Cubitje Quap waterhole
Reference information

Traveling through southern Africa requires preparation. Practical things like car rental or overnight accomodation, but also knowledge about the environment: wildlife and nature. Some of our experiences, sources and inspirations listed below.


Car rental
South Africa, Namibia:
  • Kalahari 4x4 hire: Car rental company in Upington, owned by Pieter and Neil Nel. Specialised in 4x4 vehicles and additional equipment. Our single stop address for exploring the Kgalagadi (highly recommended)
  • Cape Spirit: (now SA Car Rental) Intermediate based in Cape Town. Great service provided by Ian. Our favourite spot for a reliable car (recommended)
  • Savanna: Local company, based in Windhoek, Namibia. Reliable cars, flexible service (recommended)
  • Ivory 4x4 hire: Local company, based in Johannesburg/Pretoria region. Rents Isuzu pickups (not recommended)

Lodging - Parks and resorts
Namibia: South Africa:
  • Augrabies Falls NP: Overview of available chalets and campsites in Augrabies.
  • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Overview of regular rest camps (Twee Rivieren, Nossob, Mata Mata) and Wilderness Camps (e.g. Urikaruus) in KTP
  • Kruger NP: Sanparks overview of the long list of sleeping options in Kruger NP
  • Paulshoek Cottage: Farmstead in Tankwa NP, without electricity but in a beautiful, remote setting (recommended)
  • Bontle Camp Site: Basic campsite in Marakele NP
  • Duinepos: Independently operated chalets in West Coast NP. Spacious, quiet cottages (recommended)

Lodging - Hotels, Bed & Breakfast
Namibia:
South Africa:
  • Kalahari Guest House (50km north of Upington at the N14): Superb campsites, great rooms. Riana and Paul are friendly and helpful. Riana runs a small shop with good-quality (frozen) meat (highly recommended)
  • Cosy Corner (Vryburg): Helpful staff, good room
  • Kliphuisie B&B (Vryburg): Friendly staff, nice rooms
  • Constantia Cottages (Constantia, Cape Town): Helpful owners, comfortable room, self-catering possible

Lodging - Campsites
Botswana:
  • Berrybush: Great hospitality on this farm, just north of Tsabong in Botswana (currently closed)
Namibia: South Africa:

National parks, places of interest
Botswana:
Namibia:
South Africa:

Park guides
  • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Official Information Guide - updated 2004 (South African National Parks, South Africa, in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana)
  • Maps of Etosha with illustrated animal and bird identification - (ISBN 09 584 7486 9)
  • Etosha National Park Centenary Edition; Guidebook to the waterholes and animals - (ISBN 978 99 916 6347 0)

