Each spring, Namakwa, the land of the Nama and the San, shakes off winter’s bite and coves the vast arid spaces with symphonies of floral splendors. The sun baked deserts come alive with a multitude of wild flowers and unique plants. Adapting to a climate defying all life, they survive and thrive in a beautiful land of blistering extremes.

Tracking the Old Copper Way back to the 17th century soak yourself in the colourful histories of town deeply rooted in a proud mining tradition. Take an unforgettable raft or canoe trip through imposing canyons on the sliding flow of Namakwa’s artery of life, the Orange River. Or take your 4x4 on an adventure in the haunting moonscapes of the stunningly barren, sawtooothed mountains of the untamed Ai Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. Enjoy the cultural interaction of the Nama people whilst taking a donkey ride in Eksteenfontein or staying over in the community-run Kookfontein rondavels near Steinkopf.

Experience the mystery and wonder of the starstudded night, from the South African Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland where the clear Karoo sky shows millions of starts. Alternatively, wrap yourself in an aura of meditation and escape to the timeless serenity of a solitary, palm-fringed cathedral at Pella. Or, as the copper sun sets on Port Nollorth’s diamond sea and the last, lonely lines are reeled in, indulge in a crayfish barbeque (braai).

The land of the Nama is he Creator’s playground, a kingdom of contrasts where beauty and rigorous climate pool mysterious forces to create a natural wonderland.