!Start your engines and engage 4×4!
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 4×4 trails
To get from the southern entrance of this cross-border reserve at Twee Rivieren to the most northwestern corner at Union’s End will easily take a day. This is just the South African section of the massive park – if you have a 4×4 it becomes even bigger.
The 4×4 routes here cater for everyone: they’re guided or self-drive, long or short and accommodation includes fenced or unfenced campsites and comfortable wilderness chalets. Just 11 kilometres from the southern entrance along the road to Nossob lies the first 4×4 trail, the 13-kilometre Leeuwdril Loop. While park officials recommend a tyre pressure of 1.6 bars on the gravel roads, I say go even lower to about 1 bar on this trail that takes you over a series of dunes. It’s a good introduction to what to expect from the 4×4 routes in the park and all makes of 4×4 should be able to comfortably complete it. The trail can only be driven from east to west, so don’t expect any oncoming traffic unless someone is going the wrong way.
Namaqua Eco-Trail
Tracing the length of the Orange River from Pella, a little town with a big yellow church, to where it flows into the cold Atlantic Ocean between Alexander Bay and Oranjemund, this trail can be divided into two stages. The first 328-kilometre stage stretches from Pella to the Vioolsdrift border post and has three beautiful, informal campsites on the riverbank, each with nothing more than a big tree to camp under.
The trail starts with Charlie’s Pass from Pella to the river. Once the road moves from the river, you’ll see Klein Pella, the largest date farm in the southern hemisphere. Just before Vioolsdrift, there’s a turn-off called the Road to Hell. Don’t take it unless you’re experienced, in convoy and fancy a very technical drive; it’s a rough, rocky road and takes several hours to get to the river.
The second half is 284 kilometres long and goes from the border post to the river mouth. It turns away from the Orange River as it rounds the southern end of |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. There are three campsites on this section: Spitskloof, Tierhoek and Bakkrans (they’re not next to the river). There are some good view points and mountain tracks along the way, the best of which is Kristalberg Loop. You’ll eventually reach a T-junction where you can turn right to Richtersveld or left towards Alexander Bay, where the trail ends.
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