South Africa Guide
The Northern Cape
Augrabies Falls National Park
One of the undoubted highlights of any trip to the Northern Cape is AUGRABIES FALLS NATIONAL PARK, 120km west of Upington. Roaring out of the barren semi-desert, sending great plumes of spray up above the brown horizon, the falls are the most spectacular moment in the two-thousand-kilometre progress of the Orange River. Rafting along the eighteen-kilometres granite canyon is another draw, while the fairly inhospitable northern section of the park sustains game, including reptiles, klipspringers and springbok. The best time to visit Augrabies is from March to May, when the temperatures are slightly cooler and the river is at its maximum flow after summer rainfall up in the Lesotho catchment areas, though water levels have reduced noticeably since the diversion of some water into the Vaal River. With your own transport, the falls are easily visited as a day-trip from Upington, although there's plenty of reasonable accommodation both in the park itself and nearby. The closest you can get to the park on public transport is Alheit, on the N14 at the start of the turning to the park, 28km short of the entrance; however, most of the Kalahari tours out of Upington and elsewhere in Northern Cape incorporate a visit to the falls.
The park's reception, a little way inside the park entrance (daily 7am–6pm; 
054 452 9200, 
054 451 5003; R60), has a shop, a self-service snack bar and a restaurant with views towards the gorge. Self-catering accommodation is available at cottages and bungalows (both Price: R201-300) close to the gate and the falls (two of which have wheelchair access), and at a large shaded camping and caravan area. There are swimming pools at each site.