| CATEGORY: | DESCRIPTION: | NOTE: |
|---|---|---|
| Category/Style | General | An average campsite with most necessities in place, catering to most people. |
| Surface | Mostly grass | Mostly grassed, with occasional barren patches. |
| Shade | Well shaded | Especially over the campsites. |
| Ideal for Which Tent Types | Ground/Dome tents | Not ideal for rooftop tents or very large family tents. |
| Caravan/RV Friendly | Yes | Some sites are slightly larger and can allow for a single RV or caravan. |
| Electricity | Yes | Regular 220V SA plug point, point per site – short or no extension required. |
| Vehicle Requirements/Restrictions | None | You may be happy with a little bit of clearance for the access road but it’s not critical. |
| Bicycle and/or Motorbike Friendly | Yes | Mountain Biking routes on-site. Motorbikes are welcome. |
| Campsites Spacing/Distance to Neighbours | Minimal | Sites are immediately adjacent. Hardly any distance between neighbours. Many sites have a separating “wall”of bamboo to allow for a modicum of privacy. |
| Campsite Size | Variable, approximately 30m2 | Perfect for 2, good for 4, tight for 6 (unless children are part of the group). |
| Features | ||
| Amenities/Extras | ||
| Ablutions | Showers, toilets, hot water | In fairly good condition, and clean. |
| Shop Items/Purchaseables | Town is about 4km away. | |
| Type of Campers | Any | Most types of campers will be comfortable. |
| Quiet Time Enforcement | No | Town is about 4km away. |
| Braai/BBQ Facilities | Yes | |
| Built-up Spaces & Features | Built shading | |
| Access Roads | Tar most of the way, some gravel | The last 2.5km to site entrance is uneven gravel, but manageable for any vehicle with some clearance. |
| Internal Roads | Gravel | Internal roads are in decent shape and almost all cars and trailers/caravans can manage. |
| Gate Times | n/a | Arrange for late arrival, if necessary, but not preferred. |
| Office Hours | Mon-Fri, 15:00 – 17:00 | You may reach them at other times, but these are the formal office hours. |
| Nearest Town | Keimoes (town), Upington (city) | Most things can be gotten in Keimoes, but for more unusual requirements, and COVID testing, you would need to go to Upington. |
| Water (Facilities & Condition) | Yes | Taps available at sites, and bathrooms and wash-up area all offer running & hot water. Water not confirmed as potable – bring own drinking supply. |
| Management & Upkeep | Fairly good | The manager comes around to greet on your first day. Sometimes the ablutions do require a little maintenance, but for the most part, everything works. |
| Open to Public and/or Day Visitors | Yes | |
| Family Friendly | Yes | There are activities for kids. |
| Kids’ Activities | Yes | Kids play area, fishing, cycling, river tubing, swimming. |
| Child Safety | Fairly good | The fishing dam is easily accessible and at ground level, so small children will need to be watched. There are no dangerous predators, however as with most camping, especially in the Northern Cape, one cannot rule out snakes and scorpions. |
| Pet Friendly | Yes | By prior arrangement only. |
| Wildlife | Yes, limited | Small mammals (e.g. mongoose), birdlife. |
| Fenced/Unfenced | Unfenced | Fencing is not of import in this location. |
| Climate/Weather Notes | High temperatures | Heat can be excessive in summer months. |
| Distance to Closest Major Attraction(s) | An hour or more away | Augrabies Falls – 82 km Kgalagadi Tr. Park – 295 km |
| Lighting | Yes | Each site has a light. |
| Swimming Pool | Yes | |
| On-Site Activities | Yes, various | 4×4 Trail, Walks & Trails, Fishing, Mountain Biking, |
| Nearby Activities | Yes, various | National Parks within a few hours’ drive. Wine Tasting. Riemvasmaak Hot Springs. |
| *Active* Social Media Profiles | None of note | Facebook page is extremely infrequently active. |
| Website | www.kalahariwater.co.za/ | |
| Email Address | info@kalahariwater.co.za | |
| Contact Number | +27 54 561 2404 | CELL: +27 82 495 7999 |
| Contact Person | Héléne Karsten | |
| Most Effective Booking Method | Also phone to confirm. | |
| Notable | Dam pump | Sometimes the dam pump goes on at night and this can be a disturbance. |
| OTHER | Bookings via SafariNow | Not always reliable. Confirm directly with establishment. |
| OTHER | ||
General Write-Up
Kalahari Water is a staatmaker (reliable) campsite, one of the few in the Northern Cape that boasts loads of grass and shade. The bathrooms are adequate, and if people remember to switch off the lights & close the doors in the evenings, can be very comfortable (otherwise, bug city). For the most part, the ablutions and facilities are managed and well taken care of, but you may occasionally find a shower-head missing. This can be an inconvenience when the campsites are full. The owner/manager comes around to meet & greet occasionally, though not consistently. It’s a great out of the way little spot to camp on your way to Augrabies Falls, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, or to Namibia. There’s a bit of fishing to be had in their dam, around which the campsites are situated. For the most part, noise is not an issue, but they do occasionally have the dam pump switching on at night, which may disrupt your personal peace & quiet. Best to choose a campsite that’s located far from it.
We frequent Kalahari Water as a very suitable stopover for Northern Cape and Namibian trips, and can recommend it. Not a resort of the Forever Resorts calibre, but has all the basics that you need, and is definitely fine for a stop-over/midway break.