Kalahari 4-Day MTB Traverse
Kalahari 4-Day/5-Night MTB Traverse
COST PP: Sharing R16 900 | Single R22 900
DATES AVAILABLE:
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Ride the Red Sands: Kalahari MTB Adventure
Get ready for a truly unforgettable mountain biking experience through the wild, untamed heart of the Kalahari. This journey takes you across one of South Africa’s most spellbinding landscapes — where shimmering saltpans, ancient black rock koppies, and rolling red sand dunes stretch endlessly beneath the vast African sky.
Feel the thrill of riding through arid riverbeds and beneath the iconic silhouettes of flat-topped acacia trees, the signature landmarks of this extraordinary region. Along the way, discover the fascinating world of the Kalahari Meerkat, witness the haunting beauty of Vulture Restaurants, and marvel at the rich tapestry of birdlife and wildlife that thrive in this arid paradise.
The adventure doesn’t stop there — one of the tour’s highlights is an exhilarating ride to the legendary Kalahari Lost City, pedaling across a glistening saltpan under the wide-open sky. Each day ends at a new, welcoming game lodge, where comfort, great food, and a front-row seat to nature’s evening show await.
After a late afternoon game drive, settle in with a sundowner as the setting sun paints the saltpans in gold and crimson. It’s the perfect blend of rugged adventure and luxury, wrapped in the warm, wild spirit of the Kalahari.
If you’re ready to trade the ordinary for the extraordinary, the Kalahari MTB experience is calling.
Kalahari 4-Day MTB Traverse
Prepare yourself for a Mountain Bike journey through the spellbinding wonders of the Kalahari. Brace yourself for an extraordinary encounter with the untamed beauty of this remarkable landscape, where saltpans, black rock koppies, and fiery red sand dunes await your exploration. Experience the arid riverbeds under the vast expanse of open skies, while the majestic flat-topped acacia trees stand as iconic symbols of this awe-inspiring route.
Immerse yourself in the captivating world of the Kalahari, where the Kalahari Meerkat and the mesmerizing Vulture Restaurants await your discovery. Witness a symphony of vibrant birdlife and encounter a diverse array of wildlife.
But that’s not all! Prepare to embark on an exhilarating cycling adventure to the legendary Kalahari Lost City, pedaling across a magnificent salt pan. Each day, you’ll pedal to a new Game lodge, where you’ll witness the breathtaking sunset over the shimmering salt pans after an unforgettable Game drive, all while savoring a refreshing sundowner.
Highlights of the Tour
– Explore the stunning Red Dunes of the Kalahari while cycling
– Cycle across vast flat salt pans in the Kalahari
– Cycle across a Camel milking farm in the Kalahari
– See the intriguing black rock formations at Koppieskraal called by some “the Lost City of the Kalahari”
– Stay at Game Reserves
– Enjoy picturesque sundowners on a Red Dune or over a Saltpan
– Immerse yourself in the warm hospitality of the Kalahari people
– Accommodation amidst the Red Sand Dunes
– Cycle near the Botswana border
– Stay on the Namibia / RSA border for a unique border experience
– Sundowners over the Red dunes
– Game drive at Kgalagadi Lodge’s Game Reserve (outside the Kgalagadi National park)
Information
It is said that no two visits to the Kalahari are the same. This ancient and beautiful land is not only amazingly rich in diversity; it also reflects an endless variety of moods, making each new encounter refreshingly different from the previous.
This ancient and beautiful land is not only amazingly rich in diversity it also reflects an endless variety of moods, making each new encounter refreshingly different from the previous ones. The Kalahari extends north of Upington into the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park that forms the shares its borders with Namibia and Botswana and is one of the largest conservation areas in the world.
The colour of the dunes in the southern Kalahari can be attributed to the high iron oxide content of the sand. In areas of higher rainfall and in shallow areas where water collects, the iron oxide is leached out, causing the sand ultimately to turn white. The gradual effect of the leaching transforms the desert into a wonderful variety of colours.
Besides the red dunes, some of the most obvious features of the Kalahari landscape are the nests of the sociable weaver birds. The colonies have up to 50 chambers housing as many as 300 birds.
Since the Kalahari is a desert, daytime temperatures can be extremely high and in winter, night-time temperatures can drop below zero, though the days are usually warm and pleasant. Thunderstorms are common during the rainy season between November and April.
4 Day MTB Tour Information
You will NOT cycle in between the dunes or on sand, only on gravel roads. You will experience the beauty of the Red Dune area. You will cycle on the Namibian and Botswana border, staying at Game Reserves and beautiful lodges
Each venue has its own character, and the routes are planned so that you will experience the best of the Kalahari (without having to cycle in soft sand).
