Camdeboo National Park

Stunning scenery

Camdeboo is not really a destination in itself – but is a wonderful stop-over en-route when you’re travelling in the Karoo. The reason for visiting here is the stunning Valley of Desolation. Take the scenic drive right to the top for the most outrageous views of vertical rock formations and miles and miles of Karoo. For photographers, I recommend travelling here at the beginning or end of the day for the best light. Incredibly, when I visited, I was the only visitor at the look-out. If this was America or Europe there would be coach parks and souvenir kiosks – but at Camdeboo just ringing silence and incredible views. Even more astonishingly, I watched a caracal hunting birds high up on the rocks opposite. Back in the lowlands, there is some general game including hartebeest, springbok, klipspringer, ostrich and a variety of waterbirds on the Nqweba Dam.