The Mabuasehube Game Reserve
About 1 800 square kilometres of unfenced harsh Kalahari grass and scrub, Mabuasehube backs onto the far larger and inaccessible Gemsbok National Park. Roads are often sandy and corrugated, and can only be negotiated by four-wheel drive. It is recommended that you report your route to the police station at Tshabong in the south or Ganzi in the north, and travel in a convoy of at least two vehicles. The park has no facilities, and visitors must be entirely self-sufficient. There are six major pans and many smaller ones within this stark but serene reserve. Some are said to be the most beautiful of all Botswana’s pans. The simple beauty of the stark landscape, the dramatic variation of colour-tones as the light changes and the often abundant game make the difficult trip worth it. There is a network of dust roads lacing through the reserve and centred on the pans, but bear in mind that the nearest food and fuel supplies are at Tshabong, 110 kilometres away. In an emergency, borehole water can be obtained from the game scout camp, but cannot be relied upon.
West of the totally undeveloped Gemsbok National Park the Nossob River marks the border of South Africa, and is the eastern boundary of South Africa’s Kalahari Gemsbok National Park. Only the bed of the river marks the boundary, and animals can pass unhindered from one park to the other. Together these two parks, sometimes referred to as an International Peace Park, form an area larger than the better known Kruger National Park, but being arid, inhospitable and for the most part inaccessible, it attracts a fraction of the visitors. No formal tracks are laid out on the Botswana side, and there is no official entry point into South Africa from the Botswana park. The South African portion has a formal road system and three camps with accommodation. The Gemsbok National Park is a recognised birding spot for raptors, some 50 being on record. This is the most arid of the Kalahari region and conditions are closer to real desert. Here you will see the iron oxide-tinted ” red” dunes.
The best time to visit is in late summer and towards the end of the rainy season, roughly March to May, however game can be seen at any time of the year. As the most arid corner of the Kalahari, summers are very hot (September to February) with temperatures going up to 45°C. Winter months from June to August are comfortable during the day, but the temperature can drop below zero at night
Related Travel Information
The Khutse Game Reserve
Khutse Game Reserve abuts the southern boundary of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Set in typical pan country of undulating savannah, most of the larger arid-adapted herbivores can be found, together with the common predators, lions, leopards and cheetahs. Duiker and steenbok are as common as the ostrich. Many smaller species abound, like Cape fox, bat-eared fox, ground squirrel, jackal, porcupine, yellow mongoose and suricate. There are more than 60 pans and game is usually seen in or near them, but it is seasonal and difficult to predict. Khutse has interesting birds associated with arid areas,
Resérve de Nazinga
The Resérve de Nazinga, south of Ouagadougou, near Pô and the Ghanian border, is a game park run by Canadian environmentalists. Today, Burkina Faso is estimated to have the largest elephant population of West Africa, due in large part to the policies of the Nazinga game reserve. Since 1979, the workers on the reserve have aimed for a balance between the needs of the human population, and the necessity to protect the elephants from ivory hunters and other human predators. The policies are a mixture of limited game cropping, local employment, promotion of ecotourism and anti-poaching measures.
Samburu and Shaba Game Reserves
You can explore three game reserves located in close. The clean air, exotic flora and fauna and the excitement of viewing some of the rare species is enough for you to prolong your stay in this game reserve.
Factfile - Samburu and Shaba Game Reserves
Location: Mount Kenya Samburu Area
Total Area: 165 sq. kms
Major Attractions: Reticulated giraffe, grevy's zebra and beisa oryx
The Samburu Game Reserves are the most accessible of the Northern Frontier faunal sanctuaries. There are actually three reserves - the Samburu Reserve, Buffalo Springs and Shaba Reserve. The Samburu Reserve covers 104 sq. km
Masai Mara National Reserve
Though you may have seen the pictures of roaring lions but to view them live at Masai Mara National Park was a spine chilling experience! You may actually see the animals from the closest point. We recommend you to visit this national reserve atleast once and enjoy the unspoiled wild beauty in Kenya.
Factfile - Masai Mara National Reserve
Total area: 1,812 sq. km (700 sq. miles)
Major attraction: Lions & wild animals
The Maasai Mara National Reserve was established in 1961 and was originally known as the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The inside area is developed along the guidelines of
Berenty Private Reserve
With its large populations of ringtails, brown lemurs and Verreaux’ sifakas, Berenty is probably the most famous Malagasy reserve. Birding is rewarding. The reserve protects both spiny bush and dry tamarind woodland, along the Mandrare River bank. The guides are among the best in Madagascar, but it is easy (and permitted) to follow the broad trails and explore Berenty independently. The museum has rare examples of Sakalava carvings.
