Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park

Kokerboomkloof Camp Site

Kokerboomkloof is a remote wilderness campsite deep in the Richtersveld National Park, in the far north-western corner of the Northern Cape near the Orange River and the Namibian border. It takes its name from the quiver trees, or kokerbome, that stand among the weathered granite boulders and rock formations around the site. This is one of the most rugged and beautiful corners of the mountain desert, and the camp is valued above all for its isolation and silence. The Richtersveld is a harsh, arid landscape of jagged mountains, dry ravines and an astonishing diversity of succulent plants, many of which grow nowhere else on earth. Game is sparse in this environment, and the rewards here are the scenery, the extraordinary flora and some of the darkest night skies in southern Africa. Facilities are deliberately basic. This is unfenced, self-sufficient camping for travellers with suitable vehicles who want true wilderness, far from crowds and conveniences.

Richtersberg Camp Site

Sendelingsdrif Rest Camp

Sendelingsdrif is the main rest camp and headquarters of the remote Richtersveld National Park, set on the bank of the Orange River where it forms the border with Namibia. It is a stark, mountainous desert of jagged ridges and dry ravines, one of the most rugged and arid corners of South Africa, and the camp is the gateway to it. The chalets look out over the river and the Namibian hills beyond, a green ribbon of life cutting through bare rock. A pontoon ferry crosses to Namibia from here, and the camp has fuel, a small shop and a swimming pool, useful supplies before heading into the park's demanding 4x4 country. The Richtersveld is a botanist's landscape, famous for its halfmens trees, quiver trees and an extraordinary variety of succulents adapted to fog and heat. Days are hot and nights cold, and the silence and clear desert skies are a large part of the appeal.

Tatasberg Wilderness Camp

Gannakouriep Wilderness Camp