Botswana Ep 04 4k Kalahari Check Point - Zutshwa and the road to Xade Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Kalahari Check Point - Zutshwa in the Hukuntsi Conservancy and the road to Xade Central Kalahari Game Reserve

NAME PAN:

"Spending two nights in the Hukuntsi Conservancy on the edge of Name Pan is an experience that lingers long after you’ve left. The first thing you notice is the stillness—an almost surreal silence that stretches out across the pan, broken only by the occasional call of a distant bird or the rustle of the wind through the sparse acacia trees.

As the sun sets on the first evening, the vastness of the landscape becomes even more apparent. The sky, painted with hues of orange and pink, seems to stretch forever, meeting the flat, white expanse of the pan in a horizon that blurs the line between earth and sky. It’s in these moments that you feel truly alone, yet profoundly connected to the world around you.

The nights are cool, and as darkness falls, the stars emerge in a dazzling display, free from the interference of city lights. Sitting by the campfire, with nothing but the crackle of the flames and the endless sky above, you’re reminded of just how remote this place is—how far you are from the noise and rush of everyday life.

The mornings bring a different kind of magic. As the first light of dawn spreads across the pan, the air is crisp, and the world feels new again. You wake to the sound of nature stirring—the distant calls of antelope, the flutter of birds beginning their day. The solitude here is not lonely but peaceful, a rare chance to truly disconnect and just be.

By the time you pack up and prepare to leave, the Hukuntsi Conservancy has worked its way into your soul. It’s a place where time slows down, where the simplicity of life in the wild takes over, and where the vastness of the landscape humbles you. It’s not just a visit to the edge of the Name Pan—it’s a journey into the heart of the Kalahari, where you leave a part of yourself behind and carry a piece of this wild place with you forever."

Barbara & Pauls Safari bread

500gm flour
Two sachets dry yeast
Salt 1tsp
Water 300ml
Seeds handful

Mix and knead for about ten minutes
Allow to prove until double in size
Cut dough into eight pieces
Roll into balls.
Place into potjie with flour
Glaze the tops with water
Decoration- Cut cross hatches with a pair of scissors
Prepare Coals - Ratio 1/3rd at the bottom 2/3rds on lid
Bake for half an hour

Leaving Name Pan

We spent two peaceful nights at Name Pan,
…And joined by a few other intrepid travelers.
Out here, in the remote wilderness under the vast stars, time moves differently. The isolation of Name Pan, deep in the untamed Kalahari, offers an experience that’s truly unmatched—wild and wonderful.

"We depart Name Pan and face a long day of driving ahead. Today, we need to cover 600 kilometers to reach Xade Gate in the central kalahari reserve. The road ahead is a bit of a mystery—we haven't gathered much information on what to expect.

Along the way, we make a quick stop at Kang to refuel and withdraw some Pula from the ATM. There’s some good tar ahead, which helps us cover distance quickly, but from the moment we turn off the tar road we don’t know what to expect .

The Road to Xade
As we sit under the camelthorn tree with the sun going down on the edge of the name we savour our small accomplishment.
Babara and Paul graciously shared a skill
…and from now on no overlanding trip will be complete without bread rolls.
Who thought we would make friends deep in the Kalahari.

The road to Xade is a 65-kilometer stretch that tests the endurance of both man and machine. The sun has set, and we find ourselves driving into the night, our headlights barely cutting through the thick darkness ahead. What was already a challenging road has become even more treacherous and the thick sand saps all the energy from the beast. , The middle mannetjie carved out by trucks are huge and we can feel the undercarriage go bump int the night. We are grateful it is just sand.

As if the sand weren’t enough, thorny overgrown scrub begins to claw at the sides of the car, scraping the paint and crashing into our side mirrors. The branches, like fingers of the wilderness, reach out from the darkness, leaving their mark as we push forward.now there is no schedule we have to get there.

The isolation of this untamed road, makes each kilometer feel like a victory. Out here, it’s not just about making it to Xade. It’s about enduring the journey, navigating the thick sand, and the relentless scrub that seems determined to tear the vehicle to pieces. This road isn’t for the faint hearted but one we are determined to survive.

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