Keetmanshoop

An overnight town for self-drive travellers in southern Namibia. Nearby, the quiver tree forest and the Giant's Playground rock formations are famous spots for stargazing and sunset photography.

Keetmanshoop is the capital of Karas Region in southern Namibia, on the B1 highway about 500 km south of the capital, Windhoek. With about 28,000 residents, it is a supply and overnight stop where the southern railway and highways meet. The town was founded by the Rhenish Mission Society in the 1860s, and the German South West Africa period left behind stone churches and the Imperial Post Office. The town centre can be seen on foot in half an hour. Most visitors come for what lies outside town. About 14 km northeast, Gariganus Farm is home to the Quiver Tree Forest, a national monument where more than two hundred quiver trees (Aloe dichotoma) are scattered among heaps of black basalt boulders. The sunsets and Milky Way here are among Namibia's most classic photography subjects. A few kilometres away, the Giant's Playground is a field of dolerite rocks weathered into stacked blocks. About 40 km further east, the Mesosaurus Fossil Camp has fossils of Mesosaurus, roughly 270 million years old, a classic piece of evidence for continental drift. About 90 km north, the Brukkaros Mountains are a huge circular volcanic crater, well suited to a half-day hike.

The best season is April to October, when days are clear and dry and nights are cold. In July, nighttime temperatures can drop to near zero. From November to March, daytime temperatures often exceed 35°C, so plan hikes for early morning.

Getting there: From Windhoek, it is about 5 to 6 hours' drive. Trains and long-distance buses also pass through. Keetmanshoop is often combined with Fish River Canyon, Lüderitz and Sossusvlei into a southern self-drive loop. Stay at least one night, ideally at the Quiver Tree Forest campsite, for sunsets and stargazing.

Top sights

Where to eat