Visit !Xaus Lodge in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Pronounced ‘kaus’, the lodge is a place to experience a unique desert environment, providing accommodation in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park for eco-tourists and visitors to this wilderness area in the Kalahari. A unique living space, highlights of the lodge include a cosy lounge with a fireplace, an art and craft shop, a large observation deck perfect for stargazing, a refreshing swimming pool and a heart- warming fire in the boma, perfect for enjoying the beauty of the silence of the night while keeping warm.

Kalahari Accommodation at !Xaus Lodge
!Xaus Lodge offers Kalahari accommodation as a game lodge situated in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park for eco-tourists and visitors.

The complex comprises a central lodge building and 12 individual chalets, each with its own deck overlooking a vast saltpan and waterhole fed with fresh water. One family unit (sleeps 4 people).

This Kalahari game lodge offers a unique living space. The central lodge building consists of a welcoming reception area with its unique wall-hanging made by the ladies of Vezokhule, a sewing co-operative in Upington. The cosy lounge has a fireplace and a library of selected books for paging through before dinner. Our dining area overlooks the pan, with furniture hand-made in Upington and images burnt by Bushmen artists.

At the art and craft shop, you can purchase locally made Bushman crafts as well as crafts made in the wider Kalahari. Visit the large observation deck from which we gaze in wonder at the night sky, and by day the swimming pool provides cool relief from the desert heat. Wood is a precious commodity in the Kalahari, so the inviting fire in the boma is made in the traditional method with three or four crossed sticks around which everyone huddles companionably.

In the en-suite chalets we provide purified drinking water from the desert which you will find in a flask in your bathroom. Winter sheets and gas heaters provide comfort for the cold nights, and ceiling fans bring relief in the hot months.

Water
Water is an extremely scarce resource in our environment, any contribution made to using it sparingly is most valued. Read More…

Electricity
The lodge is equipped with a generator. In order to limit the environmental impact, the generator operates between 7 – 10am and 5 – 10pm.

Telecommunications
No cell phone, Wi-Fi or TV signals. Telecommunications signals don’t reach the Lodge. The Lodge and the vehicles have 2-way radio links with SANParks facilities. Satellite phone and email available only in cases of emergencies. Wonderful hours of silence and an opportunity to unwind from day-to-day life, enjoy the digital detox!

Activities
Experience life in the Kalahari, it’s animals and people when you visit !Xaus Lodge. Enjoy game drives, guided dune walks, bird watching, stargazing and the Bushman craft village.

Game drives
Enjoy a fantastic sunset game drive on the pan or an after- dinner drive to explore some of the night creatures the Kalahari has to offer. A complimentary six to seven hour drive through the dunes is available to guests staying four nights or longer. Find out more.

Guided dune walks
An early start with the guides and bushman trackers will take you through the dunes as you learn all about your natural surroundings. A shorter guided walk is also arranged to see the ‘heart’ of the pan. Find out more.

Child Policy: Children under the age of 12 may not participate on walks.

Visit the Bushman Craft Village
Take a walk to our recreated cultural village and see the Busman crafters at work. Find out more.

Night skies
Clean air and no light pollution makes for a wonderful opportunity to gaze at the night sky. The best night- sky viewing is during the new moon when the sky is at its darkest.. Committed to meeting the requirements of the International Dark Sky association for IDA-accreditation for the entire !Aei !Hai Heritage Park, !Xaus Lodge is leading the application for this status. Find out more.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is an immense desert area, with grass-covered sand dunes. Formally known as the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park on the South African side and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana, it existed as a single ecological unit and the international border between the two countries. At over 3,5 million hectares, it’s almost twice the size of the Kruger National Park (and about the same size as the Netherlands), and is jointly managed by the South African and Botwsanan wildlife authorities. A constant high pressure cell forms a ‘lid’ over the interior, preventing moist air from the ocean reaching the area, and as a consequence the long-term rainfall average is just 213mm per annum, which classifies the Kgalagadi as a true desert. Unusually, there is an abundance of desert grasses, giving the landscape an appearance of a semi-desert.