Opuwo is the main town of the Kaokoland area, and the capital of the wider Kunene region, in north-western Namibia. It has a population of 12,000.
Get in
Due to the scarcity of other options, most travellers will arrive by car. Opuwo is situated about 720km north-northwest from Windhoek. This road is tarred all the way, and from here there are gravel roads.
Get around
Hire a car in Windhoek (preferably a 4x4 to visit remote villages). A normal sedan will reach Opuwo easily.
See
Himba People, Epupa Waterfalls, Marienfluss, Desert Elephants, Van Zyl's pass (4x4), Traditional villages of the Himba, Herero and Dhimba people.
Do
- Walk around one of the most interesting towns in Africa and experience it's diverse people. Buy some cultural ornaments from the street markets and support the local economy.
- Drive to the Epupa waterfalls (180km north) or a nearby traditional village.
Buy
Well stocked grocery shops, Internet cafe, banks, petrol & diesel. Keep in mind that there is no further petrol station north and west of Opuwo.
Local craftspeople selling hand-made jewellery and other crafts - to be found on street, in particular outside OK Supermarket.
Eat
If you are adventurous you can try the street food that is sold downtown. For instance there are large grilled bones selling for a song (N$ 10 per piece), and junkies (fried dough dumplings, 1 N$ per piece). Very tasty, very cheap, very Namibian. "Official" eateries are:
- 1 Kaokoland Restaurant (just outside OK Grocer, the main supermarket). breakfast, lunch and dinner. The only "standard" restaurant in town. The outside area is a nice spot to watch people selling their wares. Pizza from 55N$, other meals 35-130N$.
Drink
- 2 Facebook Bar (on the main road). All day except early morning hours. The place to be on Friday nights. Loud music and all the locals. Drinks are seldom cold and occasionally sold out. Buy at other shebeens nearby and bring in, nobody will care. a quart (750ml) of good beer below 20N$.
Sleep
- ABBA guesthouse, ☏ 264 65 273155, ✉[email protected]. Accessible, Beautiful, Budget Accommodation. Clean, en suite bathrooms, hot water, free internet, TV in reception room, in the center of Opuwo. Profits from ABBA go towards running a feeding scheme in Opuwo for between 50 and 150 orphans and vulnerable children daily. Profits are used to send teaching teams to Himba villages and will soon start drilling water wells in some remote villages. From N$80 per person per night.
- Kunene Village Rest Camp. Solar hot water, friendly staff. Guides can be arranged for visits to local Himba villages or to Epupa Falls. Campsite run as a non-profit enterprise by Namibian NGO supporting local communities by providing training and advice on rural development and nature conservation. Profits from camping go towards providing workshops and other training for conservancy members around NW Kunene. camping accommodation for $60 pppn ($30 for children)..
- 1 Ohakane Lodge (downtown off the main road). Ugly from the outside, very nice inside. Pool, lapa, good breakfast and friendly staff. Aircon and TV in every room. Single: 500N$, double: 420N$ pp.
Connect
There is cell phone coverage everywhere in town. If you're heading towards Kaokoland proper, here is the last opportunity to have Internet access.
Stay healthy
Malaria area. Regional Hospital and private pharmacy can treat most health related problems.