The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park's surface is almost three million hectares, covering parts of Botswana and South Africa. There are no fences on the borders that run through the park, so animals can freely migrate in search of water. There are large numbers of birds, reptiles and mammals such as antelope, blue wildebeest, cheetah, eland, fox, gemsbok, hyena, jackal, leopard, lion, red hartebeest, springbok and wild dogs. The park is far away from any human activity and it consists mainly of semi-desert.
Two dry rivers run through the park, the Nossob and the Aoub. They meet at Twee Rivieren (Two Rivers), several kilometers north of the entrance gate. Most animals can be seen near the river beds, especially around the water holes (some of which have wind-powered pumps to provide the animals with the necessary water).
If it rains in September or October (the wet season), most herds spread out over the plains to take advantage of fresh pastures. The best time to visit the park is in June or July, when the weather is the coolest (even below freezing during the nights), but also the driest, which causes most animals to gather around the water holes. There they can easily be spotted. In December and January it is very hot, 45°C is no exception.
You are not allowed to walk through the park. You should only leave your car when you are inside one of the fenced camps, if you don't want to end up in the park's food chain. On the South African side there are campsites at Twee Rivieren, Nossob and Mata Mata. Upington is the nearest major town in South Africa, but it is still 250 km to the south. If you enter the park from Botswana, the nearest towns are Tshabong and Tshane.