Botswana

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Long routes, vast stretches of reserve and campsites with just the basics. In Central Kalahari Game Reserve, you drive between Deception Valley, Sunday Pan and Passarge Valley, with wildlife often appearing only after long stretches on the road.

View trips from the region

Discover everything about this location.

The road gets quieter out here.

Central Kalahari Game Reserve is Botswana’s largest and most extensive wildlife reserve. It was closed to tourism for a long time, before opening again in the 1990s. Since then, travellers have been able to cross the reserve in a 4x4.

Facilities were almost non-existent at first. Today, more roads have been added and campsites such as Motopi, Passarge and Kori have basic facilities. Tau Lodge is also located inside the reserve.

Most journeys focus on the northern section. It is also possible to cross the reserve from north to south, bringing Khutse Reserve into the route.

Deception Valley, Sunday Pan and long stretches on the road.

Deception Valley, Sunday Pan and Passarge Valley sit in the part of the reserve visited by many travellers. Further south lies Pipers Pan.

More wildlife is seen in the north. Kalahari lions, brown hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, gemsbok, giraffes and springbok live in the reserve. During the green season, elephants can also occur in the northern section near the Kuke Fence.

Deception Valley is also known for its tree islands. One of them, not far from the Kori campsites, became the base of Mark and Delia Owens in the 1970s while they studied animals including lions and brown hyenas.

View trips from the region

Camping with very little between you and the Kalahari.

A route through Central Kalahari Game Reserve can run from Tsau Gate in the west to Matswere Gate in the east. Along the way, you can camp at Motopi, Passarge and Kori.

Facilities are basic. That is part of the way you travel here: independently, in a 4x4, with long stretches between pans, valleys and campsites.

What you can see and visit in Central Kalahari Game Reserve:

  • Deception Valley
  • Sunday Pan
  • Passarge Valley
  • Pipers Pan
  • Motopi
  • Leopard Pan

Self-drive trips in the region

Namibia
Botswana
Zimbabwe
Namibia, Botswana and Victoria Falls self drive
19
days
from
1990
1990
p.p.
The sun rises over the dunes of Sossusvlei. An elephant appears at a waterhole in Etosha. And further along, the lush landscapes of the Okavango and Chobe await. Over these nineteen days, you travel through three countries, with the freedom to make your own choices along the way. You camp in remarkable places, swap gravel roads for 4x4 tracks and finish with two nights at Victoria Falls. The final stretch? You can leave the driving to someone else.
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Namibia
Botswana
Zimbabwe
Windhoek - Victoria Falls self-drive
19
days
from
1990
1990
p.p.
A lion beside the track. An elephant slowly crossing your path. And at night, the sounds of the bush, right beside your rooftop tent. On this self-drive journey, you travel from Namibia's desert landscapes to Botswana's national parks, where the adventure takes on a new dimension. For four days, you venture deep into the wilderness, tackling rugged sandy tracks and staying at unfenced campsites. Your journey ends at Victoria Falls. You return your 4x4 in Kasane and leave the final stretch to someone else.
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South Africa
Botswana
South Africa & Botswana self-drive
20
days
from
2050
2050
p.p.
Spotting a rhino from your 4x4. A lion resting right beside the track. Or waking up at a campsite with no fence between you and the wilderness. On this self-drive journey, you travel from South Africa through Botswana, from the national parks around the Okavango Delta to the vast Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. You tackle rugged sandy tracks, camp deep in the bush and take time along the way to enjoy the comfort of a safari lodge. And the best part? Even your first and last days are all about safari. So you can make the most of every day on the road.
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