!Xaus Lodge: Our full report
!Xaus Lodge lies within a private reserve run by two San/Bushmen communities – the Mier and Khomani groups ...
... – who originally lived in this part of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Perched on a dune, overlooking a saltpan and a fresh waterhole, it is the only camp in this park where all meals, guided game drives and walks are included in your stay.!Xaus Lodge has 12 thatched chalets, modestly furnished with twin beds, a free-standing wooden cupboard and a writing desk. There are ceiling fans and gas heaters, and a flask of purified drinking water is provided. As the camp's generator only runs for a few hours every day, we'd recommend all travellers here to bring a good torch.
En-suite bathrooms incorporate a shower, washbasin and separate toilet, with complimentary toiletries provided. A wooden sliding door leads from each chalet onto a private deck with beautiful views across the saltpan. The name !Xaus – meaning 'heart' in the Nama language – was inspired by the distinctive heart shape of the pan.
Walkways over the dunes connect the chalets to the hub of !Xaus Lodge, built on a wooden platform and open to the surrounding desert. There is a reception area with wall hangings made by ladies in Upington, a craft shop where you can buy local Bushman crafts, a cosy lounge with fireplace and a couple of leather sofas, and a small dining room with hand-made furniture adorned with images burned by Bushman artists. That said, meals are usually hosted in the boma where chairs are placed around a large round open fire pit – a very sociable experience!
On the deck in front of the dining room a telescope affords the opportunity for stargazing and further along the platform you'll find a swimming pool overlooking the pan.
Activities at !Xaus Lodge are all run by members of the local community, and they include game drives on open-topped 4WDs – usually operated with a tracker and a driver/guide. These operate on the tracks around the camps area – rather than the park's main roads. On the sundowner drive that we took during our visit, the game was fairly scarce and so the focus was more on plants than animals.
Walks are probably a bigger draw at !Xaus, and typically last a few hours in the early morning. Our guides were not armed, but they were highly knowledgeable; their English was basic but perfectly adequate – and they were very keen to answer questions.
There is a 'Bushman craft village' a short drive from the lodge, often visited after brunch, where members of the local community come to sell the crafts that they make to the camp's visitors. When we visited this was fairly small – and had just five crafts-people there.
Our view
Unlike the Kgalagadi's other camps, the focus of !Xaus is not just on game-watching, it's also on the community which owns and runs the camp. So although it does organize game drives and walks; it's likely to be the interaction with the people here that you'll remember most. !Xaus is more costly than the park's other camps – if you're seeking insights into Bushman life it'll probably be worth it.
South Africa expert
Geographics
- Location
- Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa
- Ideal length of stay
- 2–3 nights
- Directions
- Self drivers heading for !Xaus rendezvous at Kamqua Picnic Site, within the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Those with 4×4 vehicles, and the ability to drive over sand dunes (91 of them!), may drive to the lodge in convoy with lodge vehicles. Because the road is a single track, no guests may drive to the lodge unaccompanied.
Those who do not want to take their vehicles over the dunes leave them in a demarcated zone off the road and are transferred to the lodge in an open safari vehicle. - Accessible by
- Self-drive
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Full Board & Activities
- Food quality
- !Xaus Lodge offers good, home-cooked, traditional food.
Breakfast is a simple affair with yoghurt, fruit and cereals. A cooked option is available too.
For dinner on our recent visit in May 2011 we were treated to traditional potjiekos and roosterbrood – literally 'small pot food' a stew prepared outdoors in a traditional cast-iron, three-legged pot, accompanied by soft bread baked over an open fire. Dessert was a baked fruit tart with cream. - Dining style
- Individual Tables
- Dining locations
- Indoor and Outdoor Dining
- Further dining info, including room service
- No
- Drinks included
- Beverages are not included
Children
- Attitude towards children
- !Xaus Lodge welcomes children.
- Property’s age restrictions
- There are no age restrictions.
- Generally recommended for children
- Yes, but children should be supervised as the lodge and the swimming pool are not fenced. At the guide's discretion, children under 12 may participate in wilderness walks only within sight of the lodge and under parental supervision.
Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from !Xaus Lodge
Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at !Xaus Lodge have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.
