This excellent Lodge imbues the magic of the Kalahari!: for sale

This is Upington's top accommodation. Conceived on the banks of the Orange River, in the central business area of Upington, whose timeless elegance and service dominance provides a breathtaking vista.

The Africa River Lodge imbues the magic of the Kalahari!

As timeless as the river, so is the hospitality of the Africa River Lodge, which welcomes old patrons and shared memories, as well as new friends, in order for them to experience this warmth and friendliness for themselves.

This magic is portrayed in the serene and mysterious ambience that embodies the heart of the Africa River Lodge.

Consisting of 10 individually furnished en-suite bedrooms and 2 self-catering family cottages, every guest will be able to relax and luxuriate in the tranquility of the riverside realm.

Our wide range of facilities ensure that our guests have everything they need at their disposal. With rooms fully equipped with air-condition, television and en suite bathrooms, to full internet and fax facilities for the business man away from his office.

We even cater for hunters and tourists with our freezer & braai facilities.

Basically, we make you stay as comfortable as possible.

All rooms open into the garden on their own private courtyards, giving the guests the well-deserved feeling of privacy and tranquillity after a long day of travel or business meetings.

Upington is a town founded in 1873 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. The town was originally called Olijvenhoutsdrift ('Olive wood drift'), due to the abundance of olive wood trees in the area, but later renamed after Sir Thomas Upington, Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of the Cape. It originated as a mission station established in 1871 and run by Reverend Christiaan Schröder. The mission station now houses the town museum, known as the Kalahari Orange Museum. The museum is also the home of a donkey statue, which recognises the enormous contribution that this animal made to the development of the region during the pioneering days of the 19th century.

The elevation of Upington is 2,742 feet (835 metres). It is the closest large centre to the Augrabies Falls (arguably the greatest of South African waterfalls) and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The landscape is very arid but the soil is fertile and crops such as fruit are grown in irrigated fields. The area is best known for its export-quality grapes, raisins and wines, which are cultivated on the rich flood plains of the Orange River.

Wine industry

Upington's most famous wines are produced by an organisation known as Orange River Cellars. The organisation has six depots in the area (all of them on the banks of the Orange River) at Upington, Kanoneiland, Grootdrink, Kakamas, Keimoes and Groblershoop. Their wines are exported, inter alia, to Europe and the USA.

Transportation

Upington has a modern airport with scheduled flights provided by SA Airlink (an affiliate of South African Airways. One of the airport's runways is 4,900 m in length.

Nelson Mandela Drive in the Upington CBD

In the first half of the 20th century there was a passenger train service from Cape Town to Upington. Until the 1950s a narrow-gauge railway line (two-foot gauge) ran from Upington to Kakamas and Keimoes, two nearby towns. The trains carried passengers and freight, being mainly dried fruit. The line to Kakamas was still in use during the November 2010 grape harvest season.

Shopping

Shopping in Upington is characterised by High Street shopping, with most stores located along Scott, Schroder, Nelson Mandela and Mark Streets. Upington has a mall, which is the area's first super regional mall. The Kalahari mall is anchored by Game, Checkers, Spar, Woolworths, Tiger Wheel & Tyre and clothing stores, banks and restaurants. It is located on the corner of Van Riebeeck and Malherbe Streets.

Geography and climate

Upington is located on the northern banks of the Orange River and is surrounded by irrigated vineyards. The hottest month of the year is January, with average daily temperatures swinging from 36 °C (97 °F) to 20 °C (68 °F), while in the coolest month of July temperatures range between 21 °C (70 °F) and 4 °C (39 °F). Also the driest month of the year, July sees an average rainfall of only 2 millimetres (0.079 in), while the wettest month of March sees 37 millimetres (1.5 in). Upington has been noted as being the sunniest location on the planet for three months of the year, from November through January.