The Orange River – Mighty African River
African Vacations to the Longest and Biggest River in South Africa
May 12, 2009
To the San and Khoikhoi peoples who first discovered the Orange River, it was the 'Mother of all Rivers' –
in their language it is referred to as the !Garib (The Great River). The Orange River brings life to the desert and wilderness areas as it flows from its source in the mountains of Lesotho and then flows for over 2000 kilometers, after which it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. En route, it passes the southern edge of the Kalahari Desert and wends its way through the Namib desert, forming a border between South Africa and Namibia.
There are some irrigated sections along the river and many dams but no large towns. The river rises and falls, sometimes scarcely flowing but sometimes turning into a raging flood up to eight kilometers wide. Modern irrigation has transformed the landscape in parts, with crops of lucerne, cotton, fruit, dates and great quantities of sultanas and raisins produced on the banks and islands of the Orange River. Karakul sheep browse on its banks.
Orange River Augrabies Falls National Park
The Orange River is interrupted along its course by one of the six largest waterfalls of the world - the Augrabies Falls, where the river tumbles into one of the greatest of all gorges cut through granite. This waterfall and its gorge is one of the natural wonders of Africa.
The gorge into which the river plummets is 18 kilometers long and 260 meters deep. As the Orange River approaches Augrabies Falls it divides itself into numerous channels before cascading down the 56 meter high waterfall and continues its path through the gorge. In 1966 the Augrabies Falls National Park was established, preserving river landscape and plant life such as Kokerboom (TreeAloe), Karoo Thornbush, Cape Willow and Wild Olive as well as numerous bird species, monkeys, buck, wild cats and otters.
Rafting and Canoe Trips Down the Orange River
There are several tour operators who offer rafting trips through the Richtersveldt mountain desert along the Orange river, offering safe guided tours, hiking, swimming and rafting through the rapids along the way. The trips are usually around 4 to 5 days long and include meals. Most travelers to this part of the world are never disappointed with their African vacation.
National Parks Near to the Orange River – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The total area of this park is 38 000 square kilometers and straddles Botswana and South Africa. It is situated largely within the southern Kalahari Desert and is one of the few conservation areas of this size left in the world. The name Kgalagadi means 'Place of Thirst' and the scenery is dramatic at all times of the year with red sand dunes and magnificent cloud formations. The black maned lion is one of the predators in the area.
In addition to the National Parks there are an abundance of additional tourist opportunities. The Orange River has excellent stretches where boating, angling and camping are popular with travelers to South Africa and locals alike. One of the attractions is the variety and number of semi-precious gems such as rose quartz, amethyst, amazonite, garnet, beryl, tourmaline, agate, onyx and tiger's eye which are found throughout this spacious part of Africa.
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