- Cederberg
The Cederberg is a wilderness area with some fantastic indigenous cedar forests, San rock paintings, magical waterfalls and bizarre rock formations. In winter, you'll find snow capped peaks and in summer you'll trade your soul for an ice cube.
- Paternoster
Paternoster and the adjacent Cape Columbine Nature Reserve are an easy drive from Cape Town - but far enough away to give a taste of true West Coast splendour.
- Darling
Small, sweet and home to some serious satire.
- Clanwilliam
Lying at the foot of the Cederberg, Clanwilliam's biggest drawcard is the Cederberg Mountains.
- Citrusdal
Citrusdal is home, as it's name suggests, to a citrus growing industry. Nestling in the beautiful Olifants River valley between fynbos clad mountains, it makes a great base for exploring the area and everything it has to offer - such as hiking, mountain biking, horse riding, spring flower hunting and the art of pure relaxation.
- Saldanha Bay
This safe natural harbour is home to a navy training base and a hub for the fishing industry. Thanks to its encircling arms, the bay is not only super safe for swimming and a top spot for sailing, but the water is also warmed by the sun, making it lekker* to swim in, unlike the rest of the West Coast, which is generally a breath-freezing temperature.
- Lambert's Bay
This large fishing village is something of a birdwatchers' paradise.
- Eland's Bay
This is a surfer's (and beach lover's) paradise with the best left hand break in S.A. according to Surf bum Geoff.
- Langebaan
Set on the coast overlooking a beautiful azure lagoon, Langebaan is a watersports paradise.
- Piketberg
The high places in the mountains around Piketberg once offered sanctuary to groups of San (Bushmen) and some fine examples of their rock art can still be seen in the area.
- Richtersveld
This wilderness vastness (bounded in the north by the curve of the Orange River) offers hilly, rugged terrain distinguished by weird wind-sculptured rock pillars and spires. It's brown and bone dry except for the odd astonishingly lush greenness of irrigated lands.
- Springbok
Springbok is the largest town in Namaqualand proper and at the centre of the spectacular springtime flower show.
- Vredenburg
Founded around a bubbling spring of clear water, and an important centre for sheep and wheat farmers, "the town of peace" is situated 13km inland from Saldanha and is one of the bigger towns in the area. This is the only town with real backpacker accommodation on the West Coast.
Namaqualand
Namaqualand, on first impressions, is a harsh, relentless, arid wilderness. Its few inhabitants are burned and dehydrated by the sun and scorching winds, but far from loathing the territory, they have an intense affection for it.
At first sight the terrain seems relentlessly harsh. Intimidating in its huge emptiness. Incapable of sustaining any but the simplest, least appealing life forms. Yet Namaqualand, and especially the coastal sandveld, has an enormous profusion of succulents and flowering plants. After the winter rainfalls - between August and October - the land is briefly and gloriously mantled by brilliant carpets of wild flowers that stretch to far horizons. ...The rocky, salty, sun baked soil, which a human gardener would scorn or lavish fortunes on manuring or fertilising, has been casually gifted by nature with the greatest and most prolific flower garden in the world. This wilderness vastness (bounded in the north by the curve of the Orange River) offers hilly, rugged terrain distinguished by weird wind-sculptured rock pillars and spires. It's brown and bone dry except for the odd astonishingly lush greenness of irrigated lands. Botanically, the Richtersveld is in a league of its own. A third of all known mesembryanthemum (vygies) species are found here, as for the rest, well, some of the flora has yet to be identified and classified...We're talking wild. Richtersveld wild. The contradictions of Namaqualand are part of its fascination. It is too full of surprises ever to be dull and the trunk road route offers many scenes and novelties.
Feeling lucky?(randomly selected service providers from all regions)
Help research the movements of lions in the Addo.
(Addo Elephant Park,Sunshine Coast)
A soul calming view of azure seas.
(Vilanculos,Mozambique)
This backpackers in Addo is on a working citrus farm which is on the banks of the Sundays River.
(Addo Elephant Park,Eastern Cape Inland and the Karoo)
This Paternoster backpackers could not get you any closer to the sea...
(Paternoster,West Coast)
This Drakensberg backpackers is a resort and backpackers lodge which overlooks miles of mountains.
(Northern Drakensberg,Drakensberg Backpacker Hostels)
This Kimbeley backpackers lodge offers budget accommodation in extensive well wooded grounds.
(Kimberley,Northern Cape)
Serene and unsoiled, this area is an African Eden.
(Hoedspruit,Limpopo)
One of the original backpackers in Livingstone.
(Livingstone,Zimbabwe and Zambia)
Ansteys Beach Backpackers is just a short walk from the world famous “Cave Rock” surf break. The perfect place to stay at in Durban if you are after waves and beaches.
(Durban ,Durban)
This Backpackers is perched on a hill where hutted green hills roll down to the river mouth and to the sea - an oasis of tranquillity
(Mdumbi,Wild Coast)
