5 Reasons to Visit Otjiwarongo

No matter how your road trip unfolds in Namibia, you should put Otjiwarongo on the map. Here are 5 reasons why.

1. Location, Location, Location!

Otjiwarongo is a excellent pit stop on your way up north or as you head to Etosha, Waterberg, or other places. If you're going straight up from Windhoek, I highly recommend spending your morning in Okapuka Safari before completing your drive up. If you're coming in from Swakopmund, it serves equally as great as a pit stop. Because it is a city, you'll have the ability to recharge and recoup better than in a smaller town or village. It's located 166km from Etosha National Park and 113km to Waterberg Plateau National Park.

2. Do All the Shopping You Forgot to do in Windhoek

I was shocked at the shopping options that Otjiwarongo has. At the city center, you can find a nice mall with a grassy field in the center that has a much larger variety of items than you will find in many other places. If you realize you forgot to pack something, this is where you should stop and get it. As a small example, I would argue that the ShopRite in Otjiwarongo carries the only limes in the entire country. I was told not to get my hopes up, just in case they were out of stock-but my hopes were as high as could be. I bought 18. I will return next month to buy more. You can even stop in the ShopRite and sit down at the buffet restaurant or order a cup of coffee to go. If for some reason you're not interested in limes, the town center will also have a store for anything else you might need, like really nice biltong, toiletries, and electronic items.

2. Great Restaurants

There are a couple places to stop into, but my friends and I went to Etemba Beerhouse and had a great time. Between the three of us, we ordered a salad, burger, pizza, and snails! My favorite were the snails. If you're looking for something a bit more familiar to home, this will definitely treat you right.

4. Very Nice Hotel Options

I can only speak for Okeri Guesthouse B&B, but I couldn't recommend it enough. The guesthouse is located a few blocks from the city center and we were able to easily walk to Etemba and back. I stayed there during a week night, but I have a strong suspicion that there is some sort of dance scene that occurs on the second floor on the weekends. I did get to experience their bar and breakfast, though. Prepare to spend more (twice as much) on a drink at the bar and $50 for breakfast. The rooms were nice and came with coffee and soap in the bathroom. My favorite part about the place was the art murals on every wall and the care they put into the appearance. I felt very safe staying here and they have security on campus 24/7.

5. Crocodiles!

200 meters (give or take) from Okeri is the Crocodile Farm, established in 1985. For $100 you can see the crocodiles for a half hour (or as long as you want...no one is keeping track of you). A crocodile expert stays out with them and is available to answer any questions you may have about the animals. If you hang out long enough, he'll pick up one of the "small small small" crocodiles and plop it right into your hands! I think that's worth $100 in itself. The experience of just seeing the crocodiles is really neat, but the property also has a gift store where you can buy crocodile meat and cook it up yourself (I regret not buying this) and a very beautiful garden area and outdoor restaurant where you can grab a meal. If you're in Otjiwarango, this needs to be on your list of places to go.