A long, hot road leads between crimson dunes from Upington to Africa’s first transfrontier park, a park based on the principle of nature and ecosystems, not national borders, and therefore creates a network of protected areas with linked ecosystems.

When visiting this area, it is very important to understand the history of the region, which is home to the San people—the first inhabitants of this part of Southern Africa. For this information, I consulted the Khomani San website; you can find more information here.

"Approximately 2,000 years ago, the sheep- and cattle-herding Khoekhoe peoples migrated south from Namibia and Botswana, pushing San people away from the coast and river areas. About 800 years ago, a major migration of Bantu-speaking peoples entered eastern South Africa (Huffman, 2006); it would seem that early relations between hunter-gatherers and agro-pastoralist peoples were often positive and involved a degree of intermarriage while retaining the independence of San languages and culture.

This changed with the arrival of European explorers and settlers in the 16th and 17th centuries, after which land was gradually carved into freehold farms, displacing the indigenous people onto smaller tracts of communal land, particularly in Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The expansion of European colonisation caused great strain on land resources; San hunter-gatherers were victimised by the European settlers, as were Khoe and Bantu-language groups. Over this period, disease and other genocidal activities decimated most San clans in South Africa and Namibia, with the last permit to hunt a Bushman being issued by the pre-apartheid state in 1927 (Gall, 2001).

In 1995, the ‡Khomani San community lodged a claim for the restitution of 400,000 hectares of land in the Kalahari Gemsbok Park. In this agreement, the ‡Khomani San community was also granted preferential tourism rights over 80,000 hectares south of the Auob River inside the Park, and the right to use 473,830 hectares of land between the Auob and Nossob Rivers for symbolic and cultural purposes. Through the involvement of various parties, there have been many successes in recent years that are cause for optimism. The community is now starting to stand together to take control of the situation and, with external assistance, will continue to develop its assets for the good of the community. This primarily entails the development of tourism facilities where visitors may experience the unique attributes of this arid region and its people."

The Kgalagadi is famous for its black-maned lions and, of course, the cheetah, who love the big open plains of the Kalahari Desert. The summer heat can be a little exhausting, but it keeps the lions still, as they only lift their heads a couple of times a day to look at you and then fall back down to snooze. Mainly, the animals are concentrated along the Nossob River Road, which leads to Nossob Camp.

I was very happy to see so many Oryx, with their beautiful black-and-white markings. Oryxes are usually nomadic, moving to fresh vegetation following rain. They can survive in the harsh semi-desert conditions and dry savannah areas because of their rapid breathing, which cools the blood traveling through their noses. They are mainly grazers but also enjoy eating seed pods and fruits, such as the tsamma melon.

Another animal you might see if you're lucky is the aardwolf. Unfortunately, we only saw one which had been killed on the road driving back home, so drive carefully! Aardwolves love termites, so they are widely distributed, and their presence is largely determined by where termites are. They live in areas with both high and low rainfall, but prefer open habitats rather than forests. Studies have shown that in a single night, they can eat up to 300,000 termites (I have no idea how people can record this!).

Kgalagadi is home to many amazing plants such as the morama bean, kalahari fever bush, and the tsamma melon. The morama bean is a significant food source for the people of the Kalahari because it is high in protein and oil content. The seeds are usually roasted, imbuing them with more flavour—comparable to cashew or chestnut. The seeds can also be ground, boiled, or made into milk. The beans also keep very well due to their hard outer shell.

The kalahari fever bush is used by the San to treat coughs, sore throats, and febrile convulsions in children. In the story of "the shadow of the black-shouldered kite," if the shadow of the bird falls on a baby, their arms will swing wildly like a bird and they will show the tell-tale signs of feathers forming. In African mythology, fever is often associated with birds (human temperature is 37.4°C, and birds are usually between 39–41°C). The Kalahari fever bush can reduce fever and, when applied topically, prevent these “signs of feathers forming,” likely referring to goosebumps caused by fever.

Another very useful plant is the tsamma melon. It is the most important water source in the Kalahari during the nine dry months of the year when no surface water is available. Early travellers would only cross the Kalahari during the fruiting time of the tsamma. Some people say that a person can survive for six weeks on an exclusive diet of tsamma.

Side note: I am definitely not an expert on this, so please don’t poison yourself after reading this. This is just information I have read in books such as People's Plants by Ben-Erik van Wyk and Nigel Gericke, and other sources online.

Accommodation-wise, we booked 4 nights at Molopo Kalahari Lodge, which is about 50 km from the gate. We booked quite last minute and didn't manage to book anywhere inside the park, as it is very popular. Try to plan ahead as much as possible.

• Camping at Molopo Kalahari Lodge: R150 per person per night
• Park Entry Fee: R101 (South African Citizens & Residents), R202 (SADC Nationals), R404 (International)
• Camping fee at Molopo Kalahari Lodge: R150 per person per night

Some useful tips if you’re lucky enough to visit the Kgalagadi: Firstly, it is very hot—especially if you go in January, which is mid-summer. Kgalagadi means "Land of the Thirst," so remember to carry plenty of water, as there aren’t many places to find it inside the park. The tap water does have a unique taste, so plan accordingly.

Bring all your food with you, as it is quite expensive inside the park. Mosquitoes can also be very hectic. For example, we were lucky enough to get upgraded to a room so we didn’t have to camp, but in the middle of the night, we set up our tent anyway and slept in it to escape the mosquitoes.

For more travel inspiration, read our guide on Nyika National Park.