Valley of Desolation scenic views
Inside-park stays and nearby lodges, sorted by distance.
Inside parkCamdeboo Rest Camp sits within the Camdeboo National Park, which all but encircles the historic Karoo town of Graaff-Reinet. This is high, open Karoo country of wide plains, dolerite koppies and dramatic light, where the spare beauty of the semi-desert landscape is the main draw. The park is best known for the Valley of Desolation, a cluster of towering dolerite columns rising sheer above the plain, and for the views it offers over the town and the Sneeuberg beyond. The reserve supports a good range of plains game, including Cape mountain zebra, kudu, springbok, blesbok and red hartebeest, along with a rich bird life around the Nqweba Dam. The camp makes a comfortable base for game-viewing drives, walks and visits to the viewpoints, and Graaff-Reinet, with its Cape Dutch architecture and restaurants, is only a short distance away. It suits travellers wanting a restful stop in the heart of the Karoo.
Manyoni Private Game Reserve is one of the largest privately-owned reserves in Kwazulu-Natal. This 23,000-hectare reserve is the product of 17 dedicated landowners who dropped their fences in 2004 to create one contiguous protected area for our wildlife. The selection of the area as a potential release site for the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project was a major driving factor in the establishment of Manyoni. In 2005, the newly established reserve was confirmed as a release site by the WWF and a founder population of black rhino were released into their new home.