4×4 along remote nature parks and the West Coast

You will be at the airport from Cape Town  met by a driver who will take you to your accommodation. Depending on the time you arrive, you can discover Cape Town today or recover from the journey.

Stay overnight at  The Walden House in a Standard Double or Twin Room. You stay here based on bed and breakfast. It is of course also possible to stay several nights in Cape Town so that you can see more of the city.

This morning you take your rental car,category W from Eurpocar (Ford Ranger or similar), in receipt. This tough 4×4 will guide you over unpaved roads with ease.

Today you drive some 140 kilometers in a northerly direction along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Make a stopover at Bloubergstrand to take some nice pictures of the bay, Robben Island and Table Mountain. The route takes you past and through various nature reserves, the last of which is the best known: West Coast National Park. You spend the night on the northern border of this park in the coastal village of Langebaan.

The Langebaan Lagoon is three kilometers wide and no less than 30 kilometers long. You will find many water birds here such as seagulls, but also flamingos and pelicans are happy to be guests. And it is seen as the largest breeding ground for black herons.

The West Coast National Park has a rich history and is also famous because it is where the “footstep of Eve”, the oldest human footprint, is found. But the enchanting beauty of the coastline and the flora and fauna make it a place for the true nature lover! In the coming days you can explore this area at your leisure.

Two nights at At The Rocks Guesthouse based on bed and breakfast. From this 4-star accommodation you can also take walks to the lagoon or the village.

After a quiet breakfast and perhaps a beach walk, you continue your journey in a northerly direction. From Elands Bay you head inland to your final destination for today: Clanwilliam (about 180 km). This area is known for the production of rooibos tea, this is the only place in the world where rooibos grow. If you want to see how rooibos is cultivated then you have come to the right place! There are a number of nice tea gardens in and around the village where you can buy rooibos tea with a treat. And you will see that rooibos is not only used for tea.

You are near the Cederberg where you can make hiking or hiking trips and there are also old rock drawings of the bushmen here. A well-known hiker route is the Sevilla Rock Art Trail, which you can find a 30-minute drive from the village. The four-kilometer route takes you past various places where you can see ancient rock drawings of bushmen. You can buy a route map at the tourist office in Clanwilliam or at Travelers Rest Farm where the walk starts.

Stay overnight at Saint du Barrys in a Garden Room based on bed and breakfast.

After breakfast you can have a look around Clanwilliam or do some shopping. Don’t leave too late, because you have a distance of more than 310 kilometers ahead. The N7 takes you further to the remote Namaqua National Park. You are now in the Northern Cape province, the largest province in South Africa, but with the least population. You will drive through small settlements and get the feeling that you are (almost) alone in the world.

At the Namaqua National Park you will undoubtedly immediately think of the wild flower seas that you can admire here a few weeks a year (in spring, August to November). Namaqualand has the richest variety of succulents in the world, more than 3500! Most of the year this is a semi-desert, a landscape where you can shoot beautiful pictures. Particularly worth seeing in this vast scenic area is the Skilpad Wildflower Reserve that forms part of the Namaqua National Park. This 930 hectare reserve is located 700 m above sea level and as a result absorbs much of the rain that is blown inland from the sea. Even if the surrounding areas do not have a great flower season, it is often spectacular here. Also think of the butterflies, birds and other insects that come with all those beautiful flowers. The park does not only consist of flowers, but you will also find the Quiver-tree, beautiful granite rock formations and a sky that surprises day and night. With regard to animals, you can see dassies, gemsboks, baboons, jackals, springboks, leopards (very shy), ibexes, turtles and more. Here you will experience absolute tranquility.

Two nights at the Skilpad Rest Camp

Get up early today, because you will spend a lot of hours on the road. The distance you travel to your overnight address in the Richtersveld National Park is about 330 kilometers, but this can take no less than 6 to 7 hours! The park is only passable with a 4×4 vehicle and make sure you have at least one spare wheel and tools to change a wheel with you. The shortest route to the Tatasberg Wilderness Camp where you will spend the night is via Alexander Bay, which lies on the border with Namibia.

