!Xaus Lodge

!Xaus Lodge is situated in the Northern Cape, in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park which is shared between South Africa and Botswana. !Xaus means “heart” in the Nama language and was so named by the visiting Bushman in the area.

This lodge offers a remote and tranquil wilderness experience as well as the unique opportunity to interact with members of the Bushman community and experience young Bushman demonstrating traditional activities.

It has a central building with 12 individual chalets located around it (one family unit sleeps 4). Each chalet has its own deck which offers you views of this peaceful and amazing landscape. Winter sheets and gas heaters provide comfort for the cold nights, and ceiling fans bring relief in the hot months.

The central lodge overlooks a vast salt pan and waterhole fed with fresh water. The welcoming reception has a unique wall-hanging made by the ladies of Vezokhule, a sewing co-operative in Upington. The cosy lounge has a fireplace and a library of wildlife books. The dining area overlooks the pan, with hand-made furniture and images by Bushmen artists. At the art and craft shop, you can purchase locally made Bushman crafts as well as crafts made in the wider Kalahari area.

During the day the swimming pool provides cool relief from the desert heat. Wood is a precious commodity in the Kalahari, so the inviting fire for the evening boma is made in the traditional method with three or four crossed logs around which everyone huddles companionably. The boma is the perfect venue for evening dinners which are traditional meals prepared by the Mier community.

There is no cell phone reception at !Xaus. The lodge is equipped with a generator; in order to limit the environmental impact, the generator operates between 7 – 10am and 5 – 10pm. There are charging points in the central area of the lodge. It is worth noting that it can get quite windy in August and September; this may impact on the enjoyment of what would otherwise be excellent months to visit.

Activities at !Xaus Lodge

Activities include wilderness walks, walks to the re-created Bushman Culture village, open 4×4 game drives, and night sky star gazing. The Kgalagadi is renowned for its gemsbok and black-maned lion. Many other antelope are also likely to be seen such as eland and the shy Steenbok. Predators to be found in addition to the lion include leopard, cheetah, hyena (brown and spotted), black-backed jackal, Cape fox, caracal and the African wild cat among others. It is worth mentioning that rhino, buffalo and elephant are not present in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

After your game drive you can experience the amazing Kalahari night sky from the large observation deck – an experience not to be missed. They have a couple of 300mm reflective lens telescopes - one is automated and one is manual. As of June 2018: there are plans to build a special, stable platform for the telescopes behind the lounge, giving even better viewing. An application for dark sky accreditation is under consideration by the IDA (International Dark Sky Association).

Children at !Xaus Lodge

Children of all ages are welcomed at !Xaus, but children under the age of 12 may not go on the game walks. They will however arrange game drives for the younger children, but a parent must accompany them at all times. (i.e. they do not provide a babysitting service).