Books
  • Beat about the bush birds - Carnaby, Trevor - (ISBN 978 17 700 9241 9)
  • Beat about the bush mammals - Carnaby, Trevor - (ISBN 978 17 700 9240 2)
  • Birds of southern Africa - Sinclair, Ian (ea) - (ISBN 978 17 700 7388 3)
  • Roberts Bird Guide 2nd Edition - Chittenden, Hugh Davies, Greg and Weiersbye, Ingrid - (ISBN 978 19 206 0201 7)
  • Sasol’s Birds of southern Africa - Sinclair, Ian (ea) - (ISBN 978 17 700 7925 0)
  • The raptor guide of Southern Africa - Oberprieler, Ulrich - (ISBN 978 09 921 7010 3)
  • Southern African LBJ’s made simple - Newman Doug and King, Gordon - (ISBN 978 17 700 7799 7)
  • Birds the inside story - Loon, Rael and Helene - (ISBN 978 17 700 7151 3)
  • What’s that reptile - Marais, Johan - (ISBN 978 17 700 7771 3)
  • Snakes and other reptiles of Southern Africa - Branch, Bill - (ISBN 978 18 687 2040 8)
  • The wildlife of southern Africa - Carruthers, Vincent (Ed) - (ISBN 18 687 2451 4)
  • Mammal guide of Southern Africa - Cillie, Burger - (ISBN 978 19 202 1746 4)
  • Pocket photoguide to mammals of Southern African Birds - Cillie, Burger - (ISBN 19 199 3802 8)
  • Pocket-guide to Southern African Birds - Cillie, Burger and Oberprieler, Ulrich - (ISBN 978 19 1993 865 3)
  • Animals of the Kgalagadi - Cillie, Niel - (ISBN 978 09 814 4864 0)
  • Southern African Birdfinder - Cohen, Callan & Spottiswoode, Claire & Rossouw, Jonathan - (ISBN 978 18 687 2725 4)
  • Smithers’ Mammals of Southern Africa - Apps, Peter - (ISBN 978 17 700 7913 7)
  • How and where to photograph birds in southern Africa - Pretorius, Isak - (ISBN 978 14 314 0930 3)
  • Watching wildlife Southern Africa - Hunter, Luke (ed) - (ISBN 18 645 0035 2)
  • National parks and Nature Reservers - Stuart, Chris & Stuart, Tilde - (ISBN 978 17 700 7742 3)
  • Tracks and tracking in southern Africa - Liebenberg, Louis - (ISBN 978 18 687 2008 8)
  • Field guide to mammals of southern Africa - Stuart, Chris & Stuart, Tilde - (ISBN 18 687 2537 5)
  • Kgalagadi self-drive - Powell, Jaco and Berg, Ingrid van den - (ISBN 978 09 946 9245 0)
  • Kgalagadi Transfontier Park - Engelbrecht, Henriette (red) - (ISBN )
  • Kgalagadi transfrontier park - Derichs, Peter - (ISBN 06 202 7169 8)
  • Hunters of the dunes - Eloff, Fritz - (ISBN 978 14 853 0600 9)
  • The living deserts of southern Africa - Lovegrove, Barry - (ISBN 978 17 758 4704 5)
  • History of the Kgalagadi National park - Marais, Kees - (ISBN 978 06 209 2545 7)
  • A natural history guide to the arid Kalahari - Mills, Gus & Mills, Margie - (ISBN 978 06 205 3299 0)
  • Hyena nights and Kalahari days - Mills, Gus & Mills, Margie - (ISBN 978 17 700 9811 4)
  • Kalahari cheetahs - Mills, Gus & Mills, Margie - (ISBN 978 01 988 1556 3)
  • Flowering plants of the kalahari dunes - Rooyen, Noel van - (ISBN 06 202 7376 3)
  • Kruger National Park guide & map - Tinker, Andy & Tinker, Lorrain - (ISBN )
  • The killer birds of Kruger - Hilton-Barber, Brett & Arthur, Lou - (ISBN 978 06 203 7510 8)
  • Find it Kruger National Park - Barry, Lisl (red) - (ISBN 19 197 7770 9)
  • Shaping Kruger - Reardon, Mitch - (ISBN 978 14 317 0245 9)
  • Field guide to fynbos - Manning, John & Paterson-Jones, Colin - (ISBN 978 17 700 7265 7)
  • South African Wild Flowers - Manning, John & Paterson-Jones, Colin - (ISBN 17 700 7017 6)
  • Beginner’s guide to birds of Botswana - Senyatso, Kabelo J (ed) - (ISBN 99 9125 970 8)
  • Botswana visitor’s guide - Botswana Dept of Information and Broadcasting - (ISBN )
  • Map of Etosha - Franden, Robin - (ISBN 09 584 7486 9)

Background reading
  • All things wild and wonderful - Krueger, Kobie - (ISBN 978 01 402 5929 2)
  • Mahlangeni - Krueger, Kobie - (ISBN 978 01 402 4293 5)
  • Save me from the lion’s mouth - Clarke, James - (ISBN 978 19 205 4475 1)
  • Cry of the kalahari - Owens, Mark and Delia - (ISBN 978 03 956 4780 6)
  • Killing for profit - Rademeyer, Julian - (ISBN 978 17 702 2334 9)
  • The last resort - Rogers, Douglas - (ISBN 978 18 684 2389 7)

The Internet

Special thanks
  • Deidre Snijman and Colin Paterson-Jones†, for their pleasant company
  • Henk Hermanns, friend, photographer and artist
  • Maurice Beukers, friend and one of world's last true explorers...