North Cape, Namakwa and Richtersveld, Kalahari Transfrontier Park

This vast, sun kissed area is full of awesome grandeur and stunning contrasts. The Northern Cape is a place of twisted faults and sun seared crenellations, ancient lava mountains and mineral springs, red desert sands and breathtaking waterfalls, shimmering saltpans and floral kaleidoscopes, desolate coastline and eerie Kokerboom Forests. The province is notable for fine examples of Bushman art, abundant deposits of semi precious stones, and four major Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Namaqualand is 100% big sky country. Extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the small town of Pofadder in the east, north from the great Orange River and south beyond Garies, Namaqualand is indeed a vast and varied region. During the arid summer months it is difficult for the tourist to imagine the phenomenon of the yearly wild flower appearance. After the winter rainfall, Namaqualand dons her coat of many colours and for a brief moment, the wildflowers invade the countryside. Countless poems, novels, paintings and prose have been dedicated to this magnificent display.

The  Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park is a harsh and unpredictable land where water is scarce and life-sustaining moisture comes in the form of early morning fog – called ‘Ihuries’ or ‘Malmokkies’ by the local people – which rolls in from the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, sustaining a remarkable range of small reptiles, birds and mammals. A staggering assortment of plant life, some species occurring nowhere else, is to be found here, with gnarled quiver trees, tall aloes and quaint ‘half-mens’ that keeps vigil over this inscrutable landscape.

The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park forms Africa's first transfrontier park with the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana, facilitating the seasonal migration of wildlife in search of water, and the movement of free-roaming predators. The park, known as Kgalagadi ('land of thirst'), represents an increasingly rare phenomenon in the world: a vast ecosystem relatively free of human influence. No fewer than 215 bird species and over 400 plant species have been recorded.

Kalahari lion, gemsbok, blue wildebeest, eland, springbok, red hartebeest, duiker, steenbok, spotted hyaena, black-backed jackal, springhare, meerkat are amongst the plentiful game to be viewed in this area.