Ai-Ais Park & Hot Springs Travel Guide
Spectacular Desert Mountain Scenery
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The Ai Ais Park is on Namibia’s southern border with South Africa, it is a cross border park which includes Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. The Ai Ais Hot Springs Resort is located at the end of Fish River Canyon. It’s thermal waters are rich in sulphates and fluorides, with an average temperature of approx 60 degrees centigrade, they are enjoyed by both hikers and tourists as well as people suffering from rheumatism.
The area suffers extremely high temperatures during the Namibian summer months (November to February) as heat collects in the narrow gorge and care should be taken if travelling at this time of year, and some accommodation in the area may be closed.
This 5,900 km² nature conservation area was officially launched by the governments of Namibia and South Africa in August 2003. With Ai-Ais Game Park, Fish River Canyon and the little known and almost inaccessible Hunsberg Nature Reserve, Namibia contributed almost three quarters of the Transfrontier Park.
The park spans some of the most spectacular arid and desert mountain scenery in southern Africa. It also features the world’s second largest canyon – the Fish River Canyon. The 350 million year old and erosion-rich Orange River gorge abounds with history, folklore and grandeur and the Richtersveld is one of the last regions where the Nama people’s traditional lifestyle based on nomadic pastoralism has been preserved.
Attractions in Ai-Ais Park & Hot Springs
The rugged mountain deserts of the park are home to the Succulent Karoo, one of the richest and most valuable plant kingdoms on earth. Here you will find the earlier mentioned succulent called halfmens, as well as lithops (stone plants), rare aloes and crassula, which turn this landscape into colourful fields of flowers during the rainy season. In this area you will hardly encounter any game. The intense green banks of the Orange River provide a habitat for hundreds of bird species, including many birds of prey.
Activities in Ai-Ais Park & Hot Springs
Ai Ais Hot Springs is the ending point of the trail through Fish River Canyon. The resort has indoor and outdoor pools of various temperatures.
Relaxing
Visit the Ai-Ais Hot Springs and relax in the soothing thermal waters of the spring around which the resort was developed.
Getting Around
It is possible to drive to the park, however the best way to explore is either on foot or an organized 4x4 tour. The pontoon at Sendelingsdrift is now operational and has created a tourist access facility between Namibia and South Africa which has shortened the route between the two sections of the transfrontier park by almost 500 km.
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