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The Kalahari Desert is one of the most enchanting places on the planet. This large land feature covers much of western Botswana, portions of eastern Namibia, and a small part of north-central South Africa. Contrary to popular belief, the Kalahari is not a desert, rather because it receives 10 inches of rain in some areas it is clasify as a semi-arid sandy grassland. True desert receives less than 10 inches of ran per year. Due to this rainfall, much of the Kalahari is well vegetated with a wide variety of habitats including acacia trees and areas of flat grasslands that seem to stretch forever. To be sure, large portions of the Kalahari are waterless, receiving only between 3 and 7.5 inches of rain per year, and are covered in the most magnificently colored red sand, making for a visual feast. Within the Kalahari lie a number of reserves and protected areas including the World's second largest game reserve, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. This reserve is characterized by open plains and saltpan that during the November to March raining season are filled with wildlife engorging themselves upon the nutrient rich sweet grasses. During this great migration, one of the largest in Africa, the Reserve is full of thousands of gemsbok, springbok and wildebeest, with plentiful lion, cheetah and jackal in attendance making the Reserve one of the prime wildlife-viewing areas in Botswana. Wildlife viewing is best between December and April, when the animals congregate in the pans and valleys.
GrassTrack's Leopard Safari is a 17 day adventure that spends 5 days in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve with one night spent camping with San Bushman and includes an afternoon nature walk led by local San trackers. The San will share their intricate bush knowledge and give you an insight into their unique and intriguing culture including food preparation, games, and dancing. Our Kalahari Safari is a less expensive 6 day option spending 5 days in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and also includes the San nature walk and a night of camping with the San. The San Bushman of the Kalahari live much as they did 1000s of years ago in the Kalahari. The poor sandy soils and lack of water precluded the development of agricuture in the region and never allowed for plentiful edible plants and game. The San developed a hunter gather society surviving on the meager resources of the Kalahari by leading a nomadic life following the rains and wild game. The San were probably never abundant upon the landscape but did evolve complex societies and developed the first forms of vocal communication that include unique click sounds still used today by many of the San peoples. Your opportunity to meet and interact with the San while exillerating, will also be a life changing experience.
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