!Xaus Lodge

• Property TypeHotel
• Guests26
• Rooms/Units12
• + 
• • FEATUREPool

!Xaus Lodge is a highly recommended Northern Cape game lodge providing a wildlife experience for discerning anyone visiting Kalahari.

About !Xaus Lodge

Owned by the Khomani San (Bushmen) and Mier communities, !Xaus Lodge is the first fully catered luxury lodge located in the heart of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. This 3,9 million hectare transfrontier peace park transcends the border between the Northern Cape Province of South Africa and Botswana and is one of the last pristine conservation areas on earth.

Accommodation

!Xaus Lodge offers a selection of chalets with either a King-size bed or twin beds. Every chalet has an en-suite bathroom with a toilet, a large walk-in shower and a vanity. Shower water is saline, but purified drinking water is provided.

Each chalet has its own private viewing-deck, which overlooks the salt-pan. A tea / coffee tray is provided daily. Lodge electricity runs via the generator for five hours a day, cut off at 22h00. A ceiling fan is in the room, but there is no air-con.

Facilities

This Kalahari game lodge offers a unique living space. The central lodge building consists of a welcoming reception area with its 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 selected books for paging through before dinner. Our dining area overlooks the pan, with furniture hand-made in Upington and images burnt by Bushmen artists.

!Xaus Lodge offers visitors an opportunity to experience the scenic unspoilt splendour and the remoteness of the vast and arid Kalahari wilderness; to be drawn into the fascinating rituals, traditions and historical cultures of the Bushmen, the remarkable “first people” of southern Africa; and at the same time enjoy the comforts of a luxury lodge that captures the essence of the Kalahari.

At night, gathered around the camp-fire, the Bushmen share with visitors their legends of the night sky, their health secrets and the history of their culture and existence.

Dining

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the rates and served in the dining area.

Game Drives

Enjoy a fantastic sunset game drive on the pan and an after-dinner drive to explore some of the night creatures the Kalahari has to offer. Sunset pan drive and dune walk to ‘listen' to the sun set over the Kalahari with an early evening game drive back to the lodge. After-dinner night drive, with the accompanying sounds of barking geckos, insect shrills, and larger animal calls to break the silence.

Guided Walks

Set out at day-break with the guides and Bushman trackers to walk through the dunes as you learn all about your natural surroundings. You will be shown how to identify animal spoor, birds, trees and plants, and discuss their medicinal uses. You'll return to the Lodge in time for a hearty brunch made by the local Mier ladies. The length of the walk, and distance you cover, depends on the fitness and interest of the guests. Children under the age of 12 may not participate on walks.

Stargazing

You may feel like you have never seen the night sky before when you go stargazing at !Xaus Lodge. The Milky Way arcs over you like a giant swathe of smoke – reminiscent of the Bushman tale of its origins. A girl from an ancient race, the story goes, threw the cinders from a fire into the sky to light hunters' paths home. Prominent all through the year are the Southern Cross, Carina, and Centaurus. Hundreds of other stars and constellations nearly leap out of the blackness.