The Northern Cape could be considered South Africa’s most unusual tourist destination. It’s renowned for its southern Kalahari scenery and Richtersveld mountain desert, its abundant diamonds and for being home to the world’s ‘first people” — the San Bushmen, Griqua and Nama.
It’s a province of surprises and contrasts. In spite of its vast, arid desert areas, it has two of the country’s biggest rivers — the Vaal, which flows into the Orange river — running through it. It is also home to one of the world’s biggest flower displays along one of its roughest and wildest coastlines.
And 10% of South Africa’s vineyards are located in the ultra-hot and dry Upington region.
The Northern Cape is home to six national parks: Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Richtersveld, Vaalbos, Namaqua, Tankwa-Karoo and Augrabies Falls — the latter boasting the sixth-largest waterfall in the world.
Some of the greatest views of the southern night skies can be seen in the province. Indeed, the village of Sutherland is home to the largest astronomical telescope in the southern hemisphere.
This pretty village, with its gravel streets, is host to amateur and professional astronomers throughout the year, giving it the nickname of ‘gateway to the universeâ€.
The province is also rich in history and cultural diversity, with its indigenous peoples, archaeology, geology, architecture, arts, crafts and rock art.
Adventure activities abound with a wide range of options — from sunset camel rides, fly-fishing and plunging down the world’s oldest working diamond mine to spotting martial eagles and pygmy falcons in the Kalahari, examining San-Bushman rock engravings and 4x4ing down a 30m-high Kalahari dune.
There are 4×4 routes aplenty, as well as hiking trails, mountain biking, bird- watching, photography and plain old relaxing in a hot spring dwarfed by 80m-high granite cliff walls, and awesome lunar landscape-like scenery at Riemvasmaak Hot Springs.
The Northern Cape boasts the Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre, one of South Africa’s premier rock-art sites (over 400 rock engravings) with audio-visual introductions, displays and audio tours on site.
The Xun and Khwe San communities are proud owners of the land, on which Wildebeest Kuil stands and proudly displays art, crafts and textiles in the shop.
If you’re looking for a safe and cost- effective getaway, the south-north tourism route is the one to take.
This exciting route between Cape Town and the Orange river offers visitors outdoor adventures, walking among wild flowers, mountain desert walks, wilderness challenges and specialist tours such as the diamond discovery, succulent safari, photographic safari and the Khoisan trail.
The Northern Cape is also a land of myths and legends, where many mysterious, historic figures from the past left unforgettable pieces of history behind. There was Cecil John Rhodes (founder of the mighty De Beers Diamond Mining company), Scotty Smith (who some considered something of a Robin Hood and others a renegade and stock thief) and Maria Bacciarelli, the first woman pilot in South Africa.
For more information on the Northern Cape, contact Northern Cape Tourism on (053) 832 2657 or visit www.northerncape.org.za