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Gharagab Wilderness Camp

Reviews of Gharagab Camp

Wildlife sightings and reviews

14 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Gharagab Camp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

Showing 1-10 of 14
Duration
Arrival date
Mr & Mrs P
Toronto

"Gharagab Wilderness Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 22 Sep 2021
"Pros: It feels even more remote than Grootkolk. Great nightlife sightings at the waterholes: Jackals and owls drinking and playing and bonding all night, plus other game if one is lucky.

Cons: A long drive with little game to see and the last part of the drive out is very challenging, with hills, deep sand, and potholes all at the same time. Once there, all one can do is stay put, looking out at the waterhole, as the drive out and back is one way only and way too long to do comfortably in one day. There are a couple of hours in the day when most of one's deck is in the sun." See all these reviews: 7n in South Africa; 5n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Good
Service:
Average
Activities:
Average
Rooms:
Terrible
Food:
Average
Facilities:
Average
Mr & Mrs W
Warwick

"A second visit on this trip - worth it!"

1 night Arrived 16 Jun 2017
"Our second visit on this trip. We were in unit 1 with 270 deg views.

An African Wildcat visited us during the evening and during the morning a steenbok came to drink from a leaking water pipe - giving us a rare, close sighting.

Get this unit or number 4 if you ever have a choice." See all these reviews: 16n in South Africa
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs W
Warwick

"Two years later - what a difference?"

1 night Arrived 10 Jun 2017
"Two years ago Gharagab was tatty. SANParks have been busy in the interim and it shows. No elaborations, just improved maintenance and new equipment making it better all round. It makes such a difference.

However, we weren't very lucky with the wildlife but the visitor book shows we were exceptions. The journey across the dunes from the Nossob river remains challenging - especially leaving the camp - but take your time and enjoy the bush and the small things like the meerkats, bird life and the steenboks.

Eric and Isaak take turns in looking after the camp and both are helpful and informative if you ask them the right questions. You can also help by asking if there is anything they want you to take to Nossob for them - a bag of laundry doesn't take up much space in the boot." See all these reviews: 16n in South Africa
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Dr. L & wife
Denmark

"Perhaps the best Wilderness Camp - remote"

2 nights Arrived 25 Nov 2015
"Maybe this was the best Wilderness Camp. Spektacular setting in the sanddunes. Very remote and isolated setting. You feel "alone in the dessert".

Difficult access and especially exit road. You need 4x4 WD, low gear, diff. lock and traction control. Bring at least 10L water per person per day if you get stock. Stay by the car until someone pass by - could take a day or two!

Nevertheless, wonderful place if you like nature. Expect predators close up! Look where you go..." See all these reviews: 10n in South Africa
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs H
Dorset

"Fantastic wilderness experience"

2 nights Arrived 21 Oct 2015
"We were due to travel direct from Twee Rivieren to Gharagab in one day against the advice of the SAN Parks web site. Fortunately we managed to book direct with SAN parks for one night at Nossob to break the journey. Having now done the trip we would strongly recommend not attempting the journey to Gharagab direct from Twee Rivieren. The road to Nossob was very corrugated and beyond was worse even before getting onto the 4WD only section. Also we saw a lot of game on the drive to Nossob and we would not have been able to spend the time watching it had we been heading for Gharagab.

Gharagab is a small wilderness camp with only 4 double chalets in an unfenced camp. On our stay there was only one other couple staying. All chalets have a great view of the waterhole which is lit at night. You are warned not to walk between the chalets after dark.

The view from the chalets out over the valley and waterhole is fantastic. We saw quite a lot of game coming to the waterhole before it got dark including a large male lion. He subsequently roared when only a couple of hundred metres away providing sound as well as sight! After dark we heard panting beside our verandah and a lioness padded past less than a couple of metres away. She was followed by a second both them going down to the waterhole to drink.

This was the first time I had driven 4WD and I found the drive out from Gharagab very testing particularly the last 10 Kms.The steep dunes had some deep potholes and hard compacted sand which made for a very bumpy ride. The advice from the South African couple at Gharagab to make sure I maintained the momentum up the dunes and to roll all the way back down if I didn't make it first time was very good advice. That said the journey is well worth the experience!" See all these reviews: 10n in South Africa
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs D
Wilts

"Gharagab Wilderness Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 27 Jun 2015
"My favourite wilderness camp.

Beautiful place to stay" See all these reviews: 8n in Namibia; 5n in South Africa
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs D
Winchester

"One Meerkat Safari"

2 nights Arrived 8 Feb 2015
"We had been told that the trip into Ghararhab was going to be difficult so we had set off early to allow ourselves plenty of time and because the sand conditions would be better earlier in the day before it got too hot,

As it turned out the road though sandy, tortuous and over several dunes was not really too challenging and as there was virtually no wildlife to stop and view our journey was relatively quick. We arrived at Gharagab at just after 10.30. To be greeted by a surprised Warden - Andreis - who told us that normally check in is after 14.00 but no problem .

Our accommodation - made of a mixture of canvas, wood and corrugated plastic ( sounds terrible but was delightful) consisted of an area containing twin beds and kitchen facilities ( well equipped and with double hob) and an en suite shower toilet area. Outside was a verandah with table and chairs overlooking the waterhole which is floodlit at night.

Andreis advised us to keep foodstuffs off the floor and covered as some of the smaller wildlife could be attracted to it - this had been encouraged by visitors in the past who had actively encouraged these visits by feeding them

We were entertained by the visits to our verandah by Cape sparrows, four striped mice and lizards. Although there was very little game about there were occasional visits to the waterhole by springbok and gemsbok and at night a brown hyena. We also saw a whistling rat popping in and out if it's burrow in the sand below our verandah.

Ghararhab is a wilderness camp and as such has no fences and although we did not experience it, apparently, lion visit regularly so it is important to be aware of your surroundings when moving about. You may not leave your accommodation after dark.

As we spent 2 nights at Gharahab we had the time to enjoy the wonderful view from the ' look out tower'. It would have been amazing if we had been able to watch lion from there but that is for next time." See all these reviews: 12n in South Africa
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs W
Warwick

"Location excellent but maintenance needed"

1 night Arrived 1 Sep 2014
"A few rand spent on maintenance here would make a difference. Sad really as everything else is great including the attention paid by the resident ranger.

Don't be put off, though, you will have a memorable experience staying here." See all these reviews: 13n in South Africa
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Rooms:
Poor
Facilities:
Poor
Mr & Mrs H
Lisvane

"Gharagab Wilderness Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 31 Aug 2014
"we stayed for 2 nights and opted to have a lazy day in camp rather than do a long circular drive. The camp has a observation tower and a watering hole.

The topography in this section of the park is attractive and in itself makes the visit worthwhile." See all these reviews: 10n in South Africa; 4n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Mr M & Ms O
UK

"Rainbow in the wilderness"

2 nights Arrived 27 Feb 2014
"Whistling rats sing to you on the way in up the bumpy 4 x 4 track.

Excellent location for viewing wildlife - even got to see a brown hyena.
Basic but lovely accommodation, more than adequate - great viewing platform.

Loved our little mouse in the tented lodge!" See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia; 5n in South Africa
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Showing 1-10 of 14
89%
14 reviews of Gharagab Camp by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
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