!Xaus Lodge, Northern Cape: A Review

!Xaus Lodge, Northern Cape: A Review

Location

!Xaus Lodge is based in the Northern Cape’s Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which is one of the largest wilderness areas in the world at over 38,000 square kilometres. The lodge is set on a high dune and overlooks the giant salt pan below. 

Lowdown 

Pronounced “Kaus”, !Xaus means “heart” in the Nama language and is a reference to the vast, heart-shaped salt pan which is set below the lodge. The lodge is a remote community owned lodge set amongst sand dunes on a vast private area of the Kalahari in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The park opened after the merger the former Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana, creating the huge park across both countries. 

Look And Feel Of Accommodation 

!Xaus Lodge has a real feeling of remoteness, wilderness and tranquility with friendly staff and guides. The 12 thatched chalets offer rustic comfort with great views looking out onto the huge salt pan. 

Facilities 

The facilities at the lodge include a swimming pool, a cosy lounge, viewing decks looking out over the salt pan, and a dining area.

Food 

The food on offer from !Xaus Lodge was hearty home cooking, which caters for a vegetarian diet although there was no choice at lunch or dinner, and I particularly enjoyed the great breakfast spread. 

I Loved

I appreciated the peace and quiet on offer at !Xaus. There is no Wi-Fi or phone signal available, which allows you to really take in the wilderness and serenity. The guided dune walk was definitely worth doing, it had so many interesting plants and tracks to see.

Best For 

The lodge is best for guests who are just looking to switch off and appreciate nature, remote wilderness, tranquillity and starry night skies. 

Not For

I wouldn’t recommend !Xaus to people looking for a luxury lodge or as a base for seeing masses of wildlife, its charm lies in how remote and rustic it feels.   

Insider Tips

Come prepared to switch off and make the most of not having Wi-Fi or signal!

Activities To Do 

There are plenty activities available to help you see the local wildlife and surroundings, such as the guided dune walk, sundowner nature drive, cultural craft village and a night drive. 

Wildlife To Spot

This isn’t the property to stay at if you’re looking to tick the usual boxes for game viewing in South Africa, but from !Xaus Lodge you may see antelope species such as oryx, steenbok and eland as well as ostrich and black-backed jackals and with some luck on a night drive you may be fortunate enough to see aardvarks. Lions are known to pass by the lodge every couple of weeks.