South Africa travel guide

Namaqualand National Park is not much to see - and the temperature won't be very pleasant - if you visit in late summer. In spring, however, it is a entirely different story: the park and surrounding farmlands come alive with wildflowers. If there was a list of the world's seasonal wonders, the transformation of this arid region into a carpet of orange, yellow, white, red, blue, purple and pink would surely be on it. Walking, biking or driving through this dazzling display of colour is without a doubt a highlight of any visit to the African continent. It is extremely popular with South Africans, particularly since the drive from Cape Town can be done in a day, but it is never difficult to feel alone in this quite large park. Although it is the least remote section of the park, Skilpad is a good place to start any visit to the park, since the flower displays tend to be good here even during poor years. There are no large, dangerous animals here, so walking and biking is perfectly safe.