Hardap National Park - Mariental, Hardap, Namibia

Southern Namibia and the Hardap Region is home to the largest dam in the country, the 25 square kilometre Hardap Dam, and wrapped around this dam is the Hardap Game Reserve. The Game Reserve itself covers an area of approximately 25 000 hectares and features a network of 80 kilometres of gravel roads that lead to several view points over the dam as well as a circular day walk of 15 km. The park is divided into two sections, both of which can be accessed for game drives. The smaller of the two sections covers an area of approximately 1848 hectares and is located near the Hardap Dam Resort along the northern edge of the dam. It is in this section that the resident population of four black rhino live. Currently these are Namibia's southernmost black rhinos, which were introduced from Damaraland in 1990, it is very rare for these rhino to be spotted. The larger section of the park to the south of the dam has the largest concentration of game and has been restocked with antelopes, such as kudu, gemsbok, eland, red hartebeest and springbok, and mountain zebra. There have also been sightings of Leopard in the area of the Great Komatsas River.

The Dam is home to a variety of aquatic birds including white pelicans, flamingos, cormorants, African darters, spoonbills and the majestic African fish eagle, while the reserve itself is home to the Namaqua sandgrouse, Starks lark, Sclaters lark, Bradfields swift, as well as ostrich and kori bustard. There have been more than 200 various bird species counted in the reserve making Hardap Game Reserve a worthwhile destination for birders.

The Hardap Recreation Resort was closed for renovations in 2011 after a fire burnt down the restaurant. But a statement that was released by Namibia Wildlife Resorts in October 2014 has set the reopening of the resort for December 2014. The resort at the Hardap dam offers visitors to the dam and reserve a variety of facilities such as, a restaurant which overlooks the dam, an aquarium, a fresh water fishing farm, and conference facilities.