Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Originally conceived in the early 1960s the CKGR was ostensibly a area of protected land for the San tribesmen of the region whose cultural identity and way of life was being severely encroached upon by modern practices.

For around 30 years, until the 80s and 90s, the park was, to all intents and purposes a private reserve for the San with very limited access from the outside. Today the park is as open as it has ever been but, with only a handful of camp sites and even fewer properties, it still represents one of the least touched corners of Africa.

Topographically the park is a lot greener than many who are first time visitors would credit it for. While the main substrate is deep Kalahari sands, there is an almost continuous coverage of scrub bush across the entire park and also, in comparison with the other, more changeable areas of Botswana, a much less contrasting environment.

Do see our best camps & lodges in Central Kalahari Game Reserve picks for 2026/27 on this page.

September to December is classified as the hot season with temperatures during the day of up 45 degrees. This period is the hardest to drive on the sand as it is loose but this is also a good time for game viewing as the game gets congested around the watering holes.

December to March is also still hot but the main rains have arrived and so expect raging thunder storms that pass through swiftly and provide enough water to give grass coverage and spectacular flowers. The game tends to disperse slightly but is still there.

April to May is the cooler period and so for those that are not keen on heat but the grasses are at their highest so it can be harder to see game.

June to August is the coolest period in the year with mornings being very cold, dropping as low as negative 5 at times. This is also seen as one of the best periods for light and animal sightings.

Do see our interactive best time to visit Central Kalahari Game Reserve guide on this page as well as on our parent guide to botswana page for more in-depth information on when to go.

Or call us on +44 1525 840 149. That’s what we’re here for.

As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149

This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.

With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.

Alternatively please feel free to send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.

As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149

This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.

With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.

Alternatively please feel free to send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.