Central Kalahari Game Reserve

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is a very large protected area in central Botswana that preserves semi-arid Kalahari landscapes, seasonal pans, and wildlife adapted to arid conditions. It is one of Botswana’s major conservation areas and covers tens of thousands of square kilometres.

Wildlife includes species adapted to dry savanna and dune environments, and the reserve is known for wide-open landscapes, large red sand dunes, and seasonal concentrations of mammals around water sources. Visitor facilities are sparse, so most travel is by guided safari vehicles or small aircraft to remote camps.

The reserve was established to protect Kalahari ecosystems and the livelihoods of wildlife and has been the focus of conservation and land-use discussions over recent decades. Traditional hunting and pastoral uses have occurred historically in the broader Kalahari region.

The park sits well inland in central Botswana, surrounded by Kalahari desert plains and distant from major urban centres; access is by long overland routes or regional airstrips.

• Scale: One of the world's largest protected game reserves, covering tens of thousands of square kilometres of Kalahari semi-arid habitat
• Access: Remote with largely unpaved tracks and limited tourist infrastructure; most visitors travel with guided safaris or fly-in camps

What to See #

• Deception Valley: Deception Valley - a notable internal basin in the reserve known for its pans, short grassland and wildlife concentrations during the wet season.