Overlanding in unfenced game reserve with solo vehicle

[stanvanzon]

Hi,

After many years overlanding in SA, me and my girlfriend wanted to explore Botswana. What especially attracts us, is being in pure nature without fences, shops, fuel stations and so on. We were quite disappointed to find out that solo overlanding vehicles are not allowed in the Botswana part of the Kgaligadi, and on the SA side, there are hardly camps to go to with your own set up. Can anyone recommend a game reserve (SA, Namib, Bots) which allows solo overlander vehicles, where you can camp (designated area's, that no problem) without fences in the middle of wildlife?

Thanks in advance,

~Stan

[grahambowring2]

How about Khutse?

Easily accessible,  great camping & plenty of wildlife.

Graham B

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[Lizette Swart]

Hi Stan,

I travel solo in a single vehicle, I spent 5 nights in Kgalagadi in August and another 3 nights last year October. The restriction is on the wilderness trails (Polentswa trail and the Mabua to Nossob wilderness trails), they won't allow you to go solo on those trails. On the Botswana side, the campsites are not fenced (Polentswa, Rooiputs, Kaa Gate, Swartpan - I had a leopard sleep on my campsite two nights in August this year. At Mabua, none of those campsites are fenced.

Moremi, Savuti, Chobe - none of those campsites are fenced, in Central Kalahari the campsites are not fenced  - we had to move from our campsite at Deception one year as the lions had parked off there for the day, and we had to take another site a bit further if we had any hope of making a fire that night. 

In SA and Namibia I cannot think of any unfenced camps - would love to know where they are if anybody on the group has any info! In the Kruger, on the Mozambican side, the camps are not fenced, but I don't know how prolific the game on that side is, maybe some recent travellers can advise.

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart

liz...@tracks4africa.co.za

+27 (0)21 880 8660

[Eric Loe]

Hi. Moremi , all the reserves in Zambia, all superb. There are a lot of reserves to choose from. 

Sent from my iPhone

On 1 Dec 2025, at 07:06, Lizette Swart <liz...@tracks4africa.co.za> wrote:



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[hoteln...@libero.it]

Dear Sirs,

I've being in Botswana three times, self drive two vehicles (so I don't know about restrictions for one vehicle).

But if can be helping we crossed from the south to the north Central Kalahari GR. In the south no cars seeing for days and the camps in all reserve are not fenced.

In the south not many animals seeing but the landscape it's great.

Consider the deep sand and take your time to cross the reserve.

Moremi it's nice. 

From Moremi we are gone to Savuti.... superb, we felt alone in the middle of nowhere (sand sand sand ;)  )

From there to Chobe. Very beautifull Park plenty of Elephants.

From there you can escape to the Victoria Falls (but you need time)

Then south, from Nata to Orapa crossig the Pan.

If you'll like as well Mkgadikgadi NP it's beautifull.

 

Consider that Botswana has wild animals everywhere and people are non many.

Any route you take wi'll give o you an adventure.

Enjoi your trip

Best Regards

Elena Nardini

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[Eric Loe]

Sent from my iPhone

On 1 Dec 2025, at 08:38, Eric Loe <er...@oldhousebarn.co.uk> wrote:

Hi. Moremi , all the reserves in Zambia, all superb. There are a lot of reserves to choose from. 

[Emile Wessels]

Hi

 

Since when are solo vehicles not allowed on the Botswana side of Kgalagadi? We still did a single vehicle trip in the Manuasehube area in June this year.

 

Regards

 

Emile

 

From: tracks...@googlegroups.com <tracks...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of stanvanzon
Sent: Monday, 01 December 2025 08:52
To: Tracks4Africa <tracks...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [T4A] Overlanding in unfenced game reserve with solo vehicle

 

Hi,

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[Emile Wessels]

Hi

 

In Namibia quite a few of the camps in the Caprivi are unfenced.

 

Regards

 

Emile

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[Lizette Swart]

Hi Emile,

Thank you, I forgot about those! On my list for next year now.

Kind regards

Lizette Swart
lizette@tracks4africa
co.za

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[Lizette Swart]

Hi Emile,

I suspect it may have been on the wilderness trails, I've tried to go solo before and it was a firm no.

After the good rains Botswana had early this year, the Polentswa trail was so overgrown they advised us (I found another vehicle keen to do it) not to even try. So it's on the list for "one day" still!

Kind regards

Lizette Swart
lizette@tracks4africa
co.za

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[Steve and Nicole Charnon]

Hello,

Adding Khaudum NP, just west of the Caprivi, to the unfenced camp list.

Cheers,

Steve

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[em...@ewessels.com]

Hi Lizette

 

Yes, that may be the case.

 

Regarding the Polentswa Trail, we did it in 2021 and described it as a hidden gem and said we couldn’t understand why it is not more popular. It was somewhat overgrown at the time as well https://youtu.be/Dnhl0VFEf-g?si=JzGqFUlPaUqlQ4LB

It really is a pity as esepcially the first campsite on the trail is quite amazing.

 

The same applies to Swartpan which we last visited in 2022. At the time the trail was so overgrown that at times it was difficult to see the track and the staff at KAA gate could not remember when someone last camped at Swartpan. At the time there were plans to restore the water supply to Swartpan. I don’t know whether that happened or what the trail conditions are like now, but in 2022 the area was very game rich and we saw the largest herds of Eland and Springbok we have ever seen in any park.

https://youtu.be/ZgCindk12yU?si=XtCmjm8Wrt6wokbV

 

This year we booked the Mosomane (Mabua to Nossob) wilderness trail with two vehicles, but the other one had to withdraw because of a death in the family. When we booked in at reception nobody said anything about being a single vehicle so we just went ahead and did the trail (it would have been difficult to find alternative accommodation at that point). I certainly don’t recommend breaking DWNP’s rules (if it is still their rule), but the trail is no more challenging or isolated than many in CKGR which you are welcome to do on your own. https://youtu.be/_6sIym-KU9c?si=2Qb9vJ1IiSs5cQjo

 

Regards

 

Emile

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[Lizette Swart]

Morning Emile,

Indeed we sat and looked at info on Polentswa trail and watched your video. Because of the good rains they had beginning of this year, the staff said it was very overgrown. We decided to do it anyway, but then the 2nd vehicle developed a problem on the rear axle so he opted to go straight to Kaa rather and I played it safe and decided not to go alone.

Back up at Kaa gate I did do the Kaa game trail and spent a night at Swartpan, a lovely campsite but unfortunately they have not yet repaired the waterhole. Saw lion tracks on the way there, but unfortunately going away from Swartpan. The trail was overgrown but the track very clear, only found one other vehicle on the trail. I definitely will be back to explore that northern sector more! 

Kind regards

Lizette Swart
lizette@tracks4africa
co.za

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tracks4africa/012201dc62e8%24acdde430%240699ac90%24%40ewessels.com.