Namibia Off The Beaten Path

  Yes, you can see the horizon
by GrumpyDiver
 
  • Yes, you can see the horizon
      Yes, you can see the horizon
    by GrumpyDiver
  • The wooden posts mark the road you drive on
      The wooden posts mark the road you drive...
    by GrumpyDiver
  • Just us and our camper truck. We did feel alone..
      Just us and our camper truck. We did...
    by GrumpyDiver
  • A few gemsbok resting on the pan
      A few gemsbok resting on the pan
    by GrumpyDiver
  • Just to prove we were there....
      Just to prove we were there....
    by GrumpyDiver
 
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Opuwo

by GrumpyDiver

One of the most interesting places in all of Namibia had to be the town of Opuwo, the capital of the Kunene Region. While it is nothing to look at, with its half-dozen or some concrete stores, people watching is absolutely fascinating.Sit around the gas stations or head into the grocery store and you will have one of the most culturally diverse experiences. People in modern sports wear shop beside ocre coated, bare breasted Himba women as well as Herero women with Victorian era dresses and the most fantastic headgear.Photography is difficult as people ask for money to have their picture taken (which is something one should discourage). The images are not up to my usual standards, but these are off the hip, candid snapshots.

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Hoba Meteorite

by GrumpyDiver

If you are passing near the town of Grootfontein, you might want to take a short detour to the Hoba farm, where you can see the Hoba Meteorite, the largest meteorite in the world. It is a chunk of fairly pure iron (87%) that fell to earth some 80,000 years ago.

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Best animal watching

by GrumpyDiver

The best place to watch animals is in the eastern part of Etosha National Park.Why, because they are used to visitors and are not spooked by them. While is sounds romantic to get out to one of the more remote areas like the western part of the park, Namib-Naukluft, etc., these animals are very wary of humans and will run away as you get closer, while those in Eastern Etosha let you get up quite close.Another thing to consider, espeically in Etosha during the dry season, is that unlike some of the other large parks, like Kruger, etc. you really don't have to go on a game drive. With limited water supplies, the animals will come to the water holes. Just sit there and wait, as they will come. You will need some patience, as the animals follow their own schedule, not yours. Pick a waterhole that has good sight lines and has no reed growth (predators can hide in the reeds, so the animals will...

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Sunrise walk

by toonsarah

We got up early one morning while staying at Huab Lodge to join our host Jan on his daily early morning walk. We set out in the half-light of dawn. It was still pretty chilly so warm clothes were needed. We followed the dried-up river bed for part of the walk and Jan described to us the very different scene in the wet season when for a few short weeks the water (usually) flows through the farm. We also climbed a small outcrop for a wonderful view of the sunrise.Heading back to the Lodge Jan took us up the hill behind the accommodation bungalows and showed us the extensive solar panel system and small generator that keep all the buildings supplied with light and hot water. We arrived back at the main building just as breakfast was being served, and it really is worth taking an early morning walk just to work up sufficient appetite to do real justice to the wonderful spread that is laid on...

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Bushman trail at Okonjima

by toonsarah

One of the activities on offer at Okonjima Lodge is a bush walk, which I can definitely recommend. You set out early in the morning (so wrap up warmly) and after an early morning snack consisting of tea or coffee and muffins, follow an easy trail around the surrounding property. Your guide will stop in various pre-arranged spots to describe an aspect of the San bushman’s life, such as fire-making, hunting, trapping etc. Although our guide wasn’t a bushman himself, he had lived with a San tribe in the north for about a year while studying and could tell us lots of interesting stories about his time there.The walk lasts about 90 minutes and you get back to the lodge in time for brunch. This is a substantial meal of maize porridge, muesli and other breakfast cereals, fruit, yoghurt, salami, cheeses and bread, followed by eggs, sausage or bacon. Brunch is served daily at Okonjima and...

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Porcupines and honey badgers

by toonsarah

Another must-do activity when staying at Okonjima Lodge is a night time visit to a hide. After dinner everyone wraps up warmly for the short drive to the hide. There you need to keep very quiet as you all file into the space. Torches are provided so that you can see where you’re going. Everyone is seated on a long bench, and when you’re all in place torches are switched off and the flaps covering the window slots are lifted. The guides put raw meat in a clearing just in front of you, and you wait…..On our visit the porcupines were first to arrive – three or four of them came snuffling out of the surrounding trees and nosed around the meat for a while. We all took photos and the flashes didn’t seem to bother them at all – the guide explained that they probably think it’s lightening. But you will need a good flash to get a photo - mine were a little disappointing so I've borrowed the image...

