Namibia is a country on the south-west coast of Africa. It is one of the driest and most sparsely populated countries on earth. The Namib Desert in the west and the Kalahari Desert in the east are separated by the Central Plateau.
Namibia: Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch
Spreading across Botswana, South Africa and Namibia, the Kalahari meaning ‘the great thirst’ is an exceptionally beautiful living desert. The landscape is characterised by a large semi-arid sandy savannah draped over a gently rolling inland sea of sand covering most of Botswana and large parts of Namibia and South Africa. It is also the last bastion of the indigenous San people with the modern world having enveloped all the other areas they once roamed. The Namibian portion is made up of red sands covered in thin, wispy, mostly golden grass and dotted with acacia trees and wide-ranging wildlife including gemsbok, impala, jackals and cheetah.
After our long, dusty drive from Sesriem in the Namib desert, we finally pulled into Bagatelle Kalahari and bowled up to the reception where we were greeted by the people of reception, with a welcome drink, which unusually was spiked with alcohol. With our guard down due to the consumption of alcohol (only joking we had hardly been tee-total during our tour of Namibia) we signed up for the cheetah feeding and in the morning a walking tour with a Kalahari bushman guide!
Day 1
The cheetah feeding was later in the afternoon. Usually, this is not the type of wildlife experience we’d go for, but it was cheetahs, and we love them. There were many people staying at the ranch, so we ended up filling three game-drive vehicles.
The cheetahs at Bagatelle are all rescued from the wild and were brought to the ranch to save them as they are not capable of surviving in the wild. This was going to be their home for life. There are a couple of things that make cheetahs hard to look after. One they ideally need a lot of space to roam in and secondly, they are quite anti-social, so you can’t throw a lot of them into the same enclosure as they’d kill each other and eat the loser of the fight. So, for the six cheetahs at Bagatelle they had divided them into 3 enclosures; one with two males, another with two females – that was the third thing boys and girls don’t mix – the exception was the third enclosure where there was a huge, old male who had grown mellow with age and young female cheetah.
First up, were the girls.
The three game drive vehicles parked up at the gate to the enclosure, where we were joined by a fourth truck, with the food and the volunteers who would be doing the feeding. The feeding truck went through into the enclosure. These enclosures are huge, several hectares in size. The truck’s arrival got the cheetahs’ interest. Whilst we waited outside, the feeding truck shot off in the other direction, and moments later, we followed in hot pursuit. We arrived at a second gate at the far end of the enclosure where we were let in. A short time later we saw the cheetahs thundering over the hill. This process of chasing the food was to make the process of eating more interesting to the animals. A couple of the volunteers hopped off the truck with big metal bowls full of meat and held to the cheetahs’ faces, who promptly gobbled the food down at a rapid rate. Karen pointed out that this speed of consumption probably meant I was a cheetah in a previous incarnation. If that were true, I have lost a lot of my speed!
Next, we went to the male cheetah enclosure and followed the same routine.
Finally, it was the large male and smaller female’s turn. This time there was no chase. All the vehicles pulled up to a gate. The volunteer feeders went in with their bowls, while we all climbed down from our game drive vehicles. Whilst the cheetahs were eating, we were able to sneak into their enclosure and get a closer view.




All cheetahs fed, we got back into the game drive vehicle and headed to a high spot on the ranch. On top of this hill, well more of a bump as this was generally a flat area, was solitary tree. As we approached, I thought the tree was a sculpture of a T-Rex, but the large dark structures we had seen in the distance turned out to be a massive nest for the social weaver birds. We had seen these types of nests elsewhere in Namibia, but this one was much larger. These community nests are home to up to one hundred pairs of birds and they look like huts, complete with a sloping thatched-grass roof that sheds rain. It was fascinating to watch the birds go in and out oblivious to the presence of thirty people.
The sun was setting so it was sundowner time!
After the sundowners we headed back to the lodge for dinner.



