When travellers of the world decide to explore the Western Cape a discerning few find themselves in the Great Karoo, where nature dazzles on the endless plains and among the mountains. Here, in blazing summers and icy winters, the silence is so pure you can hear God think, the stars so near you feel you have only to reach out to touch them.
The Great Karoo is one of the world’s most unique arid zones. In South Africa it stands alone, globally it is an envied rarity. The Karoo is the home of peace and tranquillity, here one can rest, relax, refresh yourself and recharge the inner batteries of your soul, while exploring, enjoying yourself and indulging your need for some unusual entertainment.
People have lived on this harsh plateau, the largest of its kind outside Asia, for about 500 000 years. The little Khoi and San people who left their legacy as art on the rocks gave the Karoo its name. The place’s name comes from Karusa, a Khoi word which means dry, barren, thirstland. This aptly describes the region where water is still scarce.
Journeys across this strange storehouse of nature can be long and tiring, but for It is an ancient, fossil rich land with the largest variety of succulents found anywhere on earth There are over 9000 plant species in the Great Karoo and one district alone is home to more species than the whole of Great Britain.
Some of the world’s most important archaeological sites are located in the Central Karoo, particularly in the Beaufort West and Nelspoort areas where fascinating stone-age sites and Bushmen engravings are to be found