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Black eagle chick

by toonsarah

While staying at Huab Lodge (see my Accommodation tip) we had the chance to visit a black eagle's nest. There was a chick in the nest but we were reassured that unlike other eagles, black eagles won't desert a nest that has been visited. I stayed below to watch and take photos of the climb, while my husband Chris (who took this great photo) and two other guests joined our host, Jan, for the climb. The nest was perched on a rocky ledge high above the dried up Huab River, and wasn't easy to reach (understatement of the holiday!) but their efforts were repaid by some stunning views of the young chick, who was about seven weeks old and already the size of a hen.We learnt later that the chick continued to thrive and took to the skies a few months later, none the worse for the invasion of his privacy!

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Shebeens......township taverns in Namibia

by 850prc

If you get a chance to tour or visit one of Namibia's black townships (see my comments regarding township visits on this page), be sure to get a beer at a shebeen.Shebeens are unlicensed taverns that operate in people's houses. It's a way that they make additional N$.The locals are generally friendly, but be sure to go with someone who knows the area.

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Moon Landscape

by magor65

A couple of km east of Swakopmund is the place known as Moon landscape. Not much can be found about it in the guide books or Internet, but it is so extraordinary that it is definitely worth visiting. Bare rocks with occasional patches of silver green plants look so unearthly and inhospitable that you have no doubts why the place was given such a name. It's said that the place is quite popular with film industry. It's drama and grandeur could be an ideal setting for science fiction films.

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Swakopmund cemetery - learn about genocide

by magor65

An interesting place, that not many visitors to Swakopmund know about, is the cemetery. It consists of two parts standing in stark contrast. The neat German part has even rows of graves set among palm trees. The African part exposed to the scorching sun consists of mere heaps of sand marked with stones and a cross here and there. There are just a few graves with a tombstone and the name of the deceased on it. In the far end of the African part is a memorial to the Nam and Herero people who died in concentration camps at the beginnning of the 20th century. It's here that I learn about this horrific genocide that happened in 1904-07, as the revenge to Herero rebellion against German colonial rule. After the Battle of Waterberg, where the Herero were defeated, the survivors were put in concentration camps. Malnutritioned, beaten and abused, forced to work like slaves, drinking water from...

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Unique Places in Namibia

Top 3 Hotels in Namibia

Hotel Heinitzburg  Windhoek

 1 Review and 62 Opinions  We only stayed for one night sadly, as on our return to Windhoek we travelled on to a game farm. But... 

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Rostock Ritz  Namib-Naukluft Park

 1 Review and 15 Opinions  It is a desert Motel - in the middle of nowhere but the accomodation is great. Make your... 

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Hansa Hotel  Swakopmund

 1 Review and 65 Opinions  the hotel was well located and the rooms that I had to pass by on the way to mine looked good. Mine... 

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87 Hotels in Namibia
 
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Reviews and photos of Namibia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Namibia sightseeing.

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Namibia
  1. Windhoek Off The Beaten Path
  2. Swakopmund Off The Beaten Path
  3. Etosha National Park Off The Beaten Path
  4. Namib-Naukluft Park Off The Beaten Path
  5. Walvisbaai Off The Beaten Path
  6. Katima Mulilo Off The Beaten Path
  7. Luderitz Off The Beaten Path
  8. Waterberg Platopark Off The Beaten Path
  9. Cape Cross Off The Beaten Path

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Popular Regions in Namibia

Khomas Off The Beaten Path  Erongo Off The Beaten Path  Swakopmund Off The Beaten Path  Caprivi Off The Beaten Path  Karas Off The Beaten Path  Kunene Off The Beaten Path  Luderitz Off The Beaten Path 

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Questions and Answers

ZeekLTK profile photo

Q:  Hi, I've been looking into planning a trip to Namibia and Botswana, but I haven't been finding much useful information as to how... 

KakapoTheParrot profile photo

A: The two countries share a huge border. I've been through the crossings at either end of the Caprivi Strip so could offer general comments (although better travelled... 

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