Itinerary/Schedule
Day 1
13:00 Arrive at Molopo Lodge, leave your bike at Molopo safely in a lock-up store for the night
14:00 Drive in convoy to Kgalagadi Lodge,leave your care here, it is our finishing venue, transport by Taxi back to Molopo where we will overnight
18:00Meet at the bar
19:00 Dinner
Day 2:
8:00 Breakfast.
8.30 Cycle towards Rietfontein, cycle onto Hakskeenpan cycle where the Bloodhound speed record was set.
13:00 Arrive at the Tented camp on Hakskeenpan, settle in
17:00 Sundowners
18: Dinner.
Day 3
6:30 Breakfast.
7:30 Cycle to Koppieskraal via hakskeen pan
Experience the Lost City, cycle on jeep tracks, flat pans, and jeep roads.
12:00 Lunch at Koppieskraal.
14:00 Cycle to Loch Maree and Zoutpans, Check-in.
17:30 Sundowners over the Red Dunes.
18:00 Dinner.
Day 4:
07:00 Breakfast
08:00 Cycle to Molopo Lodge, via Askham, visit the town
13:00 Check-in at Molopo Lodge
18:00 Sundowners on a red dune
19:00 Dinner
Day 5
7:00 Breakfast
8:00 Cycle to Kgalagadi Lodge, on the border of SA and Botswana, 4km from Kgalagadi National Park
10:00 Visit the Kalahari Trails Meerkat Sanctuary, coffee and continue cycle to Kgalagadi Lodge
14:00 Check-in and relax at Kgalagadi
16:00 Sundowners in the Kgalagadi Lodge Game Reserve
19.30 Dinner
Day 6:
07:00 Breakfast (for your own account)
08:00 Goodbyes
Fitness Level
Intermediate Cyclist
NO Beginners
Tandems welcome
E Bikes Welcome.
Venues
Start Venue: Molopo Lodge, close to Askham, Kalahari
Overnight Venues:
Kgalagadi Lodge, 4 star Chalets on the border of Kgalagadi Game Rerserve
Molopo Lodge, en suite aircon Chalets and swimming pool
Zoutpans Game Lodge, sharing a bathroom between 2 rooms, aircon, no swimming pool
Loch Maree Game Lodge, sharing bathroom between 2 rooms, aircon, no swimming pool
Hakskeen pan, is the experience of a lifetime, staying in a Dome tent in the middle of the famous Hakskeen pan, portable showers and toilets, a shaded area, and just nothingness around you for miles!!
How to get to the start
Start Venue:
Molopo Lodge, close to Askham, Kalahari
220km from Upington
1100 km from Cape Town
850 km from Pretoria
Methods to get there:
1. By car
2. Fly to Upington, hire a vehicle from Upngton to trave to Molopo Lodge
MTB and E-MTB Hire
Please contact Sonja on sonja@trisport.co.za if you want to hire an MTB or E-MTB.
Trisport does not hire bikes, but we have a reliable company that we will suggest you hire your bikes from. They can also organise transport of your bike via courier.
See www.adventureshop.co.za They are based in Stellenbosh, but you can hire from them, even if you live in Gauteng
Distances
Day 1: 63km of a very quiet tar road: elevation: 100 meter. Although this is a long day, the elevation is very little.
Day 2: 64km, elevation 300m
Day 3: 48km: elevation 150m
Day 4: 60km elevation 50m
Entries Available
Limited to 18 entries
Entry Fee and Highlights Includes
- 4 Days of MTB Riding;
- 5 Nights accommodation
- All meals from dinner day 1 to dinner the last nights
- Transport of your gear;
- Cycle through the private farms
- Cycle over Saltpans
- The farm’s permits and cost
- Permits and cost for cycling over the pans
- Experience the beautiful sunsets over the saltpans
- All the Game drives
- All the Guides
- A backup vehicle
- Sundowner drinks and Game Drive at Kgalagadi-Lodge
- All permissions of private Game owners.
- All Tourist levies
Entry Fee Excludes
- Flights
- Getting to and from Kgalagadi Lodge
- Renting of E Bikes or MTB
- Alcoholic and other drinks at the lodges or during the Sundowners
- Breakfast on the day of departure from Kgalagadi Lodge
- Tips to staff
- Medical insurance
- Travel Insurance
- Cost of Evacuation if necessary
Safety Equipment
We have the following safety equipment with us:
– A medical kit, including bandages, etc.
– An AED (Automatic Electric Defibrillator)
– Epipen
– Radios
– A Garmin InReach (to be used in case of an extreme emergency only, not when you are tired)
– A helicopter for airlifting, with the understanding that you will be held liable for the cost of evacuation.
