Richtersveld 4×4 Trail

The Richtersveld opens like a moonscape of broken granite peaks and ancient river gorges along the Orange River’s northern banks. This UNESCO World Heritage site protects one of Earth’s oldest deserts, where Nama pastoralists still drive their goats across terrain that hasn’t changed in millennia. The Halfmens trees stand like alien sentinels while the trail drops into the Orange River gorge at Sendelingsdrift, where you’ll cross into Namibia on a cable ferry that’s been running since the diamond rush days.

This is expert-level desert driving across knife-edge ridges, loose scree slopes, and rocky creek beds that can trap the unwary. A winch and recovery gear are essential, along with multiple spare tires and at least 200 liters of water per vehicle. May through September offers the only bearable temperatures. The reward is solitude in one of Africa’s last true wilderness areas, where you might drive for days without seeing another soul, and nights bring star displays that make city dwellers weep.