Our trip to Southern Africa, Omaruru, Namibia

Omaruru, Namibia – Southern Africa: Part VII

After three nights in Otjiwarongo, it was eventually time to head back towards Windhoek. Driving back the same way as we had arrived didn’t seem so interesting. Instead, we looked at other options and were recommended to go via a town called Omaruru, 140 kilometers away. As there were some sights to see in the town and the additional distance was not that great, we decided to check it out.

Another Long Road

There is no lack of long roads without any main crossings in Namibia. The same was the case with road C33 between Otjiwarongo and Omaruru. It did have a few more turns than the B1 had between Okahandja and Otjiwarongo. The road was mostly in good condition, but there were groups of potholes from time to time. The road did also feel a lot narrower than the bigger B1, meaning that the meeting traffic came even closer.

Luckily there were no problems along the road. Some amazing landscapes welcomed us as we approached the mountains. We also drove through one other town, the town of Kalkfeld. We first thought about stopping in Kalkfeld, but eventually decided against it. It didn’t look as developed as other areas and we did not want to risk anything.

Omaruru

Omaruru has around 6300 inhabitants and it lies in the Erongo Region. When arriving in the town our first objective was to find something for lunch. It was quite hard knowing where to go for food, especially as we didn’t know where we should start looking. So we did eventually end up at a Superspar grocery store. It was an easy way to get something small to eat as one of us was too hungry to continue further.

After that, we took the possibility to see what Omaruru had to offer. Close to the center, we found the old Mission House, which has been turned into a local museum. We were satisfied with only seeing it from the outside. The next stop was the craft market, Tikoloshe Africa, further down the street. There were some really amazing sculptures, but most of the nicer ones were too big for us to bring with us. Leaving empty-handed felt a bit sad, but we didn’t really find any souvenirs of our liking. One of the more interesting stops before we continued south was the Franke Tower. The tower was build in 1908 to commemorate the battleground of the resistance of the Herero people. The tower received its name from the German general Erich Victor Carl August Franke.

Karibib

From Omaruru it was another 65 kilometers along the C33 to the next town. This time it was Karibib were we on Google Maps saw that there was a Tourist Center. We hoped that it would be able to provide us with some tips on what to see in the area. Sadly the center was closed upon our arrival.

One of the most famous attractions in the Erango region is the impressive mountain Spitzkoppe. It would have been amazing to visit it, but as we were running short of time and had little information about the type of roads leading there, we decided to return towards Windhoek.

So after a very short stop in Karibib, we continued onwards towards Okahandja along the B2.


Join Us in Exploring Southern Africa

Here are all the posts belonging to the series about our trip to South Africa and Namibia. Read the parts by clicking on the links below:

Join us as we explore Southern Africa

 

This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. runningtotravel

    How have you found the driving experience in Africa? Safe? Good roads?

    1. Jesper

      The quality of the roads are quite varied. Most mayor roads between the towns in Namibia was really good. Maybe a bit high speed limit considering the width of the roads. Smaller roads were usually in a quite bad shape and usually gravel.

      Only safety issue that I saw was the speed limit and then maybe the amount of animals along the roads. But driving a bit slower than the limit made me feel safer at least.

      My biggest concern was to drive on the left, which they do in both Namibia and South Africa. Luckily we started in Namibia, so it was not so much traffic.

      South Africa was quite similar, a bit wider roads and more cars. Otherwise no problem as long as you stay concentrated and calm. 🙂

      Driving in that landscape really was an experience. Especially in Namibia as the roads just continued forward as far as the eye could see. 🙂

      1. runningtotravel

        That’s good to hear. One thing to keep in mind when I go there (not for a while but eventually I will get there). Your posts have been very informative and interesting.

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