Barberspan Bird Sanctuary is the perfect distance from the airport and car rental. Far enough to really be away, close enough to settle down before dawn. We drive west through seemingly endless fields. And arrive in the bird paradise and in peace, greeted by flamingos and many small animals.

The newest park of Sanparks is called Mokala and is located in Kimberley, it is worth a journey of discovery.

The town of Kuruman is already close to the Kalahari, in the middle of red dunes, far to the north. Here we take one last deep breath before heading for the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park. The valleys of the (mostly dry) rivers Nossob and Auob lie between dune landscapes and are home to a rich fauna, famous for big cats and large antelopes.

We start in the south of the park at the Twe Rivieren camp, from where a booked 4x4 trail with instructive explanations from the guide and three nights in the bush leads us to Nossob. The journey takes us up and down the valley, we look forward to the exciting landscapes, the wonderful moods with dust and light, explore the two main valleys and their numerous inhabitants. It gets really cold at night, very hot during the day, and the vegetation is sparse. We explore the South African part extensively, spend the night in Mata Mata on the Namibian border, think about freezing to death in a house in the camp of Gharaghab, cross through dunes and drive along the dry rivers.

The fenced camps are well attended and offer everything you need ...

We are now well prepared for the dune drive from the South African part of the park to Botswana, Manfred has familiarized himself with the vehicle and the conditions. The dirt road is challenging and seems endless, but finally we arrive in Kaa, the border station. We drive to our Camp Swartspan and feel like the first people in the world - alone in the wilderness. Unfortunately we don't find as many animals here as we had hoped, but you can't have everything ...

We also like wildebeest and wildebeest, above all our thirst for adventure is completely satisfied here on the Botswana side: no fences, no people, the world and the park are vast and huge, the seclusion shows how tiny you are.

One last night before heading home via Barberspan, we spend in Rooiputs in the southern part of Botswana. Great!