Many travellers enjoy discovering the culture of the country they are visiting.
In Namibia, the village of Kamanjab might seem like the obvious place to satisfy that wish. It is a hamlet where some Himba people live — an emblematic Namibian people, originally semi-nomadic, living according to their traditions.
A visit to this village, however, is far removed from what it claims to be: a moment of genuine exchange with its inhabitants and a chance to learn more about this ancestral people.
In reality, it feels more like a tourist curiosity. The Himba are looked up and down — the jewellery, the hairstyles… There is no real communication and very little exchange. Only your guide will offer a few explanations about their way of life.
It is an unworthy and disrespectful “visit”.
We have therefore decided not to offer this excursion.
If you are looking for genuine exchange and more authentic encounters, we invite you to travel much further north into Kaokoland, in particular to Serra Cafema, on the Angolan border. Here, respect comes before anything else. The long-standing relationship between Wilderness Safaris and the Himba communities of the region makes this very small-group encounter a rich learning experience, and to some extent a beneficial one for the villages visited.
