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The Diamond Fields

This region includes Kimberley the capital of the Northern Cape. Many important battles of the devastating Anglo- Boer War (1899 -1902) were fought in this region. The region offers opportunities for adventure tourism such as hiking and 4x4 enthusiasts.

  • The Big Hole - Known to be the largest man-made excavation sight in the world Manually dug by pick and shovels by diamond miners, it was mined to a depth of about 800m.

  • Kimberley Mine Museum - Includes the viewing decks into the Big Hole, as well as a number of historical buildings. Known as a `living museum' a visit here is like stepping back in time.

  • Kimberly Railway Station - South Africa's famous and luxury Blue Train stops over in Kimberley, en route to Cape Town or Johannesburg.

  • Star of the West pub: This South Africa's oldest continuously operating bar dating back to the 1870's. The bar counter and the shelves behind the bar are from the original building.

  • Mine tours: The Bultfontein Mine - the only diamond mine in the world to offer underground tours.

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Green Kalahari Region

Home to endless spaces and huge African skies, it gets its name from the San word `kglagagadi', which means 'thirsty land'. The almost lunar landscape boasts a wide variety of unique flora and fauna and is home to species of raptors and vultures, and owls.

  • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - Africa's first transfrontier game park, consisting of the South African Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and the Botswana Gemsbok National Park. It is one of the largest nature conservation areas in southern Africa and provides unfenced access to a variety of game.

  • Augrabies Falls National Park–One of the lesser-known game parks in the country. It is here that Africa’s second largest waterfall thunders down into a granite gorge.

  • Roaring Sands, Witsand Nature Reserve –These long white dunes contrast sharply with the surrounding red Kalahari dunes and emit strange roaring sounds when disturbed by wind in hot, dry weather. The white colour of the sands is caused by water that seeps to the surface, leaching out the red iron oxides.

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Karoo Region

This semi-desert interior region is a unique, arid zone and considered a wonder of the scientific world where animals, plants and humans have been defying the odds for many centuries. It also boasts the richest diversity of succulents.

  • Karoo National Park -This is the best preserved conservation area for Karoo vegetation as well as a fossil rich area and one of the world's great scientific wonders. The park is particularly beautiful in spring when the rugged landscape is transformed into a multi-coloured carpet of flowers.

  • Rock Art - The San were hunter-gatherers who lived off the desert. Their rich heritage has been preserved in numerous paintings found in caves all over the Northern Cape region.

  • Sutherland Observatory -Housing the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere - known as ''SALT'' (South African Largest Telescope) it is able to observe a candle flame on the moon.

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