Kunene
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Kunene is a region in northwestern Namibia.
Cities
- , the capital of Kunene
- , a sleepy settlement with a re-built German fort
Other destinations
- — connected to the rest of the world by 4WD-only tracks, this is the remotest part of the country and is the home of the Himba tribe
Understand
Kunene is situated on the Atlantic Ocean and borders Angola in the north. It has domestic borders with the Four-O region in the northwest, Otjozondjupa in the east, and Erongo in the south.
Get in
Due to the scarcity of other options, most travellers will arrive by car. There are no national roads (B roads) in Kunene. The major roads leading into the region are the C38 from Otjiwarongo to Outjo, the C138 from Etosha National Park, and the C46 from Oshakati to Ruacana. There are no major airports in the region but a lot of small airstrips, suitable for 2 and 4 seaters.
By public transport
Between towns you can catch a minibus. Opuwo has local shared taxis that can take you around.Get around
The C39 from Outjo to Khorixas, the C40 from Outjo to Kamanjab, the C35 from Kamanjab to Ruacana, the C138 from Etosha, and the C41 to Opuwo, are all tarred. All other C-roads are rough, and heavily corrugated gravel roads that are just about passable with an ordinary sedan. With a few exceptions any other road requires a 4x4.
Keep in mind that in entire Kaokoland (the northwest of the region) only Opuwo has a petrol station. At smaller places you can buy petrol in 5-liter cans at an inflated price. Diesel likely comes from neighboring Angola where it is much cheaper and of inferior quality, but with a car that requires clean Diesel fuel you should not be visiting this area, anyway.
Sleep
A few popular tourist destinations are touristically well developed. Everywhere else you are on your own, with communal camps (camp sites without potable water or electricity) often the only option for accommodation. Unlike the indigenous Ovahimba people you will not find water in the dry savannah and need to bring it along.
Stay safe
All of northern Namibia is a Malaria risk zone. Take the necessary precautions.
The Kunene River has crocodiles and hippos. It is not safe to swim there. Outside the settlements it is not safe to even go near, as hippos are both aggressive and territorial and can easily outrun a human on land.
The dry riverbeds north of the Swakop River are inhabited by desert elephants. If you are driving through one of the rivers, remember that the area is theirs, not yours. They certainly know it. Don't drive too close towards a herd of elephants. 10-15 m is close enough for good holiday pictures and will normally not put your party in danger. Otherwise, the younger ones might play with your car, the older ones might get angry, either way your car might end upside down. You'll know that an elephant is angry when it shakes its head. In this case, stay in the car, switch off the engine, and avoid all unnatural noise (cell phone, camera, such things). They will eventually walk away; wait for this to happen instead of trying a daring escape.
The Kunene River has crocodiles and hippos. It is not safe to swim there. Outside the settlements it is not safe to even go near, as hippos are both aggressive and territorial and can easily outrun a human on land.
The dry riverbeds north of the Swakop River are inhabited by desert elephants. If you are driving through one of the rivers, remember that the area is theirs, not yours. They certainly know it. Don't drive too close towards a herd of elephants. 10-15 m is close enough for good holiday pictures and will normally not put your party in danger. Otherwise, the younger ones might play with your car, the older ones might get angry, either way your car might end upside down. You'll know that an elephant is angry when it shakes its head. In this case, stay in the car, switch off the engine, and avoid all unnatural noise (cell phone, camera, such things). They will eventually walk away; wait for this to happen instead of trying a daring escape.
Go next
Kunene borders Angola in the north. Domestically the following regions of Namibia border with Kunene:
- the Four-O region in the northwest
- Otjozondjupa in the east
- Erongo in the south