a look at the cam trap pictures-your male lion is in there).

Thanks for sending the pic I will forward it to the section ranger so they could mark the area you have seen him in.

KG

Sounds too close to argue against.

I saw him as well... and follow for +/- one km... until the water hole, him doing his job, me, mine, marking and have photos
then he went to the South and me to Nossob
but I have to search the date.... just coming back yesterday at home

Hi

I am sure that buried in these very helpful pages somewhere will be answers to the questions i have but so far haven't located them! We are hoping to make a booking on 1st November for our planned trip in October next year - our first to Kgalagadi but before we finalise how long (plan started at 8 days and now running at 14) and where there are a few things that we would like to know, especially as we are uk visitors and will be flying from Cape Town to Upington with the usual limit on luggage:

- we know that the few shops sell basic provisions only but what type of stuff is there? Water and charcoal, firewood i believe but what food stuffs? Meat? Any veggies? and of course beer etc?

-connected with above and to help us work out how long we can survive foodwise, does all accommodation have freezer space - either communally or in each unit?

- if no freezers, or not everywhere,and scarce food supplies in the shops what do you all do about food? we are used to catering for 2 weeks in Kruger with limited buying from shops there but this is the unknown for us.

- have read that there are no paraffin lights in the wilderness camps after the electricity goes off .Is this right? If so what do you do for light? Candles and torches?

- think I've read that its a good idea to get devices to enable you to charge cameras, phones etc in the car - is this right?

You guys have already given us great advice on car hire so we're well on the way to being ready to book but any help on the above- or anything else we should be aware of would be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance!

Click here for the index jelico60 Iy might help your search

Hi jelico60

-shops: there is some frozen meat for sale at Nossob, Mata Mata and Twee Rivieren, although they do sometimes run out, depending on demand. The meat is quite pricey. I have never bought the meat at the camps so can't comment on quality etc. The most reliable source appears to be Twee Rivieren, which has always had meat in their freezers when I have looked. We always buy our food and meat at the Pick n Pay in Upington. Twee Rivieren sometimes has potatoes and onions otherwise there is not much in the way of fresh veg. Never seen fresh veg at Mata Mata / Nossob. You can get canned veg, canned baked beans, spaghetti & meat balls kind of stuff in the shops. Also pasta,smash, soup, sweets, chips, biscuits, colddrinks, water,beers bread(most of the time). Twee Rivieren's shop is quite well stocked.

- not sure where you are staying, but all chalets at nossob, mata mata, twee rivieren have fridge/freezer combinations in each hut. The freezer compartment is quite small but adequate. The wilderness camps also have fridge/ freezer combos-bit larger than the main camps but run on gas so not always as efficient. Bitterpan has a communal fridge and freezer (the last time we were there)

- only twee rivieren is on the national electricity grid and therefore has electricity 24 hours. Mata mata and nossob, the power gets turned off at about 10pm and comes back on half hour before gates open. We use torches when power is off. Wilderness camps run on solar power stored in batteries so you may be able to have enough power for lights during the night if you use the power carefully-other wise, torches.

- you can get an invertor for your car which plugs into the cigarette lighter and converts the DC current to AC and so you can use your usual charger to charge your mobile phone/camera batteries etc. If you are staying in the main camps you will have electricity so you can charhe there. If you are staying in the wilderness camps, there are no electricity plugs so you may need something like an invertor.

Hope this helps-shout if you have more questions and will do our best to answer!

Hi jeloco60,

Beer is the one thing that they have well stocked.

I wouldn't rely on fresh veggies, rather get the tinned ones.

As Jo has ably stated, the 2R shop is well stocked and has a good variety.

Meat - well I often braai a few days worth of meat and eat it cold. This sounds like sacrelige to locals, but cold bangers in 42 degrees +. or on a night ride, go down well, and heck, this is Africa.

Try to take water with you from Upington, the water in the park taskes awful.

Hi jelico60,

We are also from the UK and looking forward to our umteenth visit to Kgalagadi in May, after booking in June this year!! Such a long wait to visit my favourite place! We pick up our 4x4 at Upington airport then spend a night in Upington doing all our shopping at P&P. We used to get our meat from Skaapland, but I believe it has closed? We pack fold-up cooler bags in our luggage and fill them with ice packs to keep the meat fresh for the trip up to the park and, as all the chalets have freezer compartments, we have never had any trouble. Veges are a different story. We take as much fresh as we think will last, then live off tins of tomato and onions, beans and any other tinned stuff. I also make a pot-bread when we run out of bought bread, having purchased the ingredients at P&P.

Hope this helps a bit. Enjoy the planning - it is half the excitment of the trip - but a word of warning! Kgalagadi sand between your toes means you will always want to be back there!

Hi

Big thanks to you all for the excellent advice. Think we are clear now about what we are going to do and how we are going to do it. Have just emailed reservations with a request for our two week booking for October 2013!!!!! Hoping being a day ahead of 1st November won't be a problem - just couldn't hold back any longer. Already excited and will set up the count down clock on my lap top as soon as we have confirmation.

This is what we have requested - hoping it all fits together ok!

15.10 Twee Rivieren Family Cottage (FA4)
16.10 Grootlkolk Desert Cabin (SC2)
17.10 Grootkolk
18.10 Grootkolk
19.10 Nossob Chalet (CH2)
20.10 Nossob
21.10 Kalahari Tented Camp Desert Tent (DT2)
22.10 Kalahari Tented Camp
23.10 Mata Mata River Front Chalet (RF2)
24.10 Mata Mata
25.10 Mata Mata
26.10 Kieliekrankie Dune Cabin (DC2)
27.10 Kieliekrankie
28.10 Twee Rivieren Family Cottage (FA4)


Expat - good suggestion about a night in Upington. We were planning on flying in from Cape Town, shopping then heading to TR but knowing how long it takes us to complete our shopping for 2 weeks in Kruger (have my shopping list that we've refined over the last 10 years) and as this trip is obviously going to require even more care, think we will have a look at taking your lead so can have a more relaxed arrival. Would also be good to hear by PM who you hire your vehicle from.

Any further thoughts still welcomed!!!

Hi friends,
Could someone tell me the precise location of the waterhole where the Nossob cam is located?

Is the one in front of the Nossob hide?

Cheers
Charbel

Hi Charbel

You got it right - that's the one

Hi Scouter,
Great. Already preparing the clothes to support the cold weather and stay all night long in the hide...

See you're in Hout Bay. I have spent 15 days there Dec 2011. Great place!

Cheers
Charbel
1 June 2013 - Twee Rivieren
2 June 2013 - Kieliekrankie
3-4 June 2013 - Kalahari Tented Camp
5 June 2013 - Twee Rivieren
6-8 June 2013 - Nossob
9 June 2013 - Gharagab
10 June 2013 - Grootkolk
11 June 2013 - Nossob
12 June 2013 - Twee Rivieren

Hi all,

We are coming back to Kgalagadi in May (2013!! It's still a long wait!) and have been researching our Wildcard requirements for International visitors. However, I am a bit confused - not difficult at my age - and cannot work out whether we can still by the Wildcard when we enter the park at Twee Rivieren. There seems to be a need to register on-line? For 8 nights is it better just to pay the conservation and entrance fees?

Some clarification would be good, thanks!

You can buy a Wild Card on entering at 2R expat. I have done so.

Thanks, BB! Mind at rest!