Khutse Game Reserve in Botswana Wilderness
Although Khutse Game Reserve is situated in the most accessible part of the Kalahari, tourists need a 4WD vehicle to explore the relatively small 2500 km² reserve. Especially the access roads requires a 4x4 vehicle with low range capabilities and decent ground clearance as the road from Gaborone varies from tar to deep, rutted sand tracks.
What to See at Khutse Game Reserve
Like all of Botswana's national parks, Khutse Game Reserve is unfenced, thus allowing for the natural migration of animals across the Kalahari. Viewing wildlife in the undulating savanna is dependent on the seasonal rains and most wildlife will congregate around the more than sixty mineral-rich pans after good rains. Unlike the more popular reserves in Northern Botswana, wildlife is not as concentrated, but the reserve does offer a unique variety of mammals, birds and reptiles.
Herbivores adapted to the semi-arid conditions flourish in the reserve and desert herbivores like gemsbok, eland, kudu, springbok, wildebeest and giraffe frequent the pans. These herbivores attract predators like lion, leopard, cheetah, brown hyena, wild dog and black - backed jackals. Other animals often sighted include bat-eared foxes, porcupine, caracal, squirrels, mongoose, pangolin (rarely seen), aardvark and warthogs.
According to Mike Main, An Adventurer's Guide to Botswana, Struik Publishers, 2001, January to March are generally thought to be the best game viewing months. After prolonged drought, larger herbivores and the resulting predators may be completely absent, but other smaller creatures and the stark beauty and ruggedness of the terrain will compensate more than adequately for their absence.
The Botswana Department of Tourism in Banjanala, A Tourist Guide to Botswana, Botswana Tourism, Volume 3, September 2000 states that more than 150 bird species have been recorded in the Khutse Game Reserve. These birds include white backed vultures, Kori bustards, ostriches and greater kestrels.
Accommodation at Khutse Game Reserve in Botswana
Botswana Tourism Board warns visitors that accommodation at Khutse Game Reserve is limited to camping only. With no shops, fuel or water available at the reserve, tourists should be self- sufficient and carry enough water and fuel to last the duration of their stay. Proper planning of the 4x4 trip is therefore essential as the reserve offers about 200 km of roads to explore.
Development in the reserve has been kept to a minimum and although there are areas designated as campsites, these areas mostly contain only a pit latrine. The camping sites are concentrated around the area between Khutse 1 and Khutse 2 pans with a few isolated campsites in other areas of the reserve. All campsites are unfenced and general rules for camping in the wild should be obeyed, as predators such as lion are known to pay tourists a visit.
Essential Information for Visitors to Khutse Game Reserve
Visitors should drive only on the existing tracks in the reserve. Deviating from these tracks causes irreparable damage to the ecology of the area.
Tourist may only camp in the areas clearly marked as campsites.
No refuse-removal facilities are available and tourists must take all their rubbish with when leaving the campsite. Littering not only spoils the beauty of the landscape, but also endangers the wild animals that inhabit the area.
Campers must ensure that fires are made and managed in such a way that they do not cause wildfires. During the dryer months the grass around the campsites is dry and tall and a spark from an unattended campfire could cause a runaway fire.
Water for purposes other than drinking, may be obtained from the Wildlife camp. The water is salty and not suitable for human consumption so visitors should be self- reliant in respect of drinking water.
Essential Information for Traveling to Botswana
Whether on Big 5 safari, seeking out the excellent arts and crafts or exploring the rich cultural and geographical diversity of Botswana, tourists must prepare themselves with the essential information to ensure a pleasant visit.
Best Time During The Year to Visit Botswana
Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa and is bordered by South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Bisected by the Tropic of Capricorn, approximately two-thirds of the country lies in the tropics.
According to Botswana Tourism Office, annual summer rainfall varies between the northern and southern parts of Botswana. In the north, where the Okavango-delta and Chobe nature reserves are, rainfall of over 650mm per year was recorded, while in the south in the Kalahari desert and Mabuasehube game reserve as little as 150 mm of rain may fall in a year.
Summer temperatures can often exceed 40° Celsius in the desert areas, while winters can be bitterly cold at night. The summer thunderstorms usually do not last long, but cool the baked earth off for a short while after the storm had passed.
The best months for tourists to visit Botswana is from April to October when the climate is not so severe and in the dryer months, wildlife congregate around the little available water, facilitating better game viewing.
