Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is split into 3 regions, the Karoo, Namakwa and the Kalahari regions. Endless wilderness plateau, unique flat-topped koppies, warm hospitality, wide open spaces and mysteries await you in the Karoo Region.
With the first rains, the seemingly arid soil of the Karoo bursts into abundant life, its hardy succulents complementing the sweet grasses on which the region’s merino and fat-tailed sheep graze. The ever-present wind pumps testify to the countless streams flowing between fissures underlying the dry but fertile soil.
Small, isolated but welcoming villages, a distinct Karoo architecture and imposing churches rest in valleys between desolate, flat-topped koppies. Take a short trip from Colesberg, an essential stopover for all travelers and a sheep-farming centre, to Hopetown, the scene of South Africa’s first recorded diamond find.
Return, passing Orania, a self-proclaimed Afrikaner volkstaat, before making your way to Vanderkloof and the Rolfontein Nature Reserve on the shores of the great Vanderkloof Dam.
Indulge in water sports or relax on its secluded banks which stretch 100km to the Doornkloof Nature Reserve on the man-made lake’s southern shores. Throughout this wonderful part of the great Karoo, you can visit, hunt or hike on game farms and nature reserves teeming with every species of antelope. And, like the country they live in, the hardy inhabitants of the Karoo make you feel immediately at home in their beloved countryside.
Towns in the Karoo Region are :Belmont, Britstown, Campbell, Carnarvon, Colesberg, Copperton, De Aar, Douglas, Griquatown, Hanover, Hopetown, Hutchinson, Loxton, Marydale, Norvalspont, Noupoort, Orania, Petrusville, Philipstown, Prieska, Richmond, Strydenburg, Three Sisters, Van Wyksvlei, Vanderkloof, Victoria West, Vosburg, Witput.
Namakwa Region
In spring the dormant arid winter lands come alive with wild flowers including many rare, unique and endangered plants types. Adapting to a climate defying all life, they survive and thrive in this beautiful land of blistering extremes. The land of the Nama is a land of mystery, magic and contrasts.
Track the Old Copper Way and soak yourself in the colourful histories of towns deeply rooted in a proud mining tradition; Ponder the reasoning of treasure seekers of old who were prepared to die for the chance of newfound mineral wealth; Take a raft or canoe trip on the Orange River through deep canyons; Take your 4x4 on an adventure in the haunting moonscapes of the saw toothed mountains of the Richtersveld Transfrontier Park; Enjoy the cultural interaction of the Nama people whilst taking a donkey ride in Eksteenfontein; Experience the wonder of the star-studded night, from the South African Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland; Wrap yourself in an aura of timeless serenity at a solitary, palm-fringed cathedral in Pella.
Towns in the Namakwa Region are : Aggeneys, Alexander Bay, Brandvlei, Calvinia, Carolusberg, Concordia, Eksteenfontein, Fraserburg, Garies, Hondeklip Bay, Kamieskroon, Kleinzee,Koingnaas, Komaggas, Kuboes, Lekkersing, Leliefontein, Loeriesfontein, McDougall's Bay, Nababeep, Nieuwoudtville, Okiep, Onseepkans, Pella, Pofadder, Port Nolloth, Richtersveld Communities, Sanddrif, Soebatsfontein, Springbok, Steinkopf, Sutherland, Vioolsdrift, Williston.
Kalahari Region
Vast tracts of bleak, shimmering semi desert contrast dramatically with lush green vineyards filling the Orange River’s fertile valleys. The massive body of water meanders through a giant valley of its making, being at its most impressive at the Augrabies Falls National Park, where the deafening fury of a huge torrent of angry water plummeting 56m down a series of granite cataracts speaks volumes for the river’s awesome power. By 1884, the river had been claimed by colonialists, and irrigation and development followed.
You can travel today peacefully from wine cellars to tearooms in the desert; from a luxurious lodge to the desolation of Verneukpan. The mighty Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Africa’s first transfrontier park, comprises almost 3.7 million hectares of sparsely vegetated, dry riverbeds and red sand dunes.
The reserve provides sanctuary for gemsbok, springbok, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, eland, lion, leopard, cheetah and smaller game. One of Africa’s last pristine game reserves, the size of the park allows for the mass migration of different species, a sight inducing awe and deep-seated emotion.
Towns in the Green Kalahari Regionare :Andriesvale, Augrabies, Beeshoek, Danielskuil, Groblershoop, Kakamas, Kanoneiland, Keimoes, Kenhardt, Marshand, Mier Area,Askham, Noenieput, Olifantshoek, Postmasburg and Upington. Capetown-direct offers a large choice of accommodation in the Northern Cape.
