Tracking with the Bushmen of the Kalahari

Getting out of a vehicle and out on foot automatically changes your perspective of Africa.  Going one step further and walking in the footsteps of people who call this wilderness home, is undoubtedly one of the richest and most pleasurably surprising experiences you could hope to have.  Interaction with the Bushmen is handled respectfully and most take a real interest in demonstrating their expertise.

Those who have had the rare privilege of tracking an animal with the San hunters tell how they can lope for hours, beating rhythmical pace upon their bare thighs with a short stick.  Their understanding of the animal and formidable mental agility enables them to anticipate its movements and follow footprints over rocky ground even when none are visible.  Impressive endurance athletes, they have the capacity to run their prey to exhaustion, whereupon they employ a well-aimed poison-tipped arrow to swiftly finish the job.

Diminutive in stature and with distinctive narrow eyes and open friendly faces, the San have perfected the art of being at home in the desert.  A short spell in alongside the young hunters, or at home with the women, throws open the secrets of life in the hostile Kalahari and provides an astonishing insight into the wealth of knowledge of Africa’s oldest people.

We work with a selected handful of responsible operators who have partnered with the Bushmen in conservation projects.  Local guides will take you on walks into the surrounding area, and if you are passionate to learn more about this unique culture, there is even the rare opportunity to be part of traditional ceremonies that is still part of the nomads' life.