Kalahari Desert

Namibia is famous for the Namib Desert, home to the highest sand dunes in the world; however most of eastern and southern Namibia is covered by the Kalahari Desert. The Kalahari, however, can not be classified as a true desert due to the amount of rain it receives, however very unpredictable. The landscape holds no surface water which creates an interesting ecological challenge for fauna and flora.

The Kalahari Desert has been home to the San people known as the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert for over hundreds of years. They live in and around the desert and are still traditional in their lifestyle. Bushman rock art can be found in the Damaraland region. The Kalahari has also been called a fossil desert and is truly one of the world's most surprising landscapes.

The Kalahari Desert stretches over seven different countries in southern Africa. The Kgalagadi, as it is known in Botswana - covers the western part of Namibia, a large part of Botswana, and north-western South Africa north of the Orange River.

The Kalahari Desert also referred to as the Kalahari Thirstland; regardless of irregular and unpredictable rainfall the area supports a wide variety of desert-adapted fauna and flora. Visitors can experience this unique ecosystem; observe magical sunsets and wildlife such as gemsbok, springbok, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, as well as smaller desert animals.

The birdlife is prolific and a highlight would be to meet and interact with the San Bushmen, a rare opportunity, a guided walk accompanied by a Bushman tracker to learn about their survival skills in this harsh and arid environment.

The Kalahari is also the area most famous for the black-maned lions. These huge cats are specially adapted to the harsh environment, like their fellow desert-dwellers, and can go months without drinking water. They receive most of their fluids from the meat they eat and they travel very far distances in search of prey, particularly in the dry months.