Kgalagadi: A Place That Feels Like Home

There are some places you visit for the wildlife and the photographs, and then there are places that become a little more than that. For me, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is one of those places.

Having visited the park four times over the years, it is somewhere I have come to feel at home. There is something about the open spaces, the red dunes and the feeling of being surrounded by wilderness that keeps drawing me back. Every trip is different, and although there is always the hope of seeing something special, some of my favourite memories have come from simply being there.

Whether it is an early morning drive, sitting quietly at a waterhole or watching the last light fall across the dunes, the Kgalagadi has a way of making you slow down and appreciate where you are. It is a place I never seem to tire of, and every visit leaves me wanting to return.

The magic of the Kgalagadi

One of the things I love most about the Kgalagadi is how easily you settle into its rhythm. The days start early, often before the sun has even appeared over the dunes, and there is always that excitement about what the day might bring.

I love waking up to the sound of birds calling while making a cup of coffee before heading out. There is something special about those first few moments of the morning, when the park is waking up and you have a whole day of possibilities ahead of you.

The evenings are just as memorable. As the light softens and the red dunes take on that warm glow, the landscape becomes a photographer’s dream. Even when there is no big sighting, there is always something to appreciate. Sometimes it is the light, sometimes a bird sitting perfectly in the open, and sometimes it is simply the feeling of being out there.

That is the beauty of returning to a place like this. You do not have to see something extraordinary every day to enjoy it. Sometimes, just being there is enough.

Nossob: More than just a favourite camp

Of all the camps in the park, Nossob has always held a special place in my heart. I cannot quite explain why I love that particular part of the Kgalagadi so much, but there is something about the camp, its location and the surrounding landscape that keeps drawing me back.

Nossob is well known for its big-cat sightings, which certainly adds to the excitement, but one of my favourite places is the waterhole and its hide. With the waterhole illuminated at night, you can spend hours sitting there watching the wildlife come and go. You do not even need to have your camera with you. Sometimes, simply being there and enjoying the experience is enough.

It was also at Nossob that I saw my first brown hyena. Seeing one of these animals come into view is a memory that has stayed with me, and it makes that particular waterhole even more special.

There is something about sitting in the hide after dark, never quite knowing what might appear, that I really enjoy. You can spend an evening there without taking a single photograph and still leave feeling that it was time well spent.

In fact, Nossob means so much to me that I have its coordinates tattooed on my forearm. I suppose that says more than I ever could about how special this place has become to me. It is not just somewhere I have visited a few times; it is somewhere I feel connected to, and somewhere I know I will keep returning to.

A lion encounter I will never forget

One of my most memorable experiences in the Kgalagadi happened at a waterhole not too far from Twee Rivieren. We were on our way to the camp for our last night in the park when we stopped, never expecting what was about to happen.

As we sat watching, two female lions and a single male lion walked up to the waterhole. It was already a special sighting, but things became even more interesting when the two females suddenly started arguing.

What followed was a brief but intense exchange of roaring and swiping at each other. Being only a few feet away, we could hear every sound, and I can honestly say it sent chills through my body. Seeing lions through a camera lens is one thing, but being that close and hearing them in action is an entirely different experience.

I did not come away with many photographs from that encounter, but honestly, I do not mind at all. Instead of constantly looking through the viewfinder and snapping away, I chose to enjoy the moment firsthand.

Sometimes, as a wildlife photographer, it is easy to get caught up in trying to capture everything that happens in front of you. You want the perfect angle, the perfect expression and that one photograph that tells the whole story. But every now and then, you need to put the camera down, take it all in and appreciate just how special the experience is.

For me, this was one of those moments. I would rather have a handful of photographs and a memory I can relive for years than spend the entire encounter looking at it through a camera screen.

The fight did not last long, but it is one of those moments that has stayed with me. We were simply making our way to Twee Rivieren for our final night, and the Kgalagadi gave us one last unforgettable memory before we left.

That is one of the things I love most about this place. You never really know what is waiting for you, even when you are just making your way back to camp.

The beauty of the Kgalagadi through a lens

As a wildlife photographer, one of the things I appreciate most about the Kgalagadi is its landscape. The open spaces and red dunes create a setting that feels completely different from the places I usually photograph in KwaZulu-Natal.

The early mornings are just as special as the evenings. There is something beautiful about watching the sun rise over the park, especially after a rainstorm, when the landscape feels fresh and the soft morning light slowly brings everything to life. These quiet moments, before the day really gets going, are some of my favourite times to be out with a camera.

As the day draws to a close, the landscape takes on a completely different feel. The late-afternoon light warms the red dunes, casting beautiful colours across the scenery and creating the kind of conditions that make you want to stop and take it all in. In the Kgalagadi, the landscape is so much more than just a background for the wildlife; it is a subject in its own right.

Of course, the wildlife is a huge part of the attraction too. There is always the excitement of finding something unexpected, whether it is a bird of prey, a jackal moving through the riverbed or one of the park’s famous big cats.

I enjoy the challenge of photographing wildlife in these open spaces, where the light and surroundings can make such a difference to the final image. Sometimes the best photographs are not necessarily the closest encounters, but the ones where the animal, the landscape and the light all come together.

There is still one animal I am particularly hoping to photograph here: a leopard. Despite visiting the park four times, I have yet to see one in the Kgalagadi. It remains high on my wish list, and perhaps that is part of the appeal. There is always another possibility, another sighting to hope for and another reason to return.

Nights under the Kgalagadi stars

While I love the early mornings, some of my most treasured memories of the park come after dark.

There is something unforgettable about going to bed under the stars while listening to lions calling in the distance and jackals answering across the landscape. Around 10 pm, when the camp lights go out, the night sky becomes something else entirely.

Away from the lights of towns and cities, the stars seem to stretch endlessly above you. Lying there listening to the sounds of the bush, it is easy to forget about everyday life and simply appreciate where you are.

A full moon over the Kgalagadi — another unforgettable evening beneath the African sky.

These are the moments that stay with me just as much as the sightings. You do not need to be behind a camera to appreciate them, and you certainly do not need to see a lion every day for the Kgalagadi to leave an impression on you.

Sometimes, just sitting outside with a cup of coffee, listening to the birds in the morning or the wildlife at night, is enough.

Until next time

Having visited the Kgalagadi four times, I know there is still so much more to experience. There are more roads to explore, more memories to make and plenty of wildlife I still hope to see and photograph.

Perhaps next time will finally bring that long-awaited leopard sighting. Perhaps it will be another unforgettable encounter at a waterhole, or perhaps it will simply be another evening spent watching the stars come out above the dunes.

Whatever it brings, I know I will keep coming back.

The Kgalagadi is one of those places that is difficult to explain fully to someone who has never experienced it. It is the wildlife, the landscape, the quiet mornings, the dark skies and the feeling of being somewhere wild. But for me, it is also the familiarity of returning to a place that feels like home.

Some places leave you with photographs. Others leave you with memories that stay with you long after you have packed away your camera and headed home.

For me, the Kgalagadi does both. And with Nossob’s coordinates on my forearm, I suppose a little part of it will always be with me, wherever I go.

Until next time, Kgalagadi.