Day 2
Today, was the final day of our fabulous two-week tour of Namibia. We had signed up for a morning walking tour with Kalahari bushmen. After breakfast, we joined a German family in the reception of Bagatelle to start the tour. Our guide introduced himself and off we went.
After about 5 minutes of walking, we stopped, and our guide explained the outline of what we’d be doing on this tour. He then introduced us to two young Kalahari bushmen, dressed in their traditional clothing, a leather loin cloth and matching cloak. It was very chilly, even for us dressed in warm clothes, it must have been freezing for these two young men, although they didn’t show it. Our guide told us they were cousins. The Kalahari people are tiny in stature, and these men had very lithe frames their skin was a light hue of brown.


We followed the men for a couple of hundred metres. Our guide said they would be giving us a demonstration of one of the bushmens’ skills and we’d have to guess what they were doing. The two young men then started to do a very animated mime and at the time spoke in their native language, which involved lots of clicking with the tongue, which was fascinating to listen to. Once they finished, we all tried to guess what they had shown us. Eventually, we got near enough to the truth, they were setting a trap to capture an ostrich, one of their staple foods – they also make leather from the ostrich and use their feathers for bedding and decoration.
We moved on again, repeating the process of a demonstration, followed by guessing the activity. This time they were burying an ostrich egg, which they used for a food store. The ostrich egg is also used as a drinking vessel and to make jewellery.



Our final stop was a small encampment where there were members of the Kalahari people, a father, mother and their daughters. Our guide then explained more about the people’s way of life, including courtship ceremonies using a tiny bow with arrows – which sounded very painful. Cupid has a lot to answer for. There were some souvenirs that the family had made on the sale, but we made our excuse about travelling for a long time and having no space, but truth be told, nothing grabbed our attention there.
The tour was over, and the two young men accompanied us back down the hill.

We made our way back to Bagatelle. Just before the car park we were joined by a roving family of meerkats, which was another great chance to take some photos as they scurried their way across the scrubland, digging as they went for hidden grubs.
Karen went in for a final pee before we left. I stayed outside to watch a large male ostrich who had made his way into the carpark and was strutting his way around among the cars.
Sadly, it was now time to head off to Windhoek, Namibia’s capital city, where we’d spend our last night before flying to South Africa.



