Discovering the joys of camping in Namibia (page 17 of 30)

Friday, August 9: Opuwo / Epupa Falls

We had another great night—it wasn’t cold at all, and this morning it was just a bit chilly, around 16°C at sunrise. The sun is trying to peek through the clouds.

Today’s destination is Epupa Falls, 180 km away. We don’t want to arrive too late so we can explore, so we leave camp before 8 AM. We continue north on the C43. In some spots, the road is a bit rough with tricky river crossings.





After Okangwati, we follow the riverbed for a while. It’s already a bit greener, and some massive baobabs stand out easily compared to the other trees.





A few villages before reaching Epupa are located near the road.





It’s not even 11 AM when we settle into our campsite—we’ve got spot number 1, located at the far end of the campground by the Kunene River. The sites are huge, it’s gorgeous, and such a change from last night. The bathrooms are individual, with a toilet area and sink, plus a separate shower area with another sink. There’s a donkey boiler for hot water.







There are tons of vervet monkeys in the trees—we’ll have to be careful and not leave anything outside. A small monitor lizard is wandering nearby. We’re totally won over by this campsite 😎.





We have lunch and then head out for a walk upstream, but barriers stop us from going too far, and we didn’t dare go past them. Too bad! The little we *did* see was really pretty.





We turn back. Oops! Now we’ve got to watch out for crocodiles! 🤪

it's 16 degrees at sunrise.

Ahhh! Finally some acceptable temperatures (for a vacation) 😉.

A big lizard is wandering not far from us

Wouldn’t that be a monitor lizard? Muriel

Just before the lodge, we head to the small island connected by a suspension bridge.





Then a stop at the bar is a must—it’s really hot this early afternoon, 34 degrees in the shade. "You sure we’re in winter here?"

We continue on to the waterfalls. We’re a bit disappointed because not all the riverbanks are accessible. The walk offers some pretty viewpoints, but the path is rocky and dirty. Plus, the banks aren’t well-maintained—it’s really a shame 🙁.









When we reach the top of the falls, it’s laundry time—women are busy washing clothes and bathing the kids.





The overall view near the falls is a bit underwhelming. With more water, it’d probably be better. But again, with a little landscaping, the site could be really beautiful.





We head back to camp and wait for late afternoon to go to the viewpoint. The higher we climb, the more stunning the landscape becomes. Now *this* is truly a magnificent view—from afar, you can see the vastness of the river serving as the border between Namibia and Angola.











The sun sets behind us.



Despite this incredible view from above, I don’t think making all this trip just for the falls is worth it. Most people come here to visit a Himba village too, which we didn’t want to do from the start.

On the other hand, the campsite is really nice—showering under the moonlight is a great experience 😎.

We’re heading south here

It's 16 degrees at sunrise.

Aaah! Finally, some acceptable temperatures (for a vacation) 😉.

A big lizard is wandering not far from us

Wouldn't that be a monitor lizard? Muriel

No, I don’t think so because it was still a bit small for a monitor lizard, but I could be wrong . As for the temperatures, yeah, in the north, we could’ve sworn it was summer back home 😎.

Hi Isabelle, We stayed 2 nights at Grootberg Lodge. It was great, but given the presence of lions in the area (2 horses had been attacked and killed in the previous weeks or months), horseback riding and hiking activities had been canceled....😕 We still had the elephant tracking we’d done at Brandberg and the rhino tracking, which, in my opinion, was really overpriced...😕

Of course, I believed there were lions—I was joking... I never downplay the risks. Yes, we would’ve loved the rhino tracking, but we were only there for one night, and the daily price was pretty steep.

As for Opuwo, it’s not what you’d call a beautiful city—it’s dusty, and the solicitations at the gas station are really "pushy," but we still found some charm in its bustle, the different ethnic groups walking through town or gathering at the supermarket... A bit like a border town. I’ll stop my comments here, otherwise I won’t have anything left to write in my travel journal (which isn’t progressing much🤪) I’m looking forward to the rest of yours—I’m really enjoying reading it!

