Northern Cape - As real as the people who choose to explore it

Parks and Reserves

|Ai|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park - Hauntingly beautiful and seared by a blistering sun, the lava mountains and sandy plains form southern Africa’s largest mountain desert park. read more

Augrabies Falls National Park - This is where the mighty Orange River is at its most impressive as it thunders its way through a ravine and into a pool walled by sheer granite, creating the world’s sixth largest waterfall. read more

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - One of the world’s last truly unspoilt ecosystems, the Park is a result of the unification of South Africa’s Kalahari Gemsbok Park and Botswana’s Gemsbok National Park. The park, at 3.7 million hectares, is one of the largest conservation areas in the world. read more

Goegap Nature Reserve - This 7 000 hectare nature reserve, just east of Springbok, supports 600 different indigenous plant species, 45 mammal species and 94 bird species. The Hester Malan Wild Flower Garden showcases many Namakwa succulents and a rock garden.

Namaqua National Park - Escape to the land of contrasts, where the rigorous climate has created a myriad of life forms superbly adapted to their specific habitat. Fields of flowers, star studded nights, quiver trees, enormous granite outcrops and the icy Atlantic are but a few wonders that await the visitor to what is truly the Creators’ playground.

Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve - Ten kilometres south of Nieuwoudville, the rugged series of deep ravines incised by the Oorlogskloof River offers hiking trails (two 50km four-day hiking trails and two ?1-day walks) and a home to several rare bird species, including booted eagles, black storks and gymnogene. The reserve spans 5 577 hectares.

Spitskop Nature Reserve - A small game reserve 13 km north of Upington, stocked with gemsbok, zebra, springbok, ostrich, eland, hartebeest and mountain zebra.

Tankwa Karoo National Park - The 80 000 hectare Tankwa Karoo National Park, proclaimed in 1986 and still in a development stage, is at present in a veld recovery phase and it will be some time before the original vegetation re-establishes itself.

Tswalu Desert Reserve - This upmarket reserve is the most extensive private game reserve in South Africa. Surrounding the rugged Koranneberg Mountains in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve covers 100 km2 (100 000 ha) of land on the edge of the mysterious desert wilderness that is the Kalahari.

Thuru Lodge - This private game reserve, close to Groblershoop, forms part of the Kalahari, consisting of appoximately 25 000 acres. The Game Reserve has a unique variety of vegetation types, which broadly classified into Nama Karoo, Kalahari and Karoo mountain vegetation.

Mokala National Park - The newest South African National Park, just south of Kimberley, was proclaimed on 19 June 2007. "Mokala" is a Tswana word for the Camel Thorn tree (acacia erioloba), which is predominant throughout the park. This park replaces the Vaalbos National Park which was de-proclaimed due to a land claim. read more

Witsand Nature Reserve - Flowing white dunes, twenty to sixty metres high, are surrounded by copper-red Kalahari sand, Acacia woodland and the Langberg Mountain range. Home of the famous ‘Brulsand’ or Roaring Sands of the Kalahari.