Riemvasmaak Accommodation

Riemvasmaak

Not far from the Namibian border, a stone's throw from the Orange River is the settlement of Riemvasmaak. The word Riemvasmaak came from the Khoe word Konkaib which means to tie thongs together. The name came about because local legend tells that the spring at Riemvasmaak holds medicinal value and that an ancient inhabitant, who suffered from arthritis, tied leather thongs together to scale down the cliffs to reach it. The area was later inhabited by people of Xhosa, Khoisan and Coloured origin, in the early 1930's, but this changed under the apartheid government in the 1970's when the settlements were split up and moved away. But in 1994 Riemvasmaak made history, being one of the first areas in South Africa to see land restitution allowing the return of families and communities.

Today visitors that come to Riemvasmaak, come for the awesome scenery, friendly community and natural hot springs. There are numerous hiking trials, 4X4 routes, and various facilities that are overshadowed by towering granite cliffs and wide open skies. There are three beautiful hiking trails to choose from as well as three 4X4 routes. The 4X4 routes range from easy going to extremely challenging and consist of deep river and Kalahari sand, steep rocky tracks and dongas. The routes are especially inviting to the novice driver and owners of a luxury 4X4 vehicles. Visitors to Riemvasmaak are encouraged to walk around freely or, for a cost, a guide can be hired to accompany groups on the trails.

There are some unexpected plant species in the Riemvasmaak area, with the most prominent trees being the white-stemmed Shepherd's tree, the camel thorn tree, the wild fig tree and many different species of quiver tree. In spring the veld is adorned with flowers. The clear blue, wide open skies and minimal vegetation makes bird watching activities special in Riemvasmaak, with opportunities to see black eagles and fish eagles (that breed in the area) as well as many other raptor species. There is an abundance of small animal species in the area, including hyraxes (dassies), klipspringer antelopes, and Chacma baboons, as well as a plethora of colourful lizards and agamas.

It is said that Riemvasmaak, with its deep canyon and its hot water spring, could possibly be one of the most unique places on earth. Just seeing it, leaves visitors speechless and with the 4X4 routes, abseiling, hiking and mountain biking, there is more than enough to do. For those wishing to visit Riemvasmaak, it is situated about 480km from Kimberley near the Northern Cape town of Upington.