Northern Cape

The Northern Cape boasts a colourful history and a variety of cultural attractions and is particularly well known for its incredible annual floral display that takes place in Namaqualand. Lying to the south of the mighty Orange River, the region comprises mostly desert and semi-desert – and the landscape is characterized by vast arid plains with outcroppings of haphazard rock piles, off set by the cold Atlantic Ocean on the western boundary.

Apart from a narrow strip of winter-rainfall area along the coast, the Northern Cape is a semi-arid region with little rainfall in summer. The weather conditions are extreme cold and frost in winter, and temperatures are extremely high in summer. This region covers the largest area of all the provinces and yet has the smallest population. The last remaining true San (Bushman) people live in the Kalahari area of the Northern Cape – and the whole area, especially along the Orange and Vaal rivers, is rich in San rock engravings.

The Northern Cape’s sheer size, clear skies, flamboyant sunsets, brilliant starry nights and incredible silence is powerfully intoxicating. This is the kind of place you want to take in slowly…