EXPLORE THE OSHIKOTO REGION

In a nutshellThe Oshikoto Region is the most eastern of the so-called “O Regions” and borders on the Otjozondjupa and Kavango regions. In terms of economic activity, the region is divided into north and south. Agriculture is an important source of income in the northern area while mining and cattle farming are very important to the southern area.Omuthiya Gwiipundi (better known as Omuthiya) was established as the region’s administrative centre in 2008 and is located around 10 km from the Etosha National Park. Until 2008 Tsumeb served as the region’s administrative centre and the town remains the gateway to the far northern areas of the country. The region’s greatest attractions are the Etosha National Park and lakes Otjikoto and Guinas.Visit Etosha• Etosha National Park is one of Southern Africa’s most important game reserves. It was proclaimed as a national park in 1907 and covers a surface area of 23 000km².• It is home to 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and funnily enough, one fish species.• The eastern area of the park consists mainly of the pan. It consists of almost 5 000km² of dry, white clay. Yet, in many rainy seasons the pan fills with water and it becomes an important breeding ground for flamingos.• Etosha’s vegetation varies from savannah and grassland to woodland.• The park has four entrances: The Andersson Gate to the south (from Outjo); the Von Lindequest Gate from the east; the King Nehale Gate in the north and the Galton Gate in the far west. Overnight facilities are available at Okaukuejo, Namutoni and Halali rest camps, as well as at the Dolomite and Onkoshi camps.Otjikoto and Guinas• These two lakes that are responsible for many a legend and myth, are located outside Tsumeb: Otjikoto around 24 km outside the town along the main road, and Guinas on a farm 32 km further west. Guinas is not easily accessible and can only be visited with the farm owner’s permission. Contrary to what many people think, the lakes are not bottomless and are a popular destination for divers.• The explorers Andersson and Galton were the first white people to visit Otjikoto in 1851. They measured the depth of the lake at 55 m even though it was also gauged at 30 m and 90 m. Still, the legend that Otjikoto was, bottomless lived on. That notion probably led to the Schutztruppe dumping artillery and ammunition into the lake rather than handing it over to the South African forces. Decades later, divers discovered some of this equipment which can be seen today in Tsumeb’s museum and the Alte Feste Museum in Windhoek. Visitors are welcome and entrance fees are payable at the gate.• Guinas is quite a lot deeper – more than 140 m – and the suspicion exists that the two lakes are connected. As part of an underground river system, the lake was exposed when its massive dolomite roof caved in. Don’t miss out on this!Etosha• Be on the lookout for black rhino, cheetah and black-faced impala. Other animals found in large numbers are giraffe, elephant, blue wildebeest, Burchell’s zebra, hyena, leopard and lion. The smallest antelope found in Etosha, is the Damara dik-dik, while the eland is the largest.• More than 30 waterholes offer visitors excellent opportunities to see game from reasonably close up, ensuring stunning photos.Tsumeb• In Tsumeb the arts and crafts centre is definitely worth a visit since a wide variety of art and souvenirs are on sale here.• The cultural village towards the town’s southern entrance is an open air museum that offers visitors an impression of the daily lives of different cultural groups.• The town’s museum, located opposite a park with lovely old shady trees, houses an impressive collection of minerals extracted from Tsumeb’s mines.• The old De Wet shaft that is almost synonymous with Tsumeb, once served as the main entrance to the mine. Production at this mine came to a halt in 1996.• The San’s cultural village at Tsintsabis is also well worth a visit. Here the Hai||kom demonstrate their fascinating traditional skills.

EXPLORE THE OSHIKOTO REGION

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Republikein 2025-12-17

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