How to Get Around in Botswana
Tourists to Botswana can choose between air transport, road transport and trains. With a well-developed infrastructure between the larger towns, exploring the sights of Botswana is made easy.
By air:
Air Botswana operates scheduled domestic flights between Gabarone, Francistown, Maun and Kasane, while several other commercial and private operators maintain links to the popular tourist destinations.
By road:
Driving is on the left hand side of the road in Botswana. Tarmac roads connect the main centers and these roads are generally in a good condition. The speed limit is 120 km/h on the tarred roads, dropping to 60 km/h when approaching towns and villages. Drivers may use international driver's licenses for 6 months and must have the license as well as proof of compulsory no-fault insurance with them at all time.
Outside the main centers, roads vary from good gravel to deep, rutted sand. Several vehicle hire companies have offices in the main towns and tourists may hire any tipe of vehicle, including 4-WD sedans to explore the country.
Mini busses and taxis regularly transport tourists around the main centers and the mini busses also operate in rural areas.
By train:
Regular, scheduled transport by air-conditioned passenger rail services makes Botswana's rail system virtually unique in Africa. Trains run on a daily basis between the major towns.
Health and Safety Information for Botswana
Malaria and tick-bite fever are prolific in Botswana and visitors must take preventative medicine before visiting. Visitors should keep their bodies well covered to prevent bites from mosquitoes and ticks. Bilharzia is present in many of the streams and tourists must stay out of the water. The water in the urban areas is safe to drink.
Botswana is known for its intolerance of crime. Local law enforcement deals with offenders swiftly and efficiently and the punishments are harsh. The government has a zero tolerance for drug use and smuggling.
The political climate in Botswana is stable and except for petty criminals, like bag - snatchers and thieves in busy towns, no real dangers lurk.
The wildlife parks of Botswana are unfenced, leading to stray animals crossing the roads and endangering drivers.
Miracle of the Kalahari Underway in Botswana
Every year at this time, nine billion litres of water travelling along the Kavango River in northern Botswana arrives at the impenetrable sands of the Kalahari and is forced to fan out into the desert. The arid sands become a magical world of lagoons, islands and water channels – heralding one of the greatest concentrations of birds and wildlife in the world.
Here lies the miraculous Okavango Delta. It is no wonder that the Okavango is where one of Africa’s most dedicated eco-tourism companies decided to set up camp many years ago. Wilderness Safaris manages nearly three million hectares of this pristine environment and its name has become synonymous with the concept of luxurious African safaris.
Animals Put on a Special Theatrical Performance for Visitors
The elegant and stylish accommodation is unsurpassed and every day brings another unique experience. In the Delta, the lives of human visitors become intertwined with the area’s wildlife. There are raised walkways connecting the camp’s impeccably furnished en-suite tents, ensuring that animals have the right of way. Each day brings a spellbinding performance, whether the spectacle of a majestic herd of elephant, the prowl of a leopard or the thundering hooves of wildebeest.
No day begins without the orchestra of birds, nor ends without sharing stories around the campfire. And what a stage the drama is played out on; the concept of space becomes obsolete in the vast open plains of the Kalahari. The idea of wilderness is enshrined in the glorious mopane woodlands surrounding you. The sense of adventure is palpable amidst the snaking maze of crystal-clear waterways.
'Eco Tourism the Most Sustainable Way of Protecting the Kalahari'
Whether you are gliding through by mokoro (canoe) or bumping along by jeep, you will not fail to marvel at one of the world’s great wilderness sanctuaries. As well as offering exceptional service, Wilderness Safaris has done much to help protect this environment. Since its early days the company took the concept of eco-tourism under its wing as the most sustainable means of ensuring the area’s protection. Its operations are always environmentally sensitive, the local community is always engaged and the land’s biological diversity is carefully managed.
Accommodation does not disappoint either, with camps available in two styles. Premier Camps boast the highest levels of luxury, with highly stylised architecture and all the comforts of home. Classic Camps, meanwhile, generally come in luxurious tents. All accommodation has views of the surrounding scenery.
Each camp has its own distinctive character, but whether it’s Abu Camp with its famous elephants, Duba Plains with its warring lion prides or the breathtaking scenery of Chitabe, reserve a front-row seat to witness a real-life miracle taking place.
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