Planning your visit to Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch
Getting there:
Directions: Turn about 50km from Mariental on the C20 onto the D1268 district road. From Windhoek about 270km on the B1 main road to the south, then turn onto the C20 just before Mariental, and from there onto the D1268 district road. Our GPS coordinates are: 24 18 ‘ 031 “South 18 ° 01 ‘ 970” East
- Address: M2XM+Q6R Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, Mariental, Namibia
- Telephone: +264 63 240 982
- Website: https://bagatelle-lodge.com/
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch
Partially covered by the Namib Desert, one of the world’s driest deserts, Namibia’s climate is generally very dry and pleasant – it’s fine to visit all year round. Namibia only receives a fraction of the rain experienced by countries further east. Between about December to March some days will be humid and rain may follow, often in localised, afternoon thunderstorms. These are more common in the centre and east of the country, and more unusual in the desert.
April and especially May are often lovely months in Namibia. Increasingly dry, with a real freshness in the air, and much greenery in the landscape; at this time the air is clear and largely free from dust.
From June to August Namibia cools down and dries out more; nights can become cold, dropping below freezing in some desert areas. As the landscape dries so the game in the north of the country gravitates more to waterholes, and is more easily seen by visitors.
By September and October it warms up again; game-viewing in most areas is at its best, although there’s often a lot of dust around and the vegetation has lost its vibrancy.
November is a highly variable month. Sometimes the hot, dry weather will continue, at other times the sky will fill with clouds and threaten to rain – but if you’re lucky enough to witness the first rains of the season, you’ll never forget the drama.
Namibia – Month-by-Month
Visiting Namibia in January
This is mid-summer in Namibia. It tends to be hot and humid, with maximum temperatures hitting around 30°C to 35°C (86°F to 95°F); reaching up to 40°C (104°F) in the desert. There may be torrential downpours in the afternoon, but not every day. Mornings are usually clear, with the rain falling in the late afternoon.
Events & Festivals
- Birdwatching in the Caprivi Strip (November to February): The Caprivi Strip is at its best during the summer months, when there are fantastic birdwatching opportunities, with more than 450 species
- Flamingos gather (November to February): The summer months are the best time to see a flamboyance of flamingos, where they gather on lagoons in their thousands in Swakopmund.
- Birdwatching in the Caprivi Strip (November to February): The Caprivi Strip is at its best during the summer months, when there are fantastic birdwatching opportunities, with more than 450 species
- Flamingos gather (November to February): The summer months are the best time to see a flamboyance of flamingos, where they gather on lagoons in their thousands in Swakopmund.
- Birdwatching in the Caprivi Strip (November to February): The Caprivi Strip is at its best during the summer months, when there are fantastic birdwatching opportunities, with more than 450 species recorded in the area..
- Flamingos gather (November to February): The summer months are the best time to see a flamboyance of flamingos, where they gather on lagoons in their thousands in Swakopmund.
- Birdwatching in the Caprivi Strip (November to February): The Caprivi Strip is at its best during the summer months, when there are fantastic birdwatching opportunities, with more than 450 species recorded in the area..
- Flamingos gather (November to February): The summer months are the best time to see a flamboyance of flamingos, where they gather on lagoons in their thousands in Swakopmund.
Visiting Visiting Namibia in February
Very similar to January, with hot, humid days and the chance of the occasional downpour in the afternoons..
Events & Festivals
Visiting Namibia in March
Rainfall starts to decrease and temperatures lower after the rains. The nights start to get cooler again, with temperatures falling to around 15°C (59°F), although during the day this rises to around 30°C (86°F), making for pleasant conditions.
Visiting Namibia in April
The rain should have stopped by April and daytime temperatures should drop to around 25°C (77°F). Expect lows of around 13°C (55°F) at night, although it can be cooler in the desert.
Visiting Namibia in May
May is the beginning of Namibia’s winter. There is little to no rainfall during the winter and humidity is low. Wildlife will start to gather around the waterholes when rivers and other water sources dry up.
Visiting Namibia in June
The nights are getting cold and temperatures can drop to below 10°C (50°F), while in the desert areas it can get to freezing. Daytime temperatures are pleasant however, with blue skies and temperatures in the mid-20°Cs (70°Fs).
Visiting Namibia in July – August
July and August are the main winter months. Be sure to pack warm clothing because game drives in open vehicles can be chilly. The maximum temperature is around 21-25°C (70-77°F). At night it will be around 7°C (45°F), but it can drop to below freezing in the desert.
Visiting Namibia in September
September is a lovely month and considered the best time to travel to Namibia. It isn’t yet too hot, but the humidity is still low, keeping it very pleasant. It is dry and the skies are clear.
Visiting Namibia in October
During October the green vegetation is fading and the heat gradually builds up. This is a very good time for game viewing because the country is so dry. Temperatures during the day can reach 29°C (84°F) and it gets even hotter in the desert.
Visiting Namibia in November
The heat continues to rise by November and it will be very hot; although humidity is still low. On average, daytime temperatures are above 30°C (86°F). Clouds start to build in the afternoon, bringing a chance of rain.
Events & Festivals
Visiting Namibia in December
The first rains usually arrive in December, and with it the temperature drops. The landscape changes after the first rains as everything comes to life, and the animals start to disperse as more water sources become available.
Events & Festivals
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch

We were taken to our room, which was a spacious cottage, with great air-conditioning and fabulous bed. The bathroom was enormous. The walls of room were covered in a rough plaster, but they had left a small-square uncovered and placed a glass window over it – this was to show you that the building was actually constructed from straw bales, which is a fantastic and economic material to use for house construction in hot and cold climates. Our room had a good size deck, complete with Adirondack-style chairs and which made it feel a lot like a mid-west farm homestead straight out of the United States – except our view was an African savannah with ostriches.


After settling in we went to explore the rest of the resort. The main lodge was very cosy, with a nice restaurant that had in indoor space, but extended out onto a big patio. There was also a bar outside and a good size pool. It felt like this would be a good place to bring a young family.



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