Northern Cape (The Kalahari)

The Northern Cape Province in South Africa is the gateway to the Kalahari Desert, which stretches into Namibia and Botswana. The Kalahari is the world largest desert. The Kalahari is characterised by rich, red sand dunes and is well vegetated with shrubs, patches of trees and even some grasslands.

This is where the legendary San Bushmen have lived for 30 000 years. Their legacy of rock art and engravings translate their past lives, but only a small population of the San are left to continue that nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

The Kalahari sands of the Northern Cape are transformed by the mighty Orange River, which brings life to South Africa's hottest, driest area. Along its banks, vineyards thrive and soft fruits like peaches and apricots grow abundandantly. As the river approaches the Augrabies Falls, it divides itself into numerous channels before cascading down the 56 meter high waterfall. The sight and sound of the power of the water will not be easily forgotten.

There is a number of amazingly adapted species that call this desert their home. The gemsbok (oryx) is supremely adapted to the desert environment and can go for months without water as it reabsorbs its own waste fluids and barely sweats.

The meerkat, or suricate, epitomises the Kalahari. These mongoose-like creatures scamper around in gregarious packs, foraging for scorpions, beetles, lizards and mice and scatter at the first sign of danger from an eagle or other predator.

After the rains, the large-scale migration of gemsbok, springbok, blue wildebeest, eland and red hartebeest creates a wonderful sight, as they follow their instincts in order to find better pastures.

Such a good supply of food attracts carnivores like lion, leopard and cheetah, while other distinctive creatures of the Kalahari are small monogamous bat-eared foxes, brown hyena, and birds of prey.