Forever moving in the shadow of the extraordinary Namib Desert, the country’s second desert – the Kalahari – is often unduly disregarded.
Though technically a semi-desert on account of the greater rainfall recorded in this area – some areas record more than 280mm per year on average – it is difficult to conceive of it as anything but a desert, given that any precipitation drains away through the porous, sandy soils in no time.
Yet the higher levels of rainfall and the numerous ephemeral rivers that crisscross the Kalahari inevitably allow it to support more vegetation and more varied wildlife than the Namib. In particular, smaller mammals thrive on the shimmering grass that follows the rain, while the greater availability of even smaller prey like aardwolves, porcupines and honey badgers, sustains predators. These are all part of possible sightings and so too are scurrying groups of meerkat, mongoose and suricates. Birders will enjoy watching the many raptors wheeling above: martial and snake eagles, as well as lappet-faced vultures.
Inevitably, snakes and scorpions are common denizens of the desert; also keep an eye out for the puff adder and Panabuthus raudus – the largest scorpion in Southern Africa, which can reach over 12cm, threatening with a particularly impressive tail. Some of the desert’s more surprising inhabitants include tortoises and frogs.
The Kalahari is as much about the stillness and silence of the desert as it is about wildlife, and – in this southern section – the stunning red dunes, which derive their colour from the high iron oxide-content in the sand. In contrast to the towering dunes of the Namib, these are rippling linear dunes, running broadly northwest to southeast. They start just east of the B1 main road between Kalkrand and Mariental, where several private reserves make the most of this picturesque dune-scape.
The dunes extend further south filling the area between the B1 and the eastern border of Namibia and they extend into the South African section of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Alternative travel ideas
Starting at the Vioolsdrif/Noordoewer border in the ǁKaras Region, you might want to turn westwards and follow the Orange River to the area of Aussenkehr, which is known for grape production and canoeing. From there you may choose the C37 to work your way to- or past the Ai-Ais Hot Springs on your way to Keetmanshoop.
From Noordoewer, you can instead head straight to Grünau and on to Keetmanshoop. Should you seek a more adventurous route, you may choose to turn onto the D 213 much earlier in order to spend time at the exquisite Sandfontein Lodge and Nature Reserve. From there you would follow the D208 or alternatively the M21 (D206) up to Karasburg, which lies in the heart of the southern Namibian sheep farming area. The Karasburg area boasts a variety of large to small game, ranging from kudu and springbok to duiker, klipspringer, steenbok, jackal and caracal. The majestic kudu roam free, jumping over any fence that may stand in their way.
The roads coming up from Vioolsdrif or from Ariamsvlei (and thus Karasburg) meet up at Grünau, in which area several guest farms are found, providing a convenient stopover for long-distance travelers, who are keen on takin a break during their journeys. Some people use the area as a base for day-trips, such as the Fish River Canyon, a mere 100km away.
Keetmanshoop, up the road from Grünau (along the B1), was named after Johann Keetman, a German industrialist who donated 1 000 gold marks to construct the first Rhenish Mission Church back in 1869. The town is situated near two quiver tree forests, a major tourist attraction in Namibia. It is also close to the site known as Giant's Playground, a natural geological feature formed about 180 million years ago comprising dolerite rock formations (rock heaps) that seem to have been stacked by giants.
On your way from Keetmanshoop to Koës you will pass the Mesosaurus fossil, an extinct genus of reptiles of Southern Africa and South America, dating back to the Early Permian.
Koës is a small Kalahari town, located some 130 km north-east en route to the Mata Mata border post, that allows acces to the Kgalagadi Nature Reserve in SA and Botswana. The Koës Pan Rally is held here every year, attracting speed and nature enthusiasts. Though small, this is an important town for local farmers.
Moving on, you would spend two hour driving to Gochas, which was a flashpoint in the colonial wars of the Herero and Nama tribes in German South West Africa. It was used as a military post and camel station under imperial German rule. In January 1905 the Germans defeated the Nama Chief, Simon Kooper, here. The final battle of the war, Battle of Seatsub, was fought in Bechuanaland in March 1908. Capt. Friedrich von Erckert was killed in action and a memorial in his honour was erected in Gochas.
Again depending on what you would like to experience as you continue you journey, you may prefer to drive directly to Mariental. If so, you should then do that by leaving Gochas via the C18 (westwards) and turn into the M29 so as to be able to spend a night Lapa Lange outside Mariental. Mariental as founded in 1912 as a railway stop between Windhoek and Keetmanshoop and named after Maria, the wife of the first German settler of the area, Hermann Brandt. It is home to the oldest Dutch Reformed church congregation in Namibia, founded in 1898.
You may also choose to leave Gochas along the C15 and drive to Stampriet, where you can still turn towards Mariental or opt for the backroad up to Hoachanas, Uhlenhorst and Dordabis on your way to Windhoek.
