How to meet the vibrant local tribes in Namibia

Namibia is the second least densely populated country in the world. However, this does not mean that the country is completely empty. Despite the harsh environment, ancestral tribes learned to live in harmony with their surroundings. This article will show you how to meet local tribes in Namibia

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Where to meet local tribes in Namibia?

Palmwag is located 585km (360 miles) away from Windhoek. Thus, it takes around 6h driving to reach from Windhoek and 4h from Etosha National Park (310km/190 miles). From Palmwag to Swakopmund it takes around 425km (265 miles) and 5h30 min to reach.

Palmwag can be used as the base to explore the Damaraland region and meet the local Himba people.

Where to stop on the way?

Twyfelfontein Petroglyphs

This site contains one of the largest concentration of petroglyphs in Africa. It shows the early presence of hunters-gatherers and herders. At that time, climate conditions were surely more adapted to the presence of human life. The site is a UNESCO world heritage. In fact this can be a nice stop between the town of Khorixas and Palmwag.

The Petrified forest

The petrified forest it located a few km away from the city of Khorixas on the C39 road to Palmwag. It is a site where trees were fossilized. Thus, they appear like stuck in time 280 million years ago. Accordingly, you can see 2 main trunks of 45 meters are visible. In addition, there are a few hundreds of others in the surroundings.

Also, you can spot the emblematic Namibian plant of Welwitschia. This plant is endemic to the region and is commonly referred as the living fossil since it needs very little water to survive. 

Astonishing landscapes

The section between Khorixas to Palmwag has truly astonishing landscapes. Indeed, the road changes completely every 10 minutes. From twisting green roads, to dry river passes, to sand dunes, to reddish mountains, Damaraland features amazing scenery for nature lovers. Just make sure to adapt you tires pressure in order prior to entering the gravel road.

NassPacker Tip : Make sure to always adapt your tire pressure when changing road type in order. It will help avoid having flat tires. It also helps you to have more steering control over your vehicle. Below are the recommend tires pressures per road type :
– 2.2 on paved roads
– 1.8 on gravel roads
– 1.1 on sand

Drive the whole day without meeting a single soul

As a general rule, we recommend to always fill up the entire gas tank anytime you see a gas station. While there are many gas stations on the main road, this section is quite isolated. We recommend filling up the tank completely in Khorixas as we did not see any other gas station for a while after this. As a matter of fact, we met a couple of fellow travelers that ran out of gas just a few km away from their final destination because of poor planning.

NassPacker Tip : Make sure to rent a car that has a double gas tank. It gives you more autonomy and freedom while exploring the country’s vast national parks. Our car had 2 tanks of 80L and 60L summing up to 140L. It gave us around 900km-1000km of freedom (560-620 miles).

For more driving tips, read NassPacker’s Ultimate guide to renting a car in Namibia.

Then, we got to witness thousands of dragon flies form clouds below the sunset lights. In a word, we can only recommend stopping every time you feel like it. Instead of rushing to meet local tribes in Namibia, take your time to enjoy the scenery. Shoot as many pictures as you wish along the gravel road. You will feel like walking the earth before human even existed.

Where to stay in Palmwag?

Palmwag is just a very tiny village. It was much smaller than what we expected. Actually, the main available accommodation is the Palmwag Lodge. This lodge is part of the Gondwana hotel group that has quite a few branches all over Namibia. They have rooms, a restaurant and even a swimming pool section.

In addition, they also have camping spots. This is the option we selected. As everywhere in Namibia, the amenities are very clean. Hot showers are available. Each spot has an electric light, a BBQ area, a tap with running water to wash the dishes and WIFI. 

To select a camping spot, just head to the reception and pay the 263 NAD/17 USD per person.

Another option for camping in the vicinity is Palmwag Campsite. Also located in Palmwag, the camp has a swimming pool and a restaurant on site.

Find a guide to meet local tribes in Namibia

From Palmwag lodge, it takes another 1h drive to reach the town of Sesfontein. Sesfontein is the base where we met our guide. The road leading there varies from reddish mountains, to dry riverbeds, to zones where lines of dead crops remind us of a post-apocalyptic movie set.

After arriving in Sesfontein, we met at the entrance of the village with our guide of the day Aqua. 

Aqua is himself a Herero from this region. He speaks Herero, the Himba language as well as perfect English. After the introductions, we head to the local shop to buy a few items for the tribe.

