Otjiwarongo

Otjiwarongo from above

Otjiwarongo (Otjiherero: "pleasant place" or "place where fat cattle graze") is a city of 28,000 inhabitants (2011) in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. It is the district capital of the Otjiwarongo electoral constituency and also the capital of Otjozondjupa.

Understand

Otjiwarongo is in central-north Namibia, on the TransNamib railway. It is the biggest business centre for Otjozondjupa Region. Otjiwarongo is located on the B1 road which links the town to Windhoek, the Golden Triangle of Otavi, Tsumeb and Grootfontein, and Etosha National Park. It is one of Namibia’s fastest growing towns, with a neat and peaceful quality environment, and many excellent facilities including supermarkets, banks, lodges and hotels.

Get in

By car

Otjiwarongo is 250 km north of Windhoek on the B1, which is the main route running south to north and connects all the towns in the centre of Namibia.

By plane

Otjiwarongo has a landing strip which is situated about 5 km outside of the town on the B1 towards the north. The GPS coordinates are longitude: 18° 15’ 0” E and latitude: 21° 44’ 0” S. The airport is very small and not manned but the airstrip is kept in good condition. It is a gravel strip and is only good for light aircraft.

By train

TransNamib, via their StarLine passenger service, operates trains from Otjiwarongo to destinations all over Namibia.

There are no dedicated passenger trains in Namibia. The StarLine scheduled service described above conveys passengers via special coaches hooked on the back of freight trains. These passenger coaches offer comfortable airline-style seating with air-conditioning and (sometimes) video entertainment. Vending Machines provide refreshments on long journeys. Namibian trains are considered a relatively slow and sometimes unreliable method of transport.

By bus

There are two major bus services available with daily schedules for most towns in Namibia that has drop off points in the centre of Otjiwarongo. The bus services are Intercape and Sunshine Tours.

By minibus / shared taxi

• 1 Minibus and shared taxis, B1 (corner with C38). Many minibuses go between Otjiwarango to Windhoek and the north (Ondangwa 3-4 h, 350 N$). Departures from the parking of Engen petrol station along the B1. (updated Jul 2024)

Get around

Downtown is compact and easy to walk. Most attractions are within a 10- to 20-min walk away from most of the guesthouses in town. For ease of getting around a car would be advisable. Parking is free and voluntary carguards will look after your car.

There are various international and local car hiring companies in Namibia. All the major companies like Avis, Budget, and Europcar have offices in and around Namibia. Avis has an office in Otjiwarongo.

See

German Class Hd Locomotive no. 41 plinthed at Otjiwarongo railway station

• Crocodile Farm, ☏ +264 67 302121. Near the eastern border of town, where you can observe and photograph crocodiles at close range and learn about the breeding habits of these reptiles. 
• Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), ☏ +264 67 306 225. Founded in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund's (CCF) mission is to be the internationally recognised centre of excellence in the conservation of cheetahs and their ecosystems. CCF will work with all stakeholders to develop best practices in research, education, and land use to benefit all species, including people. CCF will work with all stakeholders within the cheetah’s ecosystem to develop best practices in research, education and ecology and create a sustainable model from which all other species, including people, will benefit. As Namibia has the largest and healthiest population of cheetahs left in the world, CCF's International Research and Education Centre is based in Namibia, near Otjiwarongo. 
• Waterberg Plateau, ☏ +264 61 285 7200. While visiting the Waterberg Plateau you will have the chance to see many different species of birds over 200 different species have been recorded here including spectacular black eagles and Namibia's only breeding colony of Cape vultures. The scenery is fantastic and there are several short, self guided bush walks and two longer hikes if you are feeling energetic. 

Buy

Otjiwarongo has a well developed downtown with most basic services such as ATMs, grocery stores, and pharmacy.

• Theo's Spar, 9 Hage Geinngob St, ☏ +264 67 303187. General grocery needs. 
• Badenhorst FH Pharmacy, 24 Hage Geingob St, ☏ +264 67 302501. 
• Omaue Namibia, 5 St. Georges St, ☏ +264 67 303830. Affordable curios and also tourist information centre. 
• First National Bank (FNB), 7 St Georges St, ☏ +264 67 308300. Bank, ATM & foreign exchange facilities. 

Eat

• Kameldorn Garten (Diagonally opposite the Shell gas station). M-F 07:30-18:00, Sa 07:30-13:00. A pleasant café/bistro, with tables outside in the shade, breakfasts and light meals, coffee, drinks. 
• Theo's Spar Coffee Shop, 9 Hage Geinngob St (Coffee shop inside Theo's Spar grocery store), ☏ +264 67 303187. Light meals and refreshments. 
• Casa Forno, Ramblers Road. Italian restaurant with many outdoor tables. Steak 160 N$, pizza 100 N$, starters 70 N$, draft beer 30 N$. 

Sleep

• Bush Pillow Guest House, 47 Son Rd, ☏ +264 67 303885. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 10:00. Upmarket guesthouse in a quiet neighbourhood. US$ 45.