Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park

The Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park is so called because it spans the borders of South African and Namibia. Transfrontier Parks are a relatively new development in southern Africa, formed in recognition that natural ecosystems and their management shouldn’t necessarily coincide with political boundaries. The Ai-Ais Richtersveld covers a huge area with different activities and experiences available depending where and when you visit. Despite the desolate mountainous desert landscape, the park is known for its diversity of life including many species that occur nowhere else. A visit to the park is not your typical big game safari experience, however. On the South African side, SANParks runs several camp sites and hiking trails. Flower season is a popular time to visit. There are no shops in the park and fresh water can be scarce, so make sure you come prepared with all the provisions and equipment you will need. I visited the Namibian side of the park, or what used to be known as the Ai Ais Hot Springs Game Park. The major draw cards on the Namibian side are a visit to the famous Ai Ais Hot Springs and the Fish River Canyon, where the adventurous can book a five day hiking trip following the river through the canyon. The hiking trail is amazing and allows you to have a real wilderness experience with few signs of other humans. Most hikers don’t even bring tents, but just sleep under the stars. Wildlife along the trail is scarce, but present. Besides the wild horses, we saw baboons and the tracks of a leopard. You need to be in good shape and be adequately prepared with food and equipment for the hike because getting rescued from the canyon is a difficult and expensive prospect. If you’re not up for hiking the canyon, a visit to the park is still worthwhile. There are drives to get to impressive lookouts over the canyon, and you might see some interesting wildlife, such as the Hartman’s mountain zebra. You can stay at the relaxing Ai Ais Hot Springs Resort, located at the end of the hiking trail. However, I guarantee you’ll appreciate the draft beers and hot springs more if you spend five days walking in sand and sleeping on the ground before you get there!

The harsh environment of the Ais-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park brings its own unforgettable charm. This desert location falling in both South African and Namibian borders is home to less impressive wildlife numbers; the park’s predators include leopard, african wild cat and caracal and you may be lucky to spot them. But, the park nevertheless offers an exceptional wilderness experience and the majestic mountain desert landscape will remain a vivid memory long after you’ve traversed the park’s dusty dirt roads. The flowering season is a good time to visit (consider combining your visit to Ais-Ais Richtersveld with a trip through South Africa’s West Coast around the same time). Although the Ais-Ais Richtersveld Park is located in a desert area, the park operators and guides will proudly tell you that two floral kingdoms are found within the park’s borders. To the trained eye, the Ais-Ais Richtersveld Park is a biodiversity hotspot. The Richtersveld is home to the half-human (halfmens) tree dotting the desert landscape. Many legends about these human figure like trees are told among the indigenous Nama people. It is this sight that attracts many local and international tourists. Visiting the Ais-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park requires some extra planning – the park is entirely self-catering and best you bring enough of all your own supplies, from firewood to water. Visiting the Ais-Ais Richtersveld Park is for the traveler serious about the off-track routes. But nothing beats this true wilderness experience on the banks of the Orange River. A guided walk in the park is highly recommended and once the experienced guides showed you where to find life in this desert, you will be sure to marvel at the desert with renewed interest. The Park is officially a World Heritage Site which in itself, should prompt the adventurous traveler to visit.