Following Lions into the Kalahari
We reached out to AfricaNow Safaris because, while we already loved Africa and had enjoyed several safaris before, we were craving something different. We didn’t want another classic Big Five circuit—we wanted space, atmosphere, and a deeper sense of place. Graeme suggested a guided journey into the Kalahari in search of the legendary black-maned lions, and from that moment, we were intrigued.
Graeme met us at the airport and within a few hours we were heading north, the landscape slowly drying out and opening up as we approached the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Stretching across South Africa and Botswana, this is a park defined by red dunes, open riverbeds, and immense skies. We spent seven nights moving steadily north through the park, from the southern camps all the way to the remote and unfenced Grootkolk Wilderness Camp.
Game viewing here is unlike anywhere else we’ve been. With sparse vegetation and wide-open vistas, animals are easier to spot, and lions seem to be everywhere. On one memorable drive, we encountered four separate lion sightings—each close to the vehicle, each different in character and behaviour. It felt less like searching and more like stumbling into their world again and again.
Grootkolk was the pinnacle. With just four rooms and an armed ranger, it feels wonderfully exposed to the wilderness. One evening, four large male lions emerged from the darkness to drink at the camp’s waterhole. Later that night, they began to roar—deep, powerful calls that rolled through the camp and vibrated through our chests. It was impossible to sleep, but none of us wanted to. This was exactly why we’d come.
Included in our stay were two nights at !Xaus Lodge, a community-owned lodge run by the San people. This part of the journey added a completely different dimension. One morning, we joined a San-led bush walk, learning to read tracks in the sand, identify edible plants, and understand how life has survived in this harsh environment for thousands of years. The knowledge shared was practical, insightful, and humbling—offering a perspective on the Kalahari that no game drive could provide.
To round things off, we spent two nights at Augrabies Falls National Park, where the Orange River thunders through a dramatic granite gorge. After the stillness of the desert, the power and sound of the falls felt like nature showing us another side of itself.
This journey reminded us that Africa still has places that feel raw, surprising, and deeply immersive. AfricaNow Safaris didn’t just give us a different safari—they helped us rediscover why we fell in love with the continent in the first place.
