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I am looking for some information about camping in Richtersveld and Kgalagadi between November and December. I will be spending at least a week in each of Twee Rivieren and Sendelingsdrift for research purposes.

Am I correct that accommodation in both is mostly geared towards at least two people? Is there anyway to avoid camping and stay in a hut/cabin as a single person affordably? If camping is the only option, are their cooking facilities or do I need to bring stove, pots, etc?

One last question--has anyone stayed in the nama housing option in Eksteenfontein?

Hi Maggie, welcome to the forum!!

I wish I could answer you, but I have never been to kgalagadi. In fact I think most our members have never been. But there are a lot of people that has been, and I know of one that I will point in this direction for you. Just hang in there and you'll get your answer soon

Cheers

Loams

Hi Maggie and welcome to the forum.

Don't know if it changed since i was there but most accommodation in Twee Rivieren were mostly for more than 2 persons. We stayed in the bungalows there which sleep i think five or so people! Stunning though if you can afford it!

BUT we also camped in Mata Mata which was also very nice! One thing though the ground is extremely hard and being 2 ladies we had some difficulty in getting in the tentpoles even with a hammer this was a mission so we left it and prayed for windless nights Cause we travelled all over Kgalagadi we took 1 gass bottle (this always come in very handy even at picnic sites) with us together with a screw on plate? for this and a lamp and 1 pot & 1 pan... the rest (mostly everything) we used a fire... meat, patatoes, onions in foil, barbeque sarmies etc
There are not much trees around but try and find one as your tent can get scorching hot during the day!
Important to take cooler bags and a 5L can or something for water! It can get REEEALLY hot!
When staying at Mata Mata one day and night there were no water available anywhere so we lived of the melted ice {was a mission after a 45degrees C day) Fill up on ice everywhere you get to a shop!

Hallo Maggie
I will not be able to help you with Richtersveld, but here is some info. on Kgalagadi.

Maggie firstly, Kgalagadi and Richtersveld are very hot in the daytime during the months of November/December. Camping for more that two weeks in that heat might be quite exhausting
Camping at Twee Rivieren.
You get camping sites with and without power points – so if you decide to camp, make sure that you make your reservation for the accommodation code CK6P (Camp site with power point)

Concerning the facilities:
If are camping you will have to provide your own cutlery and cooking utensils you can however try contacting Twee Rivieren via e-mail and ask if you can rent these utensils.
We have never camped in Kgalagadi, so I'm not sure if the communal kitchen has stoves.

The facilities according to SANParks website



Bungalows at Twee Rivieren:
The base rates for all the units are 2 people
You can get a bungalow for R380 p/n. They are fully equipped with cutlery etc. and have 2 plate stove and fridge/freezers. The also have air-conditioning.

For more info on the accommodation types at Twee Rivieren, look here
Accommodation

The tariffs you can find here:
Tariffs

Hi Maggie and welcome,

I have been to Kgalagadi thrice, twice in January. It gets rather warm. There is a swimming pool of lukewarm water.

There is a safari tent at 2RV, which has a bed, fan and fridge and costs about R230 per night for 2.

You would need to take your own cooking stuff unless you would like to eat at the restaurant, which is quite nice.

If I were you, I would contact Fanie van Tonder, the camp manager and if the camp is nowhere near full, I would try to do a deal with him. They often have out of season specials.

Please let me know how you get on and if you have more questions.

Best of luck,
BB

Hi, some great reading here - I have been a visitor to the Kgalagadi many times, however I have always booked just one camp site/one tent at Nossob (I know my favourite site as well...) but for the first time I have to book for 5 people this time - which would be three tents, two smallish ones and then one of the trailer type tents. We'll be there for about 3 weeks (one week at Polentswa) - on the accommodation it says '1 tent per site' I read somewhere - but I was thinking of only getting two sites...as two of the tents are so small. Do you think there would be a problem with that?

Thanks!

I cannot foresee a problem with two small tents on one site. I've put up two small tents in all three main camps before (two persons per tent) and nobody breathed a word about it.

As we have small children, Twee Rivieren with its pool sound like an option. Many people that visit Kgalagadi claims the camp is "not nice and far away from animals". Is it so and do you have to go to a Nossob or Mata Mata to feel like you camp in Kalahari conditions?

We camped at all three camps, but way back in 1998. Things could have changed quite a bit since then
Our experience at Twee Rivieren was a pleasant one, the camp sites were fairly large and close to ablutions. Many visitors were lucky in spotting leopard in the two kilometre stretch from camp.

Mata Mata also has a good camping ground with nice spots next to the fence. Also some camping sites under very big trees where birdwatchers got very excited about owls at night.
Our favourite, however, was Nossob. I think purely for its remoteness, it deserves a Then already there was a bird/game hide with a floodlight at night which was amazing! A cheetah was seen there in full view in broad daylight. Sadly, we missed this one, but saw black-backed jackals there that night
It would be a good idea, I think, to try out all three if you have the time and see which one you like best?

Christo - my opinion, we have always used Twee R as a stop just for in and out on the way to camp at Nossob. But, we have also seen some incredible sightings around there - some years ago we saw a cheetah and her 3 cubs and one that had killed a Springbok...and you can always plan a day trip to one of the picnic spots which would take you higher up as long as you watch your time. The kids would no doubt enjoy the pool there!

Nossob is my personal favourite as well! At one stage some years ago there was a 'resident leopard' who would come into the camp no kidding! He is sadly in the predator museum now...he was darted and something went terribly wrong unfortunately.
I hope that Nossob is never 'up-graded' as such because of its character and it is nice to see the same familiar faces sometimes year after year.
Mata I book a week for simply to get to see the different animals in that region like the giraffes...it is also where I have seen the most African WildCats sitting in the trees.

I will try 5 days at Nossb & 5 at Twee Rivieren sometime (when it it not too hot) next year, possibly September.

Thanks for the advice.

I have provisional bookings to camp at Twee Rivieren and MataMata in June 2006.
Would this time of year be far too cold at night... as being cold is one thing us people from Dbn are not to clued up on???
I have opted not for Chalets as none were available as school holiday time and slow on the booking
I have been advised that it would be maddness to camp in Winter in Kgalagadi
Has anyone recently done this trip by road from Dbn, and their comments on stopovers would be appreciated... i was looking at just past Kimberley and then near Upington as stayovers.
Thanks

Hi Fizzpop

I have never camped in Kgalagadi in June, but did so early May and end-August. Yes it can get very cold at night, but depending on how you are equipped (e.g. gas heater), one can cope with the cold. I have stayed in bungalows during June and I have to admit the nights (especially early morning hours) can be quite nippy. Days are normally rather sunny (so it does not take long to defrost) but can be a bit windy that time of the year. Personally I will not let the cold put me off.

Consider Vaalbos National Park as a stop-over. It is only about 50 km from Kimberley. I will not recommend Eiland Resort at Upington. This (once terrific) resort has deteriorated to levels far below acceptance. However, Upington has a lot of very good B&B's at very reasonable prices.

Fizzpop, we had a photographic shoot one year at the end of June beginning of July and it was terribly cold - we were camping with very little camp equipment however. The nights and early mornings I nearly froze my butt off! As the day went on the sun would warm up so we had to start peeling off our clothes. I am very much a 'summer' kind of creature so don't take any cold very well though. Dress in thinnish layers so you can peel off with ease.

AND I would most definitely do it again in winter as the Kgalagadi was maginificent in the winter light! As Stoffel says don't let that put you off...it is well worth it.