NassPacker Tip:
You can contact Aqua directly via What’sApp, email or phone call. He’ll help you meet local tribes in Namibia

– Phone/What’sApp number : +264812143516.
– E-mail : [email protected]

He also arranges other types of tours if you are interested (Rhino tracking, elephants….)

Indeed, it is customary to bring presents to the village to thank them for for welcoming us.

The small shop is located a few meters away in the village. Since their diet is radically different to ours, you may use Aqua’s assistance to help you select items that will be appreciated by the tribe.

Head to the Himba village

Then, we drove 10 minutes away from Seisfontein drive to reach the Himba village. Since we reached a bit late from Palmwag Lodge, most of the villagers were already gone to work in the farm.

Meet local tribes in Namibia: Learn about their traditional attire

We were welcomed by a woman dressed in traditional Himba clothes, a kid and a man dressed in western clothes.

Curiously, this is something I have observed in many of my trips around the world. Women are very often the guardians of local cultures. Indeed, they tend to be the last ones to give up their traditional attire.

On the other hand, men put away their traditional clothes very often to go work in urban areas. They usually wear them only for very special occasions such as weddings, local festivities or religious celebrations.

The decoration is very detailed and had a specific meaning. In this case, her headress signifies that she is a married woman. It is called an Erembe and is made of goat leather.

Meet local tribes in Namibia: Learn about their way of life

They took us around the village and explain to us the role of each house. They showed the area where they gather for ceremonials called the Kraal. It is also used as an enclosure for the cattle.

Then, we entered a special house where we asked to bend down. In there we discuss about their traditions and beliefs.

Also, she shows us some of the local medicine they get from their surrounding flora. She also explained the role of the Otjize powder. This mixture of hematite powder and animal fat is used by the women to cover their body and their hair.

Meet local tribes in Namibia: Share with them about your own way of life

Then, we showed them how different our houses and lifestyles were back home. Thus, I brought a traditional gandoura from the south of Morocco with me. The idea was to raise their curiosity and foster the discussion and genuine exchanges we were having.

NassPacker Tip: When meeting locals and more specifically local tribes, carry something from your country with you. Bringing your own traditional clothes, food or pictures from back home can really help raise the curiosity of your hosts. You suddenly transform the relationship from a one way awkward commercial one into a genuine exchange.

We then gifted the food to them so they can store it in the village.

Meet local tribes in Namibia: Visit their farming area

The rest of the tribe was working at the crops located 1km away from their village. In fact, they have a source of water to help them grow a few vegetables. The kids were picking up wood, the women cooking and the men playing a local game with dice. Thus, we had some interesting conversations as they were very curious about our way of life.

It is also important to learn a few words of Himba. Indeed, making the effort to learn some local words will always please your hosts.

Below is a list of basic Himba words you could use :

• Hello                               Moro
• Good bye                            Epi nava
• Thank you                          Okuhepa
• How are you?                 Ua penduka nawa ?
• What’s your name?        Ena roje oove ufie ?
• Where are you going ?   Mo i pi ?
• Where are you from ?    Mo zu pi ? 
• Everything’s all right       Peri nawa

Complete your experience and meet other local tribes in Namibia : The Herero

After the village, Aqua took us to his aunt’s house that is located nearby. His Aunt is a Herero woman.

Their culture is very different, and one can very easily see the difference especially when it comes to clothing. Herero very proudly display colorful clothing and large hats.

You sometimes can see them dressed this way all over Namibia. However, there was a time where it was much easier meeting them in the streets of Namibia.

Meet local tribes in Namibia : Learn about their history

Their population was drastically reduced following the 1904 to 1908 genocide perpetrated by the German colonial rule. In order to submit the local Hereros, Sans, and Namaquad that rebelled against colonization, the German decided to set an example by slaughtering them, putting them in concentration camps and isolating them into the deserts so they can die of starvation or exhaustion.

It is estimated that up to 100,000 Hereros and 10,000 Namaquad lost their lives at the time. Nevertheless, the German government first decided to recognize the existence of a genocide only in 2015. Thus, in May 2021 they committed to investing 1.1 billion over 30 years in the local communities that were affected without officially calling them reparations.

To learn more about their history, you can visit the Independence museum in Windhoek.

All in all, meeting these tribes was a real interesting experience that we would recommend to any traveler. Just make sure to bring your stories and you smiles with you in order to enjoy it fully.

After exploring the dusty interior of Namibia, what best than to get yourself a taste of the ocean at the Skeleton Coast Park