Itinerary: Cape Town – Namib Desert – Cape Town
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The Sossusvlei, Namibia's famous highlight in the heart of the Namib Desert, is a huge clay pan, enclosed by giant sand dunes. Some of the spectacular hills of sand are, at a height of 300 metres, the highest in the world. Only after a heavy rainfall, which is a ra re event in this area, does the vlei fill with water. As the clay layers hardly allow any water infiltration, a turquoise lake will remain for quite some time. The dunes of the Namib desert have developed over a period of many millions of years. It is thought that the vast quantities of sand were deposited into the Alantic Ocean by the Orange river. This material was subsequently moved
northwards by the Benguela current to be dumped back onto the land by the surf. The coastal dunes developed as a result of this and were shifted further and further inland by the wind. Wind continuously reshapes the patterns of the huge dunes of the Namib desert. It timelessly forces the grains of sand on the flat windward slope upwards to the crest of the dune. Here they fall down in the wind shade. The leeward slope is therefore always considerably steeper than the windward side.
Day 7, Sesriem, visit Soussousvlei
The Namib-Naukluft Park is Namibia's largest nature reserve, about 50.000 sqkms in size. It includes a 100 to150 km broad belt of land that stretches along the coastline from the Swakop valley in the north, towards the road B4 to Luederitz in the south. Most parts of this enormous area are not accessible to man. One can only visit a small stretch north of the Kuiseb river: the Naukluft Mountains and the Sossusvlei in the central dune fields.
Day 8, Sesriem – Marienthal, km 370, all Gravel
Mariental lies 260 kilometres south of Windhoek on the B1. The little town provides for the surrounding farms and Nama communities. With the construction of the Hardap Dam in 1962, irrigation farming on a considerable scale was introduced to the area causing an upswing for the town of Mariental. Nowadays, mainly melons, lucerne, wine and maize are being cultivated below the dam. The Hardap Dam is the biggest of its kind in Namibia with a water surface area of about 25 sqkms and an 862 metre long dam wall. It dams up the waters of the Fish River, the only river in the country's interior that flows just about all year round, although carrying very low quantities of water during the dry season.
Day 9, Marienthal – Kalahari Desert - Koes, km 350, all Gravel.
The Kalahari in south-east Namibia is an area of ancient red dunes scattered with grass and low bush and umbrella-shaped Camelthorn trees. It is the ancient home of Bushmen, some of whom still live in this semi-desert. The Kalahari has plentiful game with wandering Antelopes, especially the hardy Oryx, Wildebeest, Ostrich, Cheetah, Wild Dog, Brown Hyena and Kalahari Lions. Smaller mammals also do well here including Meerkat, who live in fascinating well ordered communities. In the red sands of the Kalahari, some Bushman still roam in harmony with the land, as their ancestors have done for thousands of years.)
Day 10, Koes – Kalagadi National Park, km 350, all Gravel
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - the former Kalahari Gemsbok National Park - in the northernmost corner of South Africa is still one of the best kept secrets in South African tourism, attracting 50,000 visitors annually. From any starting point, the journey to the remote nature reserve is a long drive over dusty roads. The park provides an insight into the fascinating ecosystem of the Kalahari with its orange-red sand dunes and a flora and fauna specially adapted to the arid conditions in the Kalahari desert. The Kalahari park was declared a National Park in 1931, mainly to put a stop to the destructive game poaching. After the amalgamation with the bordering Gemsbok National Park in Botswana in 1998 the reserve is now called Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and comprises an area of more than 36,000 sq km.
Access to the park (South African part) in the south leads through the restcamp Twee Rivieren ("Two Rivers"). Excellent accommodation is available here with a swimming pool, restaurant and other amenities. The two main routes through the National Park start here and run along the - usually dry - riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob rivers to the remote restcamps Mata-Mata and Nossob. In distances of 5 to 20 kilometres, one can find waterholes along the riverbeds, most of them fed by wind pumps. Here is where the game gathers, especially in the early hours of the morning and late in the afternoon. The cooler winter months from April to September are more suitable for a visit to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park than are the very hot summer months, when temperatures might rise above the 40° C mark. The most favourable time for game observation is right after the rainy season, which usually ends in March or April. If you don't mind the heat, January and February are good months to spot lions. The border is marked only by whitewashed stones, so that the animals can roam freely through both parks.
Day 11, Kalahari – Upington, km 260, Tar Road
Upington, on the banks of the Orange River, is the economic and traffic centre of the Northern Cape and the gateway to the Kalahari desert. For travellers to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, this is the last stop to do the shopping in well stocked supermarkets and replenish the provisions. Those coming from the Kalahari can enjoy the green lawns and the luxury of a swimming pool after a dusty desert ride. The town developed from a missionary station, founded here in 1871. Today, it houses a little museum (Kalahari Oranje Museum).
In the middle of a dry semi-desert area an oasis has been created using the waters of the Orange River for irrigation. A narrow ribbon of fertile land runs for over 280 kilometres on both sides of the river. The main crops are wine grapes, as well as citrus, wheat and vegetables. The grapes are exported to Europe as table fruits or used in the local wine production.Upington is the hottest town in South Africa. In summer temperatures often rise to over 40 degrees.
Day 12, Upington – Augrabies Falls National Park, km 160, Tar Road
The Orange River drops 191 metres at the Augrabies Falls. The thundering cascade of water led the original Hottentot residents to believe that evil spirits were active here, and so they named the waterfall Ankoerebis, "place of big noises", from which the Trek Boers, who settled here later on, derived the name Augrabies. Especially in late summer, when the river carries a lot of water, the roaring waters fully justify that name. New waterfalls then form at the sidewalls, and the air is filled with dense spraying fog. The gorge at the Augrabies Falls is 240 m deep and 18 km long. It is a most impressive example of granite erosion. When the whole landmass of the area lifted about 500 million years ago, the Orange River slowly started to dig its bed into the ground. The Augrabies Falls National Park, an hour from Upington, comprises an area of 820 sq km and stretches along the Orange River. The vegetation is suited to the arid desert climate. The Kokerboom, or Quiver Tree grow here. They are succulents and can store huge amounts of water in their stems and so survive long periods of drought. The park contains a game reserve with rhinos as the main attraction.
Day 13, Augrabies – Calvinia, km 470, Tar and Gravel Road
Calvinia lies off the beaten tourist tracks, some 120 km east of Vanrhynsdorp. Time seems to stand still in the little rural town which is why nostalgic Calvinia is worth a visit. The town at the Oorlogskloof River was founded in the year 1847, first under the name "Hantam", a Khoi-Khoi word meaning "Mountain where the red edible flowers bloom". After the building of the first Dutch-Reformed church the minister insisted in changing the name to Calvinia in honour of the Swiss reformer Johannes Calvin. Calvinia lies at the foot of the Hantam mountain range at a height of about 1000 metres above sea level. The vegetation mainly equals Karoo Flora, but some fynbos plants can also be found in here. Calvinia is the trading and service centre for the merino and dorper sheepbreeders in the vivinity. Over the last years this agricultural sector was badly hit by the falling of the wool prices. Lately, though, the prices start to recover.
Day 14, Calvinia – Cape Town. km 400, Tar and Gravel Road
Cape Town is a city like no other. Its a contrast of vibrant activity and meditative relaxation. She often compared to Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and San Francisco. Many travellers, however, find her the most beautiful city in the world. The position of South Africa's "Mother City" is at the foot of the mighty Table Mountain massif, amidst a National Park of extraordinary beauty and surrounded by two oceans, with stunning expansive beaches that enchant innumerable visitors every year.
Final routing depending on availability of accommodation at time of booking and might change slightly