Travel Guide SA - Northern Cape

The Northern Cape

TRAVEL SOUTH AFRICA……..

Vast expanses of space and silence, drought and blazing summer sunshine define the Northern Cape. Across this arid landscape the Orange River flows. At times sluggish and placid, at others powerful and furious. Were it not for this river, much of the region may well have remained bleak and populated only by nomadic bands of Bushmen.

Instead, prosperous towns and villages have risen along its banks, and large stretches of once-barren land have been transformed into fields of cotton, Lucerne, dates, grapes and peanuts.

The Northern Cape is South Africa's largest province with a land area of some 361 830 square km. But its population is under a million. Despite its small population it is a rich province, because this is where diamonds were discovered way back in 1866. From then onwards treasure hunters from all over the world came to the Northern Cape in search of these precious gems.

In addition to the fabulous diamonds which dramatically changed the course of this region’s history, the Northern Cape is home to some spectacular tourist attractions. The Augrabies Falls are a must for South African travellers. Wildlife enthusiasts should spend a day or two in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, and those who are looking for an unparalleled adventure should head for the Richtersveld. Visitors to Springbok, in the centre of the country's famous wild flower region, will find fascinating relics of the early copper mining days and the big hole at Kimberley is famous throughout the world.

Southward the immense, spacious plain of the Great Karoo forms the backdrop for far-flung towns and villages, old battlefields and epic adventures. The wide open spaces and distant horizons are characterised by crisp dry air, clear skies, flamboyant sunsets and brilliant starry nights.

The semi-desert wilderness of the Kalahari has enough sweet grasses and water-storing plants to support enormous herds of game and sustain a few nomadic Bushmen (San), living their hunter-gatherer lives in harmony with the natural world.

The green agricultural belt flanking the Orange River as it nears the Atlantic Ocean provides a lush contrast to the ruggedness of the Richtersveld. Nestled between the river and the ocean, the saw-toothed mountain peaks, sculpted boulders and colourful indigenous flora have a unique beauty found nowhere else on earth.

The Northern Cape boasts a colourful history and a variety of cultural tourist attractions, and is particularly well known for the incredible annual floral displays of Namaqualand. After the right amount of winter rainfall, the spring landscape transforms into a carpet of brilliant blooms stretching from horizon to horizon. This, together with an utterly beautiful coastline and a number of unique national parks, offers South African travellers a very different African experience.