- Address: South Africa, Western Cape, Sutherland;
- Phone: +27 (0) 27 341 1927;
- Website: www.sanparks.org;
- Ticket price: 120 rand, child ticket - 60 rand;
- Mode of operation: movements in the park are prohibited from 19.00 to 5.30 (from 1 October to 31 March) and from 6.00 to 6.30 (from 1 April to 30 September)
In South Africa, there are many places that will charm even the experienced traveler, but the Tankwa-Karoo National Park stands apart. It is not only a place to rest in the bosom of wildlife, allowing you to get acquainted with the magnificent nature of Africa, but also a major research center. The park is 70 km from Sutherland, on the very border between the Western and Northern Cape provinces.
What is remarkable about the park?
If you do not love the heat, you will hardly like Tankwa-Karoo. This is one of the most arid African regions (here there is not more than 100 mm of precipitation a year), occupying a vast territory. The reserve administration is located in the old buildings erected on the bank of the river Renaissance, therefore it is impossible to notice them. Nearby you will see hotels where you can stay overnight to spend in this amazing natural place for a few days.
For its comfort, accommodation for tourists here is far from five-star hotels. You can save and rent a tent without any conveniences at a special rental office for 100-225 rand (depending on the site of the territory) or rent a cottage (ordinary, often even without electricity or luxury class) for 600-1300 rand a day.
Popular is the Gannaga Lodge, which is located about 24 km from the administrative buildings in Rudverfa. Here you will be offered to taste local cuisine in a cozy restaurant and relax by visiting the bar.
Features of flora and fauna
The park is known all over the world not only for its amazing landscapes, but also for the richest variety of flora and fauna. It grows rare plants, and numerous species of birds (187 species), which are found here, including the most exotic, make the Tankwa-Karu a real paradise for birds. When you come here, put on strong clothes: dwarf and common thorn bushes, encountered here at every step, are quite capable of breaking it.
At the end of summer and early autumn, true connoisseurs of the bird kingdom gather in the park: at this time there is a great opportunity to observe the nesting of birds (sparrows, larks, sheep and others). In 1998, the flocks of sheep were brought to Tankwa-Karu, for which special living conditions were created that resembled their natural habitat as much as possible.
The reserve includes more than 60 species of land animals, including lions, zebras, kudu antelopes, ostriches.
Local entertainment
If you are a fan of outdoor activities, do not think that there is always peace and quiet in the park, so you will be bored staying here for a long time. Every year, the festival "AfrikaBurn" is held in Tankwa-Karu. It attracts tens of thousands of people, united by a thirst for creativity and self-expression. Here are created real masterpieces of art, sometimes having a giant size. On the last night of the festival, these creations of human hands are solemnly burned.
On the holiday, you can see calmly walking people dressed in the most unusual and extravagant costumes and using rather strange means of transportation (for example, a bicycle decorated under the shark's body).
Fans of extreme sports will certainly appreciate the special routes leading from the beaten trails into the depths of savanna savannah. But to go to a meeting with pristine nature should only be if you are sure that you can not get lost and stand up for yourself in a difficult situation.
In the park there are special trails for those who want to ride a bike or a motorcycle, but in the rest of the park this can not be done.
In Tankva-Karu, you will not find fashionable restaurants or shops: for the most part it is a semi-desert, where yet you have a unique chance to see the night sky with unusually bright stars, as it happens in a deserted area.
Rules of visiting Tankvay-Karu
The park is best to come from August to October, when the rainy season starts and the vegetation carpet covers the desert abundantly. In the evening, the entrance to the territory of the reserve, as well as movement on it for tourists who stopped right on the territory of the Tankwa-Karu, are strictly prohibited. And even in the daytime it's not worth to get off the beaten track: it's quite dangerous.
The roads here are by no means of the best quality, so it will be difficult to drive through them without a jeep or another all-wheel drive vehicle. The auxiliary infrastructure is almost completely absent: you can get to the Internet using Wi-Fi only at one point. Reception of mobile operators is also not, and even the purchase of firewood and gasoline can be a whole problem.
From Monday to Thursday and on Saturday the administration of the reserve is open from 7.30 to 17.00, on Sunday and on holidays from 10.00 to 16.00, and on Friday from 7.30 to 21.00. The rules of behavior in the park are very simple:
- do not smoke;
- do not frighten or harm animals;
- Do not take weapons and pets with you;
- do not stop and do not spend the night in places not intended for this;
- fire only where it is permissible and there is no risk of spreading the fire.
How to get there?
To drive to the park from Cape Town by car, it will take at least 4 hours. Before Worcester on the N2 road turn to Ceres and continue along the R46. After 50 km, take the R355 road to Calvinia. Another 70 km along the highway - and you are already at the gate of Tankwa-Karu.
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