ǀAi-ǀAis ( naq, fire-fire, meaning 'hot as fire' or 'scalding hot') is a Namibian holiday resort with hot mineral springs in the bed of the Fish River. It is situated in Southern Namibia's ǁKaras Region at the base of the Great Karas Mountains, west of Karasburg and south-west of

Keetmanshoop Keetmanshoop is a city in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia, lying on the Trans-Namib Railway from Windhoek to Upington in South Africa. It is named after Johann Keetman, a German industrialist and benefactor of the city. History Befo ...

. ǀAi-ǀAis features sulphurous thermal hot water springs and forms part of the

ǀAi-ǀAis/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park The ǀAi-ǀAis/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park is a peace park straddling the border between South Africa and Namibia. It was formed in 2003 by combining the Namibian ''ǀAi-ǀAis Hot Springs Game Park'' and the South African ''Richtersveld Nat ...

. The springs are a national monument since 1964.

History

Local legend goes that the hot springs were discovered in 1850 by a nomadic Nama shepherd rounding up stray sheep.Swaney, Deanna (1995). Lonely Planet: Zimabawe, Botswana & Namibia. 2nd Edition. Published by Hawthorn, Vic. The springs originate deep under the riverbed and form an oasis in the extremely arid area.Swaney, Deanna (1992). Lonely Planet: Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia. 1st Edition. Published by Hawthorn, Vic. During the Nama uprising of 1903–07 the hot spring was used by German military forces as a base camp. In 1915, the area was also used as a base by South African troops who were recovering from wounds during the

South West Africa Campaign The South West Africa campaign was the conquest and occupation of German South West Africa by forces from the Union of South Africa acting on behalf of the British imperial government at the beginning of the First World War. Background The ...

. In 1962, the spring was leased to a local entrepreneur and were subsequently proclaimed a national monument in 1964. In 1969, the springs became a

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

and on 16 March 1971, the camp was officially opened. The thermal water has an average temperature of about 60 °C. The water is piped to a series of indoor pools and jacuzzis. Severe floods in 1972, 1974 and 1988 caused the camp to temporarily close. With the exception of one building—which was situated on higher ground—the 1972 flood totally destroyed the camp. The Fish River Canyon Conservation area was enlarged in 1987 by the addition of state land west of the canyon. Significant renovations to the Ai-Ais camp were carried out in 1987–88. An international treaty, signed in 2003, incorporated the vast area around the ǀAi-ǀAis Hot Springs and Richtersveld National Park in South Africa, resulting in the establishment of the

.Southern African Places (2009)
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park
Retrieved on 19 May 2008.

Present day

The springs are a popular holiday destination for Namibian, South African and international holiday-makers. The thermal waters are rich in

sulphur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...

, chloride and

fluoride Fluoride (). According to this source, is a possible pronunciation in British English. is an inorganic, monatomic anion of fluorine, with the chemical formula (also written ), whose salts are typically white or colorless. Fluoride salts typ ...

, and are reputedly good for anyone suffering from

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...

. The resort waters are also home to a number of species of fish, including yellowfish and barbel. ǀAi-ǀAis is the end point of a 5-day hiking tour through the

Fish River Canyon The Fish River Canyon (Afrikaans: ''Visrivier Canyon'' or'' Visrivier Kuil'', german: Fischfluss Canyon), is located in the south of Namibia. It is the largest canyon in Africa, as well as the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia.Ma ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aiais Hot springs of Namibia Tourism in Namibia National parks of Namibia Geography of ǁKaras Region History of Namibia Protected areas established in 1971 1971 establishments in South West Africa National Monuments of Namibia

History

Present day

See also

References

External links