My wife and I travelled to Khutse not really having any great expectations, as we had been advised that the chances of seeing any wildlife were actually rather poor.
However the owner, Trudy Kneale, made a very positive impression. She was born close to Khutse, at the southern extremity of the Kalahari desert and had spent years studying hotel management abroad before settling back in her own country. Her love of the wilderness encouraged her to apply for a government grant and five years later the Lodge was fully operational. It is one of the very few such operations across the country not managed by exiles from the surrounding countries.
The reason I know so much about Trudy is that she transported us for most of the journey. We had been unable to hire a 4x4 at the airport; the only hiring location, and the small saloon the airport people thought would manage the trip had to be abandoned at the end of the tar road.
The set up was very simple, but wholly adequate and... more