|Ai-|Ais / Richtersveld Transfrontier Park

The |Ai-|Ais / Richtersveld Transfrontier Park is a sprawling, breath-taking wildlife reserve that spans the north-western part of South Africa and southern Namibia. This out-of-the-way stretch of the Succulent Karoo Biome is the perfect way to disconnect and recharge, in the company of some wildlife and plant life that aren’t found anywhere else.

The rewards don’t come easily, though. Getting to the park on the South African side requires a lengthy drive of around 500 km from Upington; further if you’re coming from Cape Town. On the Namibian side, the nearest international airport (Windhoek) is around 700 km away. The park is also reserved for 4x4s only, as the terrain can be harsh and unforgiving on lesser vehicles.

But the journey is well worth it. Visiting |Ai-|Ais / Richtersveld is a seldom-viewed window into another world, where ancient rock formations and wide expanses of open scrubland host a surprisingly abundant array of plants and animals. The richness of plant diversity alone is staggering – in one square kilometre, one can find 360 species of flowering plants, in an area that gets less than 68 mm of rain per year. Around 30% of the plants found in the park are endemic to the area – one of which, the halfmens, is revered by the Nama people as the embodiment of their ancestors, thanks to its human-like appearance. Standing anywhere from one to four metres in height, these succulents are characterised by a thick stem giving way to a tuft of branches at the top, which point northwards at an angle.

Exploring the park can be done in a 4×4 vehicle or on foot, and the prime time to do so is during the flowering season between June and October. During April and September, hikers can take on the Vensterval Trail, a four-day, three-night hike that tackles a challenging, undulating route through the Oemsberg Mountains. This is an unguided hike, and visitors are strongly advised not to attempt it unless they are experienced hikers, and are prepared to carry all their supplies, including water, with them.

Travelling by 4×4 will provide an opportunity to use the pont (ferry) at Sendelingsdrif to cross between South Africa and Namibia. 

However you choose to get around the park, you’ll have the opportunity to spot wildlife like rhebok, steenbok, klipspringer and duiker. Predators include African wild cat, black-backed jackal and caracal amongst others. Very lucky visitors might spot leopard, brown hyena or aardwolf, all of which are rare. One of the park’s star inhabitants is the Hartmann’s Zebra. A relation of the Cape Mountain zebra, this animal is only found in small pockets of the park and further into Namibia.

There are also 200 bird species to admire in the park. Found mainly along riverbanks, dry riverbeds and in the mountains, the list includes Lanner falcon, African fish eagle, and Cape eagle owl; also look out for two residents that aren’t found in many parts of South Africa: the tractrac chat and Karoo long-billed lark.

Accommodation options at |Ai-|Ais / Richtersveld Transfrontier Park include Sendelingsdrif rest camp, with 10 fully air-conditioned chalets of varying sizes. Of the four campsites in the park, three have cold water showers and communal ablutions, while the fourth is more rustic with dry toilets and no water or power on site. There are also three wilderness camps: Tatasberg and Ganakouriep offer four self-catering chalets for two people each, with lighting, fridges, and gas stoves. Guests are required to bring their own drinking water. Hakkiesdoring wilderness camp has three chalets accommodating eight guests, with communal kitchen and ablution facilities.