In Opuwo, we felt really uncomfortable with all the solicitations, so we didn’t get to appreciate the city’s "charm" 😉 Plus, that whole tire issue took up so much of our time.

Opuwo doesn’t really appeal to me... but the Epupa region does! 😎 Is it too far to get there without stopping in Opuwo? Muriel

Hi Muriel, It depends on where you're starting from. Between Opuwo and Epupa, it's about 2.5 hours by road, a bit longer depending on photo stops. Just before Opuwo, you can make a stop at Camp Aussicht, about an hour south of Opuwo. From there, it’s roughly a 4-hour drive to Epupa Falls. You could also break your journey in Sesfontein and then head up to Epupa Falls. It’s a bit longer, but in my opinion, it’s doable. The tracks are decent. But it’s better to spend 2 or 3 nights in the north, along the Kunene River. We stayed 4 nights—2 in Epupa and 2 at Kunene River Lodge, which I highly recommend. The scenery in this region is completely different from the rest of Namibia, which is much more arid and mineral. Jean Luc

Isa, I’ve been following your trip with interest and I’m surprised by your take on Epupa. To you, the place isn’t particularly developed. Others like me would say the site is "au naturel," untouched and without much infrastructure. I passed through in 2011, and there wasn’t a footbridge back then. On the other hand, we went rafting among the crocs to reach the Angolan bank—it was a blast. The Omarunga Lodge didn’t have a pool yet, though I think I’ve read in recent posts that it does now. Its location right by the falls is really lovely. I don’t know if the little craft shops still exist near the falls, but at the time, they were great and offered unique items. A local bar with a corrugated iron roof was the spot to meet Himba youth blasting music while playing pool and slot machines. The flow of the Kunene River depends on the water retention at the Ruacana Dam, which supplies electricity to northern Namibia and southern Angola. I’ve always liked Opuwo for its cultural contrasts. In 2018, we stayed at ABBA Guest House—no tour operator sends clients there!!!! They’re missing out because the place is actually really decent. There’s no restaurant, which gives you a chance to try one in town recommended by the lodge owner: "Koakoland Restaurant." It’s really good and lets you mingle with locals, while tourists tend to stick to the Opuwo Country Lodge.

Thanks for your explanations, Jean-Luc! 🙂

others, like me, will tell you the site stays "au naturel," untouched and without facilities

I agree with you, Dominique. I don’t think the site needs any upgrades—it’ll keep more of its charm that way. Otherwise, not much has changed in the area compared to what you described. The little tin-roof music bars are still there and running almost 24/7, and so are the Himba vendors (though there weren’t many when we were there at the end of July). In Opuwo, we stayed at Hotel Le Manoir, run by a rather eccentric Frenchman.

Hi Dominique, I think I didn’t express myself clearly—I didn’t mean I wanted permanent structures on the riverbanks. The natural side is definitely better. What I meant was cleaning up the riverbanks, access points, and surrounding areas... Yes, I know, it’s just my over-sanitized Western side coming out again 😉. This trip was so different from how we usually travel that we had a few (thankfully rare) moments of uncertainty 😕. Looking back last night while sorting through photos, I realized what I wrote might have come across as too harsh. The pictures didn’t reflect that, but I kept it because it was truly how we felt while we were there. That said, I’m not discouraging Epupa Falls—it’s just our totally subjective opinion. Proof is Jean Luc, who went right before us, loved it.

Isa, Everyone’s tastes and experiences are different. My wife and I have often traveled to very poor countries, so Namibia feels like Eldorado to us. Personally, I’m embarrassed by our country when we drive on the highways around Paris—real dumping grounds where the sides aren’t maintained: overgrown grass, road signs hidden by bushes or even trees. Coming into Paris from Roissy is an insult. What must foreigners think when they take these roads? But anyway, that’s not the point!!!!

Southern Africa is often addictive for those who’ve traveled there. I still read forums about these countries, while for others, I’ve lost interest. I live on memories of places that are now hard or impossible to visit: Yemen, Pakistan, Tibet. Some deserve a visit just to get an idea, beyond documentaries, but I won’t return. Above all, the climate is a key part of choosing a vacation spot. Rain and gray skies put me off, but dry cold doesn’t. So I’ve ruled out countries where you have to wade through puddles and live under a rain poncho!!!

