Kalahari Primitive Trail

!Khamab Kalahari Reserve, North West

On the Kalahari Primitive Trail you will journey through mixed Kalahari woodland, interspersed with a network of large seasonal pans. A Primitive Trail in this wild, expansive environment filled with semi-arid adapted species, will expose you to Nature’s fine detail, the grandeur of the landscape and the thrill of moving among iconic large mammals. Well beyond an activity, this is a fully immersive experience that permits participation in Nature as opposed to traditional spectatorship. It creates the space for personal, social and Wilderness regeneration.

This Trail is restricted to private group bookings of up to 8 participants.

Autumn Season | Trails depart from end March to end May, details as follows:

3-night Trails will depart every Sunday and Thursday, and 6-night Trails depart on Sundays.

Spring Season | 6-night Trails only during September, dates as follows:

31 Aug – 6 Sep; 14-20 Sep and 21-27 Sep 2025

What to Expect

This Trail takes place in the remote !Khamab Kalahari Reserve in North-West Province, South Africa. Sharing its northern boundary with Botswana, this protected area covers approximately 95 000 ha.

Led by professional Wilderness Trails Guides, with thousands of Trail hours experience each, you will spend a minimum of three self-sufficient nights (four days) in the wild.

Carrying all your equipment on your back, you will enter a world only accessible to a privileged few. Groups set their own pace and explore according to their interests and capabilities.

There are no demarcated campsites or routes. Each night is spent under the stars (no tents) at a pristine location with participants sharing the responsibility of ‘watch duty’.

The Kalahari is an environment of extremes, with extremely high summer day-time temperatures, and extremely low winter night-time temperatures. We therefore operate a short ‘Primitive Trail’ season during the most suitable window period of April and May, when temperatures are at their mildest.

What to Pack

Everything required for the duration of the Trail must be carried in a backpack.

Participants must be completely self-sufficient and must cater for all their Trail meals, including 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners (for a 3-night Primitive Trail), as well as the odd snack. In order to minimize our impact, all cooking must be done on a gas stove. Below is a complete ‘Primitive Trail Checklist’ to assist participants when packing.

Trail Equipment

Backpack (between 40l and 60l)
Sleeping bag (winter weight)
Mattress (simple roll mat for insulation or a blow-up mattress)
Ground sheet/Tarpaulin (a must!)
Small/blow-up pillow (optional)
Sleeping Bag Liner (recommended for warmth)
Trail fold-up chair (optional – you may thank us though)
Mini gas cooker and lighter
Small pot, Plate/bowl and mug
Sharp knife and spoon – you can use pocketknife/ Leatherman.
Water bottles – should have capacity of 2.5 – 3L.
Head torch
Binoculars (optional)

We provide you with a Bivvy Bag in which to put your sleeping bag during the night to protect you from rain or dew. Leave a small space for this in your backpack, or you can strap it to the outside.

Trail Kit

Walking Shoes (already worn in) – avoid shoes with mesh air vents, due to fine sand.
Gaiters
Neutral Coloured Clothing
Hat
Sunglasses
Flip-flops
Sarong – can be used as blanket, sun protection and towel
Waterproof poncho (just in case!)
Nights will be quite cold so be prepared with a jacket, scarf, gloves, beanie and layers.

Personal Essential

Sunscreen
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Toilet paper
Small towel, face cloth and soap
Backpack raincoat/cover to protect backpack and contents from dew, and in case of rain.
A large ziplock bag is useful to store your rubbish, wrappings etc.

Trail Food and Drink

Keep it simple. Remember all cooking will be done on your gas cooker. Below are a few basic meal suggestions.
Breakfast – Oats-so-easy, Futurelife, muesli bars, apple/naartjie.
Lunch – Pro-vitas/Salticrax/Wraps, cream cheese, avo, biltong, salami, tuna sachets, dehydrated hummus.
Dinner – Pasta, couscous, salami, biltong, instant soup, or dehydrated trail meals.
Snacks – protein bars, biltong, droewors, trail mix/nuts/dried fruit.
Drinks – coffee, tea, juice sachets.

Water Provision while on Trail – due to the low annual rainfall in the Kalahari, the guides will do water-drops prior to the start of the Trail, providing guests with access to water every morning and afternoon.