|Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
Overview
South Africa Parks
Namibia Parks
Philip lives in South Africa and has authored many guidebooks to African destinations, including ‘The Rough Guide to Game Parks of South Africa’.
|Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park spans both South Africa and Namibia and has some of the most spectacular desert mountain scenery in Africa. The park is mainly a scenic wilderness destination. Although it’s the world's only area classified as an arid biodiversity hotspot, densities of large animals are low. In Namibia, it features the extraordinary Fish River Canyon, the world's second largest canyon.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
The |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park is not really a wildlife destination. Wildlife is very sparse and most big safari animals aren't present. The rare, localized Hartmann's mountain zebra can sometimes be spotted. Small creatures to look out for are suricate, rock hyrax and ground squirrel. Caracal thrives in the rocky habitat but is seldom seen.
Scenery
The mountain desert landscape is rugged and spectacular. The Fish River Canyon is the most dramatic feature in the park and meanders between steep cliffs that bisect the flat Namib plateau. The Richtersveld lies in one of the most diverse parts of the species-rich Succulent Karoo biome (large community of flora and fauna), renowned for its massive display of flowers in spring.
Weather & Climate
Summer in |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld, which lasts from October through April, can be a brutal affair. The average daytime temperature tends to stick around 28°C/82°F in the hottest of these months, but it occasionally shoots up to 45°C/113°F – sometimes higher. And unlike most other South African parks in the summer, there’s barely any rainfall to counter the heat. Winter (May to September) is much milder during the day, though it can be freezing at night.
Best Time To Visit
Avoid the hottest months of the year (October to April). The cooler period (May to September) is a much better time to visit. This is also when wildflowers color in the landscape. There’s little wildlife viewing in |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld, so this isn’t really a factor in the timing of your visit, but birding is best in the hot summer months.