100% success
100% success
100% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
Communications
- Communications
- There is no regular communication at !Xaus Lodge, but there is a satellite telephone and internet connection for use in an emergency.
Sustainability
Tourism embedded in the local culture
The lodge’s name '!Xaus' charmingly symbolises its history, as it means healing of relationships and restoration of dignity for the Khomani San and Mier communities. These people originally lived in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park many years ago, and have returned as proud owners of the land, the lodge and all its furnishings. Apart from mitigating the effects of unemployment by sourcing almost all employees from the local communities, Khomani San and Mier Community Trust now owns 10% equity stake in the lodge management company. Therefore, any donations and grants are managed by the community representatives and go straight towards funding community-based programmes.
The local community also runs all of the activities at !Xaus Lodge, out of which the outing to the village represents a key initiative aimed at educating guests about the local culture. Apart from observing Bushman crafters in their environment, tourists get a chance to see the !Ae!Hai Kalahari Heritage Park that encircles the lodge. This is known as one of the darkest places in the world due to its innate lack of pollution, hence offering a memorable stargazing experience. This way, visitors are taught about the significance that the stars have to local people, who will guide tourists a journey through the sky's spiritual realm using their indigenous knowledge.
The community-owned lodge has been internationally recognized for its sustainable efforts. Most notably, !Xaus Lodge has received a Gold Award in the Best for Poverty Reduction category at the African Responsible Tourism Awards 2016, impressing the judges with the scale of the contribution to the economically poor and marginalized communities of Khomani San and Mier.
See more great sustainability projects in South Africa
Health & safety
- Malarial protection recommended
- No
- Medical care
- The closest doctor or hospital is in the town of Upington. In the event of medical evacuation, light aircraft can fly in to Twee Rivieren and helicopters can fly directly to the lodge.
- Dangerous animals
- High Risk
- Fire safety
- There are fire extinguishers in each chalet as well as in all public areas.
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Cultural excursion
Guided walking safari
Night drive
Extras
- Disabled access
- Not Possible
- Laundry facilities
- Laundry is not included.
- Money
- There are no safes in the rooms and the lodge does not have any facilities for currency exchange.
- Accepted payment on location
- Cash payments in South African rand are accepted, as are Visa and MasterCard.
Other lodges in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Twee Rivieren
The Kgalagadi's largest restcamp, Twee Rivieren is the centre for the park's administration, and an obvious stop for food and fuel for self-driving visitors.
Kalahari Tented Camp
Kalahari Tented Camp, with self-catering accommodation, is an unusual and well positioned base for exploration of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
Ta Shebube Rooiputs
One of just three private lodges in the Kgalagadi, Ta Shebube Rooiputs offers a well-appointed base from where you can explore this delightful National Park.
Mata Mata Rest Camp
On the western border of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Mata Mata Restcamp offers camping and simple self-catering chalets, great for adventurous travellers on self-drive explorations of this park.
Nossob Rest Camp
A basic but very well positioned rest camp within the heart of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Simple self-catering accommodation is available as well as camping options
Gharagab Camp
Gharagab Wilderness Camp is located in a remote corner of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which is wonderful if you like wilderness areas. However, access takes time - so it's not the best base for exploring the park.
Bitterpan Camp
Bitterpan is a basic self-catering camp in the Kgalagadi's central dune-field; it suits experienced self-drivers comfortable with remote travel.
Grootkolk Camp
Grootkolk Wilderness Camp has quirky sand-bag self-catering accommodation and simple amenities, offering a comfortable place to stay while exploring the north western Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
Ta Shebube Polentswa
Although accessed via South Africa, Ta Shebube Polentswa is situated just across the border, in a private concession on the Botswana side of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Urikaruus Camp
Urikaruus is one of the most popular wilderness camps in the Kgalagadi National Park with lovely riverside cabins set high up on stilts overlooking the Auob riverbed.
Kielie Krankie Camp
Perched high atop a huge red sand dune, the small Kielie Krankie wilderness camp it is well positioned for accessing both east and west sides of the Kgalagadi National Park.
Molopo Lodge
Less than an hours' drive from the Kgalagadi, this makes a good base near to the park if you're arriving late in the afternoon.
The Motse at Tswalu
Tswalu Motse is a smart lodge located in the Tswalu Game Reserve, the largest private reserve in South Africa.
