Polentswa Tented Camp
Location
Polentswa Tented Camp is located 222 km from Two Rivers along the predator rich Nossob Valley on the Botswana side of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The camp is nestled amongst tall trees and dwarf shrubs. In contrast to Rooiputs, Polentswa's accommodation is a classic unfenced tented camp capturing the romance of a nostalgic bygone era....
To get to this stunning tented camp, drive past the Polentswa campsite on the Wilderness trail road. The camp is just 6 kilometers from the main road, 60 kilometers from Nossob camp and 200 kilometers from Rooiputs luxury lodge.
You will cross the Nossob river and drive past the lonely old grave sight of Hans Schwabe (read more in our trip report), it makes for an interesting stop and some nice landscape photography....
About Polentswa Tented Camp
Polentswa Tented Camp is truly an amazing place, built high on a red sand dune, with sweeping views of the Polentswa pan below and overlooking their very own waterhole.....
We had the privilege of being the very first guests to stay at the camp (before it opened)! We were staying at Rooiputs Lodge and the owner allowed us to spend a few nights at Polentswa so that we could get a feel for the camp.
We had no idea what to expect but what we saw we fell in love with! The sheer remoteness of the lodge is what guarantees your peace and quiet - just you the pan and the animals. The scenery is fantastic and we had lions roaring every night!
(Please see our Kgalagadi trip report to read how we tracked the lions down twice while doing a self drive safari.)
The lodge has both electricity and internet access.
The main building consists of a restful reading area, a spacious lounge area with a splendid view of the pan. Here you can either recline with a sun downer and a good book, watch the water hole and visiting game or merely contemplate the desert.
The furnishings reflect the spirit and essence of an authentic tented safari camp......
The Polentswa pan is also known for its magnificent sunsets. Mario used HDR to capture the below images....
and these images below where taken using a slip neutral density filter...
Food and Drink
This is the bar area before they opened the lodge, Mario and I enjoyed playing barman.....
and the bar once the lodge was opened, there was a splendid selection of wines for the perfect accompaniment to our meals.....
the large dining area is where we had breakfast/brunch and high tea.......
All our meals were a treat - we had wonderful 3-course dinners with wine on tap; some of our meals were in the dining area......
some on the viewing deck; where you can either do star gazing through the telescope or enjoy a romantic dinner for two....
and some meals in the boma, which is in front of the main lodge; here you can also warm yourselves before or after dinner while watching the waterhole or pan for any animal activity......
with excellent service, great food and a lovely view, how can you go wrong!
Accommodation
Open wooden walkways lead from the main area to six classic safari tents, one is a family tent, one a luxury desert tent/honeymoon tent and 4 standard tents all built on raised wooden platforms.
The safari tents have a sleeping area and a desk....
The family and honeymoon tents are bigger and allows for a small sitting area....
all the tents have en-suite bathrooms with hand basin, a separate toilet and a surprising yet exhilarating outside shower open to the desert and the stars.... (the outdoor shower is great for the summer months but not so great for the winter months)
you will have sweeping views of the Polentswa pan from your bed, the pan is normally littered by antelopes in the early mornings.
The comfortable veranda is screened from your neighbours which allows you to enjoy the glorious Kgalagadi sky at night or enjoy a sundowner.....
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The gorgeous scenery of the surrounding sand dunes, grassy pan and waterhole, can be viewed either from the main area and viewing deck situated in the middle of the eight luxury tents or from some of the tents themselves.
From this viewpoint we saw Gemsbok, Springbok, Blue Wildebeest, Kori Bustard, plenty of Red Hartebeest and that was just the start of it....
Activities
Polentswa tented camp does not have a swimming pool due to water problems in the area, but lovely spa treatments will relax you.
Star gazing is another treat that awaits you at the lodge....
The whole northern area and the many waterholes are great for Landscape photography!
Polentswa gives you an option of guided game drives or self-drives, we love the flexibility that is given to the guests!
we enjoyed both and had some great drives along the Nossob River and explored the northern section of the park. We had some amazing sightings of lion, cheetah, leopard, hyenas, birds and some great rainbows and other animalscapes....
Booking.com
For more information about Polentswa tented camp and Rooiputs luxury lodge please contact Ta Shebube by clicking here
Return from Polentswa Tented Camp to Kgalagadi Page
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"It's 768 pages of the most amazing information. It consists of, well, everything really. Photography info...area info...hidden roads..special places....what they have seen almost road by road. Where to stay just outside the Park...camp information. It takes quite a lot to impress me but I really feel that this book, which was 7 years in the making, is exceptional." - Janey Coetzee, founder of CAROK (Camps and Roads of Kruger) South Africa
"Having a passion for the region itself and having to know about all dynamics, water holes and ideal roads for a period of 6 years - I wish I had this guide on my first trip already!" - Morkel Erasmus, Secunda, South Africa
"Mario and Jenny take you to places that are not always visited, and their descriptions of the more remote camps will allow you to make an informed decision without wasting time and money" - Bob & Sherry Shepardson, DeBary, Florida, USA
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