LIONS, lions everywhere… But not a drop to drink!
“I felt like a six-year-old boy on Christmas Eve, no longer counting the sleeps but rather the hours until the adventure could begin.”
As adventure tour operators, we have been guiding trips into the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) and Mabuasehube Game Reserve for over a decade, witnessing the absolute best these two gems in Africa have to offer. But why enjoy these separately? Hence, we put together the Ultimate Kalahari Experience tour, combining both of these magnificent wilderness areas into one Kalahari bucket list adventure. 25
We meet up with the group of bright-eyed adventurers at Khama Rhino Sanctuary just outside the town of Serowe in Botswana. To say we were all filled with great anticipation for what lay ahead of us over the next 10 days is an understatement of note. After we enjoyed a sunset drive around the reserve it was time to get to know each other. And what better way than settled around a campfire, being treated to a gourmet meal from our renowned bush chef, Master P? Laying in my tent that evening, going through the route in my head, I felt like a six-year-old boy on Christmas Eve… I was no longer counting the sleeps, but rather the hours until the adventure could begin.
From Khama Rhino Sanctuary we headed to Rakops, a tiny little town situated close to our turn-off to the Matswere gate of the Central Kalahari. Here, we fill up on as much fuel as possible (including jerry cans) and finish off the last bit of tar road before we deflate our tyres to tackle the sandy Kalahari tracks… Let the adventure begin! After about two hours we reached the Matswere gate where we quickly attended to the necessary admin and – permits in hand – lead the convoy to our first campsite in Deception Valley where we would spend the next three nights.
Golden hour
As we approached Deception Valley, the excitement is electric and I let everyone know via two-way radios to look out for a special surprise, just ahead over the large dune on the horizon. Although I have seen it countless times, the first view of Deception Valley opening up in front of you still gives me goosebumps. At this point, it is a tradition for us to stop the convoy for everyone to get out and soak up the clean Kalahari air while admiring the vastness of the golden savannah. The Valley lies in the remnants of the ancient Deception River. It gets its name from the nearby Deception Pan where a mirage-style effect makes the dark clay pan look like it is filled with water while, in actual fact, it is bone
