Central Kalahari – Bespoke Botswana Safari Itineraries

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) is one of the largest reserves in Southern Africa; with stunning semi-arid desert scenery, endless horizons, and diverse wildlife.

In the green season, between December and April, this area consists of flat grassy plains, teeming with flowers, birds, and insects, and offers some of the best game viewing in Botswana. From May to November, the dry season months, the CKGR becomes a harsh and dusty environment, and many animals migrate away in search of water. As a result of these seasonal shifts, while we would absolutely recommend this area during the migration season (December through April), during the dry season (May through November), we would recommend a Makgadikgadi safari instead.

Meerkat family stands alert on hind legs in a row, scanning the Kalahari grassland at golden hour.

Honey badger crouches in the Kalahari grassland, growling with mouth open and front paw raised.

San walking group crosses open Central Kalahari grassland, seen from behind under a cloudy sky.

Why visit the Central Kalahari Game Reserve?

Large herds of gemsbok and springbok, as well as wildebeest, hartebeest, eland, and giraffe, are prominent during the green season.

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Large herds of gemsbok and springbok, as well as wildebeest, hartebeest, eland, and giraffe, are prominent during the green season.
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Predators are plentiful with cheetah, leopard, jackal, and the famous Kalahari black-maned lion on the prowl. Brown hyenas, bat-eared foxes, honey badgers, and wild dogs also abound.
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The Central Kalahari is also home to the San Bushmen, and some camps offer the chance to visit with and learn from local communities.

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Other areas to explore

A visit to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve puts you within easy reach of many other beautiful and fascinating parts of Botswana.

Elephant crossing the salt pan framed by baobab trees in Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana

Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan National Parks

The Makgadikgadi and Nxai Salt Pans are all that remain of an enormous inland sea that used to covered 31,000 square miles in Botswana.

Three mokoro canoes glide through Okavango channels at sunset, leaving ripples between grassy islands below.

Okavango Delta

An Okavango Delta safari is one of the most unique safari experiences in Botswana and all of Africa. The region marks one of the world’s only inland Deltas, fed by rivers that rush down from Angola and create a braided waterway system from June to September.

An outdoor lantern-lit dinner table is set on a wooden deck overlooking the dark Botswana savanna.

Mababe Depression

Hidden away in a remote pocket, the Mababe Depression is the wildest Botswana luxury safari you’ve never heard of.

Elephant swims in calm river water beside a small boat, trunk lifted above the surface in the evening light.

Chobe National Park

Botswana‘s Chobe National Park and the Savute area are renowned for great herds of elephant that come to drink and play along the sandy riverbanks of the Chobe River.