An opportunity not to be missed is visiting the Big Hole in Kimberley. This is a hole measuring 215 metres deep and has a surface area of 17 hectares and a perimeter of 1.6.

This s a mine site that started in 1871 and the mining ended on 14 August 1914. 2722 kilograms of diamonds were extracted and here and 22.5 million tons of excavated earth. (Ref De Beers)

This is an entirely man made structure, and the largest hand dug excavation in the world.

Visitors can go underground in a recreation of a mine shaft of the period, watch a film that introduces one to diamonds in Kimberley, visit an exhibition centre, take in a diamond display, use the new viewing platform that allows one to get a bird’s eye view of the Big Hole from above, and visit the Old Town to see Kimberley in its heyday.

Other places to visit in Kimberley are:

• The Mokala National Park, where you will find an abundance of bird and wildlife.
• The Flamingos where you can see the biggest gatherings of greater and lesser Flamingos in Africa.
• Barkly West – San Bushmen rock paintings, the first bridge built across the Vaal River in 1884 and the Tollhouse Museum.
• Memorial and Old battlefields as well as ghost tours

About 120 kilometres from Upington in the Northern Cape you will find the Augrabies Falls National Park is a national park located around the Augrabies Falls, which was established in 1966.

The Park covers an area of 820 km² and stretches along the Orange River. The waterfall is about 60 metres high and is awe-inspiring when the river is in flood. The gorge below the falls averages about 240 m deep and runs for 18 kilometres. The gorge provides an impressive example of erosion into a granitic basement.

The original Khoikhoi people named the waterfall Ankoerebis, meaning the “place of big noises”. The Trekboers who later settled in the area derived the name Augrabies. The name is sometimes spelt Aughrabies. There are many deposits of alluvial diamonds along the Orange River and legend has it that the biggest cache of diamonds in the world lies in the swirl-hole eroded into the granite at the foot of the waterfall by the thundering waters.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the Kalahari Desert region of Botswana and the Northern Cape bordering Namibia to the West. It comprises an area of over 3, 6 million hectares which is one of very few conservation areas of this magnitude left in the world.
It is a vast wildlife preserve and it’s characterized by red dunes and dry rivers. Wildlife includes migrating herds of wildebeest and springbok, plus predators like raptors and black-maned Kalahari lions. Various lodges and wilderness camps offer game-viewing drives and guided walks with park rangers.

Red sand dunes, sparse vegetation and the dry riverbeds show antelope and predator species off and provide excellent photographic opportunities. Kgalagadi is a haven for birders especially when interested in birds of prey.

The Kalahari is a desert like region with an annual rainfall of 200 mm, mainly between January and April. In summer, day temperatures may exceed 40C. Winter days are sunny with night temperatures often below zero.

The most impressive wildflower displays is found on the Namaqualand Flower Route.
Every year between July and October this landscape offers a different vista and selection of flowers, after almost 4,000 different species of plant seeds germinates depending entirely on what the weather is doing. This spectacle is a draw card to the Namaqualand and you will need at least two to three days to appreciate and take in the breathtakingly beautiful display of colour – the world’s most beautiful flower show. Namaqualand extends from the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast, to the little town of Pofadder in the east, to the Orange River in the north, south to Garies, and includes the Hantam Karoo, along the southern border of the Northern Cape.
Being a biodiverse region of South Africa, there are some plants and animals not found in other provinces. One of the more unique animals you will be able to spot include the Namaqua speckled padloper, considered to be the smallest tortoise in the world. You might also spot the insectivorous aardwolf as well as the stunning African wildcat. There are also beautiful beaches to visit where you can spend hours relaxing and enjoying the scenery.