The Northern Cape is quite barren of hostels. Unfortunately independent travellers and backpackers are scarce in these parts. Don’t let that deter you! The Northern Cape makes an excellent backpacking destination with lots to see and a variety of experiences to be had. Best of all: the crowds won’t be hounding you!!! IntroductionThe vast Northern Cape is made up of the semi-arid Karoo and the Kalahari Desert. The region beyond is dry and sparsely populated. The river plummets into a ravine to create the Augrabies Falls. Hiking, mountain biking and canoeing are offered in convenient eco-packages in this alien landscape.
During spring the Namaqualand boasts the prettiest flower show in the world. The first rains are a kiss of life in this barren landscape and the Namaqualand daisies bloom into a spectacle of colour. The flowers bloom between August and October. What to see and do | | | | Namaqualand daisies | | The Big Hole and the Mining Museum | Spring rains are a kiss of life and fields of wild flowers bloom into a spectacle of colour. The flowers bloom between August and October. | | The biggest hand-dug excavation in the world is found in Kimberley. The museum transports people to the diamond-digging days of 100 years ago. | | | | | Augrabies Falls | | South African Light Observatory | Formed by the Orange River plummeting into a ravine. Hiking, mountain biking and canoeing eco-packages are offered in this alien landscape. | | SALT is the largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere and able to record distant stars and galaxies.
Pre-book with Sutherland Tourism for a visit. | | | | | Where to stay KimberleyAdventurers in their thousands converged upon Kimberley in 1867 with the discovery of diamonds. It is the site of the Big Hole and still retains the atmosphere of those diamond digging days. ColesbergThis typical Karoo town is a pleasant stop on the long drive between Joburg and Cape Town on the N1. Towerkop, its magic mountain, baffles drivers as it never seems to get any closer. | 
