Verneukpan, Namaqualand
Imagine, if you will, a place that is bone dry. Bone dry and very, very flat. And as far as the eye can see it remains flat – not a tree, a building or a hill in sight. Although you will see the odd fence because, believe it or not, what surrounds you is farmland.
This is Verneukpan. A 57 km long and 11 km wide salt or mineral pan, just northeast of Brandvlei, between Swartkop and Diemansput, and 90 km south of Kenhardt in the Northern Cape.
It's the kind of rough terrain that when you enquire about the camping facilities you are told there is no shade. And it's absolutely no exaggeration. But then, you don't go to Verneukpan for the accommodation. For this is the quietest place on earth. No people, no noise, no cellphone reception. Only the desert pan, and peace.
The pan is the only thing on the map between Askham and Fraserburg, and it was here that Malcolm Campbell (later Sir) tried to break the Land Speed Record in 1929 in his car named Bluebird, and failed. But his attempt placed Verneukpan on the map.
More stories of the pan and extreme sport include that of Johan Jacobs who died in 2006 whilst driving at the speed of 500 km an hour in an attempt at a new speed record. The remains of his car are still at the pan, the text: “If you think this is scary, read the Bible, it will scare the hell out of you!” painted on its side.
Verneukpan is popular with those who love extreme sports and adrenaline junkies. Bikers, 4X4 fanatics, and the kite sailing, skating, riding, jumping community. The latter because you can guarantee strong winds and completely level ground. But it's also popular with those travellers who seek far off destinations along a road less travelled.
On the pan, all depth and distance perception goes out of whack because of the size of the place, so people can get lost. Which gives credence to the salt pan's name – Verneukpan – Verneuk is Afrikaans for trick, mislead or swindle.
In the vicinity
Hotels & other accommodation options

Frontier River Resort
The Frontier River Resort offers self-catering safari-style tent accommodation in Vioolsdrift, 6km from the border post, on the banks of the Oran...

Sardien Self Catering
Sardien in McDougalls Bay is a holiday home offering accommodation near Port Nolloth, just 2 kilometers outside the main town. McDougalls Bay is ...

Oewerbos River Camp
Oewerbos River Camp is perfectly situated halfway between Cape Town and Windhoek on the banks of the Orange River and en route to the Richtersvel...

Springbok Hotel
The Springbok Hotel as its name dictates is centrally located in the heart of Springbok directly opposite its sister hotel the Masonic Hotel divi...

The Beach House Port Nolloth
"Only the beach lies between you and the Atlantic" Port Nolloth is known for its long pristine beaches and its picturesque fishing and diamond ha...

Fishermans Cottage
Fishermans Cottage is located in Hondeklip Bay in the Northern Cape and offers accommodation for four guests. Located in a secure walled estate w...

Galjoen Self Catering
Galjoen Holiday Home in McDougalls Bay offering accommodation near Port Nolloth, just 2 kilometers outside the main town. This laid back town is ...

Jakkalswater Gasteplaas
Jakkalswater Gasteplaas offers you an ideal stop over in the Northern Cape with a picturesque view from the mountains over the valley below. We a...

Old Mill Lodge
The Old Mill Lodge is centrally situated in Springbok, the capital of Namaqualand, and is the ideal stopover between Cape Town and Namibia, or a ...
Noteworthy attractions

Richtersveld National Park
The Richtersveld is a unique mountain desert wilderness of great beauty, tucked in the far north-western corner of the Northern Cape in South Afr...

Goegap Nature Reserve
The Goegap Nature Reserve with its granite peaks and sandy plains are dominated by Carolusberg, the highest point in the area. Goegap's wild flow...

Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape
Inscribed in 2007 as the eighth World Heritage Site in South Africa, the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape is a remarkable mountainou...

Namaqua National Park
Say Namaqua National Park and people immediately think carpets of spring wild flowers. And they would not be wrong - Namaqualand not only has som...

Namaqualand Flower Route
The spring wild flowers are a phenomenon that never ceases to amaze and delight, even for those who live in what is considered South Africa's "ou...

Skilpad Wildflower Reserve
The Skilpad Wildflower Reserve was established by the WWF in 1988 to raise awareness of the floral kingdom of the Namaqualand. Mainly shrubland a...

Akkedis Pass
The Richtersveld is usually described by the adjectives 'rugged', 'desolate' and 'forbidding'. It's a dry, unforgiving landscape that is at once ...

Messelpad Pass
Messelpad Pass lies on the 104 km gravel road between Springbok and Hondeklip Bay in the Northern Cape, one of two passes through the Tigerkloof....

Wildeperdehoek Pass
Almost inextricably linked to Messelpad Pass (the two are part of the 'Copper Route' between Springbok and Hondeklip Bay) Wildeperdehoek Pass is ...
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