I didn’t make it all the way to Epupa Falls, so I’m just enjoying myself 😎 I think it’s either a "Rock Monitor" or a "Water Monitor"… Varanus (monitor lizard family). You can find Rock Monitors in the Kgalagadi.

Thanks, that’s such a vivid and well-told story 🙂

I didn’t make it all the way to Epupa Falls, so I’m loving this 😎 I think it’s either a "Rock Monitor" or a "Water Monitor"… Varanus (monitor lizard family). You find Rock Monitors in the Kgalagadi.

Thanks, so well described and told 🙂

Thanks so much, Anne-Marie, for that detail—it’s really great to be able to count on VF members to expand our knowledge 😎. True, it was a bit big for a lizard but I thought it was a bit small for a monitor .

Isa, Before they're adults, monitor lizards are tiny!!!

Isa, Before becoming an adult, a monitor lizard is small!!!

😂😂😂 So it’s a baby monitor lizard—that’s why I thought it was small 😲

Hi Isabelle, and thank you for this wonderful travel journal!

We had the exact same spot one week after you during our stay in Epupa🙂 We loved it until the moment we discovered a huge squatter in the toilets...

Otherwise, I totally get what you mean about the Kunene River banks between Epupa Camp and the falls themselves. We had the same thought on the first evening when we wanted to walk along the bank to the falls. It was only the next day, thanks to our daughter who played and splashed around with the local kids, that we realized the nice walk actually started from the falls downstream, beyond the viewpoint (so in the opposite direction from the camp)... a walk we did on the second evening and really enjoyed!

So, if you stay closer to the falls (Epupa Camp is the farthest), you probably don’t pass by this part of the banks, which is only half-accessible and clear, and you head straight in the right direction.

We had the exact same spot a week after you during our stay in Epupa🙂

Wow! So what did you do for a whole week?? Just chilling...

We loved it until we discovered a huge squatter in the toilet...

Who was the squatter? The mother of the baby monitor lizard?

Otherwise, I totally get what you mean about the Kunene River banks between Epupa Camp and the falls themselves. We had the same thought on the first evening when we wanted to walk along the bank to the falls. Actually, it was only the next day, thanks to our daughter who played and took a dip with the local kids, that we realized the nice walk actually started from the falls going downstream, beyond the viewpoint (so opposite the camp)... a walk we did on the second evening and really enjoyed!

So, staying closer to the falls (Epupa Camp is the farthest) probably means you don’t pass by that part of the riverbank, which is only half-accessible and clear, and you head straight in the right direction.

Yeah, I think we missed out on something in Epupa. Plus, choosing to stay only one night didn’t help since we covered a lot of ground in two days 🙁

Thanks Isabelle for this follow-up! 🙂

The Grootberg Lodge looks nice, and the surroundings too. The view over the valley is really pretty. It's a place we don't know.

We're among those who really loved Epupa. It was a favorite for us.

Indeed, the walk along the river is downstream. I even wrote about it in my travel journal. 😛

We stayed at the same campsite— the pitches and facilities are really pleasant.

While we were doing the Himba "outing," our son had the chance to visit the small village of Epupa with some young Himbas. An unforgettable encounter for him.

We enjoyed walking from the campsite to the falls. The interactions with the local population were great.

Unfortunately for you, there wasn't much water, but as Dominique mentioned, it's quite random depending on the dam release upstream.

As for Opuwo, we would've liked to spend a bit more time in this town. Still, the ever-present dust is pretty tough. But the mix of different ethnic groups is really cool, and the town feels more "African" than Swakopmund and Windhoek, which we didn’t like.

But every traveler is different, and thankfully not everyone appreciates the same places! 😉

Carmen

Isa, Before becoming an adult, a monitor lizard is small!!!

😂😂😂 So it’s a baby monitor lizard—that’s why I thought it was small 😲

Yes, it’s definitely a monitor lizard.