Karoo National Park Travel Guide: Top Sights in South africa, Tours &

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Karoo National Park- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Natural Scenery; South Africa; 5 Reviews

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Suggested Duration: 48 hours

Karoo National Park, nestled in South Africa's Western Cape near Beaufort West, is a stunning semi-desert reserve covering 750 square kilometers of the Great Karoo region. The park features a dramatic elevation range from 850 to over 1300 meters, offering diverse landscapes from the Lower to the Upper Karoo. Visitors can explore this unique terrain through guided or self-drive tours, including routes across the Lammertjiesleegte plains and up the Klipspringer Pass, with scenic views from the Rooivalle View Point. Noteworthy for its conservation success, Karoo National Park shelters iconic African wildlife like springbok, gemsbok, and Cape mountain zebra, and boasts the highest tortoise species diversity of any park worldwide. Bird enthusiasts will find a rich variety of raptors, including Verreaux's eagles and Cape eagle-owls. The park's geological and paleontological significance is also remarkable, with ancient rock formations and fossilized mammal-like reptiles revealing a history of dramatic volcanic activity and lush ancient landscapes.

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Reviews of Karoo National Park

Laura Geijer

5
Reviewed: 2024-08-04

An incredible park full of birds, antelope and many other animals. There are great 4x4 routes if that’s your thing as well as some lovely look out points. One can stay in cottages near the reception but we prefer the far more remote setting of the cottages within the park itself.
Anthea

4
Reviewed: 2024-08-04

Beautiful park. Loved the design of the houses to stay in. Very basic kitchen in terms of utensils and bowls etc. Would be difficult if you're spending long periods there. You would have to bring your own. It was very cold when we were there and the aircon didn't work in the one room nor did the geyser. The staff came to try fix both, but ended up not being able to. I think if they had been checked prior to our arrival we wouldn't have had this problem. The park is very well kept, we saw a lot of animals and enjoyed the pass. The fossil trail was fascinating and kept in great condition! We enjoyed our stay there. The staff were all very friendly and we will definitely come back!
Eileen Swanepoel

4
Reviewed: 2024-07-25

Absolutely stunning landscape & animals. We saw more than what we could capture on camera. Would definitely recommend for nature lovers and those who value the beauty in simplicity and history. Staff is very friendly. Restuarant is a bit of a letdown, not worth what you pay and I don't think the daily animal spotting map at reception is accurate or gets updated daily. The 4x4 tracks are super fun!! Overall a well-maintained park and definitely worth a day visit. Just take note for day visitors, the only toilet facilities are at reception.
Colby Werrett

5
Reviewed: 2024-07-16

Great spot stayed 2 nights. staff have done a fantastic job maintaining and looking after the facilities, and the park showers are the best. Great views, amazing mountains. We saw lions loads of animals.
Luke Kroon

4
Reviewed: 2024-05-19

What a gem of a place. Always drive past on the N1 but never took the time to stop over. Beautiful and clean chalets with scenic views. The game drive route provide quality views of mountain zebra and a lot of Karoo bird specials. They just need to grade the road soon, badly corrugated in some spots.