Testimonials
Participants from past Tracking The Kalahari Expeditions share their thoughts.
"Traveling to the Kalahari with TTK was genuinely one of the best experiences of my life. It had been a dream of mine to study tracking with the San Bushmen for many years and TTK turned this dream into reality. This program celebrates the nuanced society and culture of the San Bushmen, a culture that balances the ancient and the modern, without shying away from the hard reality of a marginalized indigenous people. The community formed during the TTK program is firmly based on the principles of respect and mutual benefit. The staff are dedicated to respecting our hosts' wishes and strive to give back equally to what we are given... and we as participants are given so much. Our hosts generously share their vibrant culture with us: their tracking knowledge and deep understanding of the landscape, dancing, music, crafts, and stories. The friendships and connections made in this cross-cultural village are genuine and lasting, and its impact will resonate for the rest of my life. I am deeply grateful for this experience, for the people I met, and for the renewed respect and appreciation I have gained for the Bushmen culture. Thank you, TTK!"
Kristi Freese - 2026 participant
"Though I’d first heard about this trip through one of my tracking mentors, I really had no idea what to expect. What I found was a profoundly meaningful experience: of being a guest of people whose lives are very different from my own, of deepening my tracking knowledge and practice, of learning to travel through an ecosystem quite different from any I’d been used to. I am grateful to have learned so much from the Ju/Hoansi master trackers and I brought home not only lifetime memories but a deeper and humbler skillset than what I’d left with. It was such a great trip that I’m doing it again!"
Genevieve Williams - 2024 participant
​I joined the TTK 2026 trip for the cultural immersion and nature connection aspects. The organizers did an incredible job to accommodate participants with different level of tracking knowledge and experience. In addition to learning the tracking fundamentals from the best trackers, I felt intimately connected to the land in a new-to-me part of the world. This connection wouldn’t have been possible without the hours and days we spent in the fields with the San Bushman. The experience of living in our communal village with Ju/‘Hoansi families, building connections with each of them, has become one of the most treasured memories in my mind. The Etosha leg is the trip was epic as well. I got to see and learn more about all wildlife from traveling with this group of very knowledgeable animal enthusiasts - way better than any safari guide! Finally, learning where and how our money is going to support the San Bushman community makes this trip even more special and worth it. All in all, it has been an epic and remarkable experience, and I fully trust the organizers and the amazing work they continue to do for the San Bushman! I’d absolutely recommend this expedition to anyone who’s interested in learning about Bushman in a truly immersive and authentic way, trackers or not!​
Mengyan Liu - 2026 participant
“I can’t speak highly enough of the Tracking The Kalahari trip. It was a trip that was valued by both the Ju/Hoansi people and the visitors. We were welcomed with open arms, with a joyfulness that is hard to put into words. I learned so much…the tracking, the traditional hunting, the craft making… all of the skills of the people there was just so beautiful, including the language. I really enjoyed going out in the early morning and seeing tracks of hyena, leopard and many other animals.
This Expedition helped me understand the conditions in which the people are now living and ways that we can try to be supportive. I really trust the people who’ve created this Expedition. I know huge amounts of work, love and partnership with a Ju/Hoansi is what drives the project and the people involved. So as someone who doesn’t easily trust indigenous trips in this way, I can reassure people that this is a project that can be trusted. I had the best time. It was adventurous, challenging, beautiful, fun. Thank you to everyone in the team! I’m so grateful to have had the experience.”
Sally Zlot - 2024 participant