The Ais Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontierpark is located on the border of South Africa and Namibia, the Orange River is the border line. This is a place of unique rock formations, many succulents, strange trees, deep silences and an amazing starry sky. The park was added to the World Heritage List of UNESCO in July 2007.

The area is also populated by some 200 species of birds, various fish and reptiles and mammals. The predators who survive here in the bizarre heat are; the black-backed jackal, the brown hyena, the caracal, and the leopard. The small klipspringer is a frequent occurrence here, but the kudu, diver, ibex, gray roe deer, gemsbok and Hartmann’s zebra have also adapted to the dry landscape.

Make sure you enter the park before 16:00, driving in the dark is forbidden.

You leave the park and head towards Springbok.Again you can drive via Alexander Bay or opt for a route through the interior via Eksteenfontein. Both routes are more than 300 kilometers long and will take approximately 6 hours due to the (partly) unpaved roads.

Springbok is the largest place in the Namaqua region and you can also do some shopping here. To the east of the village you will find the Goegab Nature Reserve where you can also see a sea of flowers from the end of July / August to October. Springboks, gemsboks, ostriches, zebras, eagles and more live here. There are various walking / hiking routes in the park that vary from 2 to 8 kilometers.

Stay two nights at Naries Namakwa Retreat in a double Mountain Suite based on bed, breakfast and dinner. A beautiful accommodation with swimming pool where you will be welcomed and where delicious meals will be served.

The next beautiful nature reserve is waiting for you! Through the Goegab reserve you continue on the N14 to Kakamas and the Augrabies Falls National Park. A distance of 340 kilometers, a journey time of around 3.5 hours.

Here too you can find animals that have adapted to the dry climate such as elk, gemsbok, mountain zebras, porcupines, leopards, giraffes, dassies and monkeys. Especially in the summer it is often very hot here during the day and then animals will show themselves late in the afternoon or evening. It is possible to book an evening / night game drive with a ranger. During the day you can enter the park on foot or with your own car. Visit the different vantage points, the swimming pool or a nice picnic area.

Two nights in the SAN parks Augrabies Camp

Then you drive back to Springbok where you can dine at a restaurant in the evening.

Stay overnight at  Daisy Country Lodge based on bed and breakfast.

After breakfast you travel to the more southern location Tankwa Karoo National Park. You can choose to use the N7 again or choose a somewhat smaller and still unknown way to (R355) to Calvinia. Via the N7 you will arrive at the Tankwa Karoo park. The other route is 50 kilometers shorter in terms of distance (466 kilometers), but costs around an hour extra to drive. Whichever route you choose, both times you will drive through Calvinia where you can make a stop. After a walk to admire the beautiful architecture of this village and to do some shopping, you continue driving. From here it is another 130 kilometers to your cottage in the Tankwa Karoo N.P. This is again a park to unwind with a good book and enjoy nature.

Two nights at the Tankwa Karoo Rest Camp  in a cottage (toilet, shower and kitchen available) based on accommodation.

Your last overnight address is also in a very special nature area. During the journey of 130 kilometers you will also be happy with your tough 4×4 vehicle that has no problem with the unpaved roads towards Kagga Kamma Cederberg. Take into account a travel time of almost three hours.

Also at this accommodation you are far away from civilization. You will be surrounded by special rock formations that guarantee special photos and in the evening you will see millions of stars in the sky. You can take walks yourself and look for the ancient rock drawings
or the bushman or drive in the park to look for animals (game drives with a guide possible). A swimming pool is available for those hot summer days. Another fun excursion is making a quad bike tour. Meals are served at the restaurant.

Two nights at the Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve in a Cave Suite for two people on a full board basis.

Today after breakfast you will return to Cape Town to return your rental car (extending your trip is of course also possible). From Kagga Kamma to the airport is a journey of approximately 3.5 hours. You continue on your way Ceres and Paarl where you can make a stop. This is a fruit-producing region and you will also see wine farms along the way. When you approach Paarl, you will see a large granite rock. This rock shimmers like a pearl when it has rained and the sun starts to shine again.

Please note: the areas you visit during this trip have large temperature differences throughout the year. If you visit this area in the South African winter, take cold nights into account.

Because you visit several SAN parks (South African National Park) during this trip, it might be worthwhile to visit one wildcard to purchase.