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10 Reasons To Visit South Africa’s Northern Cape

10 Reasons To Visit South Africa’s Northern Cape

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The super-sized Northern Cape Province up near the border with Namibia is South Africa’s last great frontier. A playground for off-the-grid explorers and nature photographers, it is a land of wild national parks and last century’s diamond rush towns, of red sand dunes, crimson-ball sunsets and clear starry nights. Here are 10 reasons to visit South Africa’s Northern Cape before it becomes too discovered.

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www.greatstock.co.za

1. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Africa’s first multi-national park, the Kgalgadi is a magical place lodged between Botswana and Namibia in the Kalahari Desert. It is famed for its predator population — more than 1,100 strong — including prides of black-maned lions.

www.southafrica.net
www.southafrica.net

2. Kimberley

The only real city in the Northern Cape, Kimberley is a former diamond-mining town that feels trapped in time — it’s as if the clock stopped when the mine did, a century ago. Home of DeBeers Diamonds until it shut down operations there in 1914, the Big Hole, as it is called, was the world’s largest hand-dug mine, yielding a whopping 2.75 tons of diamonds. That’s about 14.5 million carats.

www.southafrica.net
www.southafrica.net

3. Orange River Wine Route

The Northern Cape’s Orange River basin has its own wine region. It may not be as famous as its Western Cape counterparts, but the “Green Kalahari” region along the banks of the Orange River actually produces more than 10 percent of the country’s wines. Drive the N10 and N14 between Keimos and Kakamos to sample the product.

www.southafrica.net
www.southafrica.net

4. Augrabies Falls National Park

The world’s sixth-tallest waterfall, Augrabies Falls means “place of great noise” in the native Khoesaan language. Visit just after the rainy season for the most impressive photos and roar.

Photo Credit: South African Tourism (www.southafrica.net)
Photo Credit: South African Tourism (www.southafrica.net)

5. Namakwa Wildflowers

Each spring the Northern Cape’s stark Northwest corner blossoms. It’s normally a sun-baked desert, but with the spring rains comes a rainbow-colored blanket of wildflowers so famous and prolific that people travel from across the world to photograph and paint it.

www.southerncape.co.za
www.southerncape.co.za

6. Calvinia

Hundreds of miles from anywhere, the sheep-farming outpost of Calvinia is a great place to get lost. Although it booms during wildflower season, the rest of the year it is a quiet place with amazing starry night skies. It is also a good base for some of the most spectacular drives in the Northern Cape.

Photo Credit: South African Tourism (www.southafrica.net)
Photo Credit: South African Tourism (www.southafrica.net)

7. Richtersveld Transfrontier Park

Accessible only by four-by-four vehicles, the Richtersveld is South Africa’s final wild frontier and my favorite part of the province. It is a surreal desertscape of trippy looking trees, jagged ravines, sandy moonscapes and lava rocks, and it is huge, crossing borders into Namibia. Visit during wildflower season for a truly out-of-this-world experience. That’s when it becomes a psychedelic wonderland.

Photo Credit: Martin Heigan
Photo Credit: Martin Heigan

8. Witsand Nature Reserve

Home to the “roaring sands,” Witsand Nature Reserve is one of the province’s most unique features. When the wind blows across the white sand dunes (some are as high as 300-feet) it creates a bass organ-like sound effect. This is also one of Africa’s best spots for stargazing.

Photo Credit: South African Tourism (www.southafrica.net)
Photo Credit: South African Tourism (www.southafrica.net)

9. Riemvasmaak

Hands down one of the best traditional off-the-beaten path destinations in South Africa, Riemvasmaak is the kind of place where donkey carts remain the main mode of transportation and visitors can expect to spend plenty of time soaking in hot springs and soaking up solitude.

Photo Credit: South African Tourism (www.southafrica.net)
Photo Credit: South African Tourism (www.southafrica.net)

10. Port Nolloth

Way off-the-beaten path, Port Nolloth sits up by the border with Namibia, and right on the end of the cold stretch of Atlantic Ocean coastline they call the Skeleton Coast — although in summer months the locals will still use this stretch of beach for sunbathing. The town has an end-of-the-Earth frontier vibe, and is a choice pick for truly getting off the grid.