Safari to Tankwa Karoo

spectacular wildflowers during Jul-Sep

Tankwa Karoo National Park is located in the Western Cape region of South Africa.

Established as recently as 1998 national park, Tankwa is located amongst the desert landscapes of the Great Karoo, some 250 km northeast of Cape Town.

Recently expanded to a sizable 1100 square kilometres, the landscapes are largely flat and arid, with domed hills and a particularly dramatic escarpment to the northeast which features a network of deep valleys or kloofs.

This is a harsh country where lizards and tortoises prevail and where meerkats, mongooses, klipspringers and a good range of specialist birds eke out a harsh living.

But this is also a succulent country and the main event comes with the arrival of the Jul-Sep spring rains, when the country can burst into a spectacular carpet of flowers.

Since 2010 the park has been reintroducing larger mammals into the reserve, attempting to restore the balance that would have been here before sheep farming took hold. However animal densities will always remain low in this harsh environment, where it is critical to prevent damage to the hardy fauna through overgrazing.

Although we only have one accommodation option listed, the modest Gannaga Lodge, we are aware of some interesting and upmarket self-catering options should be fancy staying for three or more nights.

head further inland during the Cape winter