Though technically a semi-desert on account of the greater rainfall recorded in this area – some areas record more than 280mm per year on average – it is difficult to conceive of it as anything but a desert, given that any precipitation drains away through the porous, sandy soils in no time.
Yet the higher levels of rainfall and the numerous ephemeral rivers that crisscross the Kalahari inevitably allow it to support more vegetation and more varied wildlife than the Namib. In particular, smaller mammals thrive on the shimmering grass that follows the rain, while the greater availability of even smaller prey like aardwolves, porcupines and honey badgers, sustains predators. These are all part of possible sightings and so too are scurrying groups of meerkat, mongoose and suricates. Birders will enjoy watching the many raptors wheeling above: martial and snake eagles, as well as lappet-faced vultures.
Inevitably, snakes and scorpions are common denizens of the desert; also keep an eye out for the puff adder and Panabuthus raudus – the largest scorpion in Southern Africa, which can reach over 12cm, threatening with a particularly impressive tail. Some of the desert’s more surprising inhabitants include tortoises and frogs.
The Kalahari is as much about the stillness and silence of the desert as it is about wildlife, and – in this southern section – the stunning red dunes, which derive their colour from the high iron oxide-content in the sand. In contrast to the towering dunes of the Namib, these are rippling linear dunes, running broadly northwest to southeast. They start just east of the B1 main road between Kalkrand and Mariental, where several private reserves make the most of this picturesque dune-scape.
The dunes extend further south filling the area between the B1 and the eastern border of Namibia and they extend into the South African section of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Alternative travel ideas
Starting at the Vioolsdrif/Noordoewer border in the ǁKaras Region, you might want to turn westwards and follow the Orange River to the area of Aussenkehr, which is known for grape production and canoeing. From there you may choose the C37 to work your way to- or past the Ai-Ais Hot Springs on your way to Keetmanshoop.
From Noordoewer, you can instead head straight to Grünau and on to Keetmanshoop. Should you seek a more adventurous route, you may choose to turn onto the D 213 much earlier in order to spend time at the exquisite Sandfontein Lodge and Nature Reserve. From there you would follow the D208 or alternatively the M21 (D206) up to Karasburg, which lies in the heart of the southern Namibian sheep farming area. The Karasburg area boasts a variety of large to small game, ranging from kudu and springbok to duiker, klipspringer, steenbok, jackal and caracal. The majestic kudu roam free, jumping over any fence that may stand in their way.
The roads coming up from Vioolsdrif or from Ariamsvlei (and thus Karasburg) meet up at Grünau, in which area several guest farms are found, providing a convenient stopover for long-distance travelers, who are keen on takin a break during their journeys. Some people use the area as a base for day-trips, such as the Fish River Canyon, a mere 100km away.
Keetmanshoop, up the road from Grünau (along the B1), was named after Johann Keetman, a German industrialist who donated 1 000 gold marks to construct the first Rhenish Mission Church back in 1869. The town is situated near two quiver tree forests, a major tourist attraction in Namibia. It is also close to the site known as Giant's Playground, a natural geological feature formed about 180 million years ago comprising dolerite rock formations (rock heaps) that seem to have been stacked by giants.
On your way from Keetmanshoop to Koës you will pass the Mesosaurus fossil, an extinct genus of reptiles of Southern Africa and South America, dating back to the Early Permian.
Koës is a small Kalahari town, located some 130 km north-east en route to the Mata Mata border post, that allows acces to the Kgalagadi Nature Reserve in SA and Botswana. The Koës Pan Rally is held here every year, attracting speed and nature enthusiasts. Though small, this is an important town for local farmers.
Moving on, you would spend two hour driving to Gochas, which was a flashpoint in the colonial wars of the Herero and Nama tribes in German South West Africa. It was used as a military post and camel station under imperial German rule. In January 1905 the Germans defeated the Nama Chief, Simon Kooper, here. The final battle of the war, Battle of Seatsub, was fought in Bechuanaland in March 1908. Capt. Friedrich von Erckert was killed in action and a memorial in his honour was erected in Gochas.
Again depending on what you would like to experience as you continue you journey, you may prefer to drive directly to Mariental. If so, you should then do that by leaving Gochas via the C18 (westwards) and turn into the M29 so as to be able to spend a night Lapa Lange outside Mariental. Mariental as founded in 1912 as a railway stop between Windhoek and Keetmanshoop and named after Maria, the wife of the first German settler of the area, Hermann Brandt. It is home to the oldest Dutch Reformed church congregation in Namibia, founded in 1898.
You may also choose to leave Gochas along the C15 and drive to Stampriet, where you can still turn towards Mariental or opt for the backroad up to Hoachanas, Uhlenhorst and Dordabis on your way to Windhoek.
