!Xaus Lodge
Location
!Xaus Lodge is located in the South African sector of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) and access is via the Auob River road that connects Tweerivieren with Mata Mata. The lodge is situated 30 km into the desert, reached after driving over 37 sand dunes from the turn-off at Rooibrak waterhole, 60 km northwest of Tweerivieren.
GPS co-ordinates for a Google search are: S26°09.005′ E20°15.392′.
The self-drive to Kamqua picnic site can be done in any standard sedan motor vehicle although a vehicle with good ground clearance is preferable. Guests are met at Kamqua picnic site and escorted to the !Xaus Lodge turnoff at the Rooibrak waterhole.
Guests who do not want to take their vehicles over the dunes, park in a demarcated zone off the road behind the dunes for the duration of their stay at !Xaus Lodge and are then transferred to the lodge in an open safari vehicle.
Guests with 4×4 vehicles, and the ability to drive over sand dunes, may drive to the Lodge, in convoy with the Lodge vehicles. Because the road to the Lodge is a single track, no guests may drive to the Lodge unless in convoy with Lodge vehicles.
Fuel can be purchased at the towns of Askham or Andriesvale (diesel only) or at KTP’s Tweerivieren or Mata Mata. Tyre pressures should be reduced to 1,6 bar for travelling on gravel roads in the KTP and to 1,4 bar if self-driving through the dunes to the lodge.
For more information download the Lodge Fact Sheet and/or download the Lodge Guestbook.
You can also check out our trip report page.
About the Lodge
!Xaus Lodge is perched on a sand dune overlooking a large salt pan....
The local community the Khomani San and Mier- the owners, make up the majority of the staff.
The main lodge building consists of a welcoming reception area with its unique wall-hanging made by the ladies of Vezokhule, a sewing co-operative in Upington.
The cosy lounge has a fireplace and a library of selected.
The arts and craft shop provides locally made Bushman crafts as well as other crafts made in the Kalahari.....
The viewing deck is a good place to gaze at the night sky while the swimming pool provides cool relief from the desert heat during the hot summer months.....
There is no cell phone, Wi-Fi or TV signals because the telecommunications signals don’t reach the Lodge, so enjoy the digital detox during you stay.
There is a satellite phone and emails are available in cases of emergencies.
The lodge is equipped with a generator and in order to limit the environmental impact, the generator operates between 7 – 10 am and 5 – 10 pm.
The Kalahari skies are beautiful and you can see both the sunrise and sunset from the lodge....
Accommodation
There are 12 well spaced chalets and one family chalet which sleeps 4, they are furnished in true Kalahari style....
each chalet has 2 single beds, en-suite bathroom; there is a flask filled with purified drinking water from the desert, which is filled each day. Winter sheets and gas heaters provide comfort for the cold nights, and ceiling fans bring relief in the hot months.....
We had a very unusual guest pop into visit our chalet, helmeted guineafowl are a rare sighting in the Kalahari....
The chalets have their own deck overlooking the vast salt pan and waterhole fed with fresh water.
Food and Drinks
All our meals were delicious and well prepared. Meals are served either in the dining room or on the deck overlooking the pan....
Wood is a precious commodity in the Kalahari, so the inviting fire in the boma is made in the traditional method with three or four crossed sticks around which everyone huddles companionably.
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"Having a passion for the region myself and having had to learn about all the dynamics, waterholes and ideal routes to drive over a period of 6 years. I wish I had this guide on my first trip already!" - Morkel Erasmus, Secunda, South Africa Use promo code K2K to get 33% off. |
Activities
The lodge is not situated in a game-rich area so animal sightings can be infrequent but the photographic opportunities for landscapes are excellent for both day and night photography.
Having said that, we had lion sightings every day when we stayed at the lodge in November 2012 - you can read our trip report for more details.
The floodlit waterhole allows guest to see what comes down to drink...
Guided Walks: We set out at day-break with our guides and Bushman trackers and walked through the dunes, we learnt all about our natural surroundings. Our guide showed us how to identify animal spoor, birds, trees and plants, and discussed their medicinal uses.
There is a shorter guided walk which can be arranged to see the ‘heart’ of the pan.
Cultural Village: We took a walk to the recreated cultural village and saw the Busman crafters at work. You can join the young Bushmen demonstrating their traditional games and purchase traditional crafts hanging from the branches of the tree under which the crafters sit at work. Their grafts can also be purchased at the Lodge curio shop.
Game Drives: We enjoyed the lovely Sunset drives and dune walks to see the sun set over the Kalahari with an early evening game drive back to the lodge.
We had sightings of a Lioness drinking and a beautiful male Eland on top on a red rand dune.
The after-dinner night drives, give you the opportunities to hear the sounds of barking geckos, insect and the call of the nocturnal animals.....
To book your stay please click here
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