Cape to Kgalagadi

Off-the-grid adventures in South Africa’s far corners

Lion, black maned Kalahari male, in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa - Shutterstock

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There’s a wild freedom to South Africa’s drylands—a vastness that humbles, heals, and hushes the noise of everyday life. From the wide salt pans of the Kalahari to the flower-strewn valleys of Namaqualand, these regions offer a different kind of luxury: open skies, silence, and space to breathe.

This is a route for the curious and the brave. It’s for those who prefer star maps to city lights, gravel roads to traffic, and campfires to five-star menus. Along the way, you’ll find off-grid retreats, rare wildlife, and stories written in stone and sand.

In today’s email:-

• Cape to Kgalagadi - This is a route that stretches your imagination and your horizon. From the semi-desert plateaus of the Tankwa to the red dunes of the Kgalagadi, this journey takes you across landscapes shaped by wind, water, and deep time. It’s a land of extremes—burning summers, freezing nights, and spring seasons that turn dust into colour. These are the places where cell signal disappears and the stars take over, where the silence is so complete it rings in your ears. But don’t let the remoteness fool you—there’s life here, and it’s astonishing. Rare antelope, flowering succulents, thunderous waterfalls, and some of the best stargazing on Earth are waiting to be discovered:-

  • Tankwa Karoo National Park

  • Gannaga Lodge & Pass

  • Namaqualand Flower Route (Spring bloom areas)

  • Goegap Nature Reserve

  • Augrabies Falls National Park

  • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

• A suggested 7-day itinerary for your Cape to Kgalagadi journey—designed for self-drive travellers who enjoy wild landscapes, off-grid stays, and the rhythm of the open road. This route begins in Cape Town and ends in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, with optional extensions or return routes depending on time.

Cape to Kgalagadi:-