#Namaqualand #SANparks #camping #thelazycampers
Camping at Koringkorrelbaai: R135 (for 6 ppl)
Park size: 700 ㎢
Location: on the West coast of South Africa
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| Flower at Skilpad Restcamp |
The Namaqua National Park boasts truly diverse landscapes including scattered fynbos, dense floral carpets and long ocean stretches. Known for the spectacular flowers that bloom in Spring, Namaqualand is the perfect place to escape the bustling city and to take a break from your busy life.
Getting there:
This really depends on where you are trying to go. If you would like to go straight to Skilpad to see that blanketed floral landscape then it is best to take the N7 to Kamieskroon and then follow the SAN Parks signs.
If you have a 4X4 and would like to take the scenic route (which I recommend but it will take a few extra hours) then I suggest you take the road down the Wildeperdhoek Pass (it is absolutely stunning and I think I enjoyed the variety of colour, greens, purples, yellow and white more than the carpet of orange at Skilpad) and join up with the 4X4 track at Soebatsfontien which links up with Skilpad. They will not let you through the gate unless you have a 4X4.
Getting to Koringkorrelbaai… to be honest I have no idea! I think we made it there out for pure luck but one thing I can tell you is that we would have felt a whole lot more confident if we had been in a 4X4 rather than our Ford Figo. The only reason we even attempted the journey was because one of the rangers reckoned that we would probably make it along some of the back roads. Probably became an interesting adventure when we had to drive 90km of gravel and precarious beach sand while chasing the setting sun. As far as I can gather to get to any of the coastal campsites you need to check in at the Groenrivier Entrance and then take the 4X4 trails to your campsite.
Camp site
We chased the setting sun all the way to the coast which was, all at the same time, nerve racking, exciting and breath-taking. The dirt road opens up into a stunning little bay where the campsite is situated on the coast protected from the crashing waves by the colossal coastal rocks. The campsite is very rustic (no ablutions, no water, no electricity) but has a lovely setup with a fire pit and a little wall to protect the site from the prevailing wind. The entire Koringkorrelbaai campsite only has 5 sites available, 3 pit latrines and no cell phone signal, this is real remote camping and incredibly peaceful and really removes you from real life.
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| Koringkorrelbaai |
Skilpad Restcamp in Namaqua National Park does not have camping facilities, however, their neighbours do. Skilpad Rest camp only has chalets and so if you are looking to camp you will need to book into one of the coastal campsites. All the coastal campsites are off a 4X4 track and a good hour or two from Skilpad. These campsites are well worth the drive, however, and one of the most tranquil places I have ever visited.
Things to do
Namaqua Park - drive around and take in the scenery, take a drive down Wildeperdhoek Pass.
Skilpad - drive around and look at the flowers.
- take out your camera and take some great pictures
- Sit at the small restaurant and enjoy the flowers while having a cold one.
Koringkorrelbaai - take a peaceful/ romantic walk up the beach
- beach time (sun tanning, beach sports, building sand castles, swimming)
- Bird watching in the fynbos
- Lizard watching on the rocks in the fynbos
- Sundowners on the rocks as the waves crash in front of you
- drive the 4X4 track
- Visit the nearby places such as Hondeklipbaai
- Stargazing at night as there is very little light pollution
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| 1. Flowers at Skilpad 2. Beach at Koringkorrelbaai 3. Sunset at Koringkorrebaai |
We did the Namaqua National Park all wrong: wrong entrance to the park, wrong route to the flowers, wrong place for our accommodation, wrong car for the 4X4 Wildeperdhoek Pass and Koringkorrelbaai beach sand and yet it was an amazing experience that I would not change in any way. All these errors in our planning meant that we got to see so much more than if everything had gone to the book. If we had followed our plan we would have missed out on the very scenic and gorgeous Wildeperdhoek Pass as well as the variety of colour that the park has to offer: it is not only the flowers that make this environment as impressive as it is, but also the variety of greens that brighten the landscape from lime green to turquoise and everything in between. If you are looking for a peaceful getaway and are happy to rough-it a little, then you need to treat yourself and visit the coastal campsites of Namaqua National Park.
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