Tourist Facilities
* Three 4x4 routes that include sand and rocky
driving.
* Three hiking trails for the average hiker
* Mountain bike route with sand and rock terrain
* Bird watching – Black Eagle, Namaqua
Dove, bird list available
* Photography
* Hot spring
* Trained guides available – book
at office
* The people of Riemvasmaak take pride in preparing
traditional meals and performing dances in traditional
dress. Book at the office.
A perfect piece of heaven forgotten between the
desert mountains, plateaus and waters belonging
to the mighty Orange and Molopo River. Where the
people is still as real as the one's who try to
explore it. Untouched beauty where you can still
see, hear, smell, taste and feel the presence
of our all mighty Creator .
Accommodation is available
in comfortable chalets perched at the edge of
a cliff with awe-inspiring views of the vast
Riemvasmaak granite canyon. Each chalet has
a kitchenette, toilet, cold shower, wash basin
and braai area. The chalets are not equipped,
and visitors must provide their own utensils,
towels and bedding. or you can awake the more
adventures side in you by spending a night at
one of our several camping bomas available along
the trails, with Mother nature as your only
ablution facility (no facilities are available).
Riemvasmaak offers the tourist a variety of
activities as well as breathtaking, rugged beauty
between the Orange and dry Molopo Rivers where
you can experience the isolation and peace of
sheer mountain desert wilderness, a landscape
created by volcanic activity millions of years
ago, and one with a beauty of almost spiritual
proportions. .
4x4
Difficulty and Experience Required
The terrain varies from easy going
to challenging, but the risk of damage to vehicles
is minimal, making these trails attractive to
the novice driver as well as the owner of a
luxury 4x4 vehicle. Due to the remoteness of
the area, only experienced travellers should
attempt these trails alone.
Recommended Time of Year
These trails can be visited all year
round, with the best time of year for a visit
being between March and
October. Although summer temperatures
are extreme, cool breezes are almost always
present in the ravines and along the riverbanks.
You need to put at least two days aside to
fully enjoy the trails.
There are three trails
which link together to cover approximately 160km.
The routes are well signposted, and offer a
variety of experiences from deep sand to steep
and very rough tracks, deep dongas and rocky
plateaux. On the Molopo Trail visitors will
find the hot mineral springs in a deep ravine
with cliffs towering 80 metres overhead. Here
they may relax in one of two pools and enjoy
some relief after a long day’s driving.
Flora and Fauna
Strange and unexpected plant species
are abundant in the area. Most prominent are
the white-stemmed Shepherd’s tree, camel
thorn tree, wild fig tree and endangered
quiver tree species. Beautiful and delicate
flowers appear throughout the year. Small animal
life is prolific, and visitors can expect to
see hyraxes, klipspringer, Chacma baboons as
well as colourful lizards and agamas. The clear
skies and sparse vegetation make raptor viewing
especially enjoyable, and bird-watchers can
expect to spot black eagle, fish eagle and many
other bird species.
Visitors must be self sufficient, and
it is strongly recommended that they bring the
following:
Drinking water – 4 litres per person per
day, firewood, insect repellent, sunscreen,
medical kit with anti-histamine tablets, fuel.
How To Get There
From Upington take the N14 to Kakamas.
The turn-off for Riemvasmaak is
Contact
Private Bag X10
Kakamas
8870
Tel: +27 54 337 2804
Faks: +27 54 337 2894 (mark clearly for Riemvasmaak)
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