Epupa Falls: The Gem of Namibia’s Kunene Region

If I had not known any better, I would have thought that Opuwo was the last town one reached before falling off the edge of the world.

And yet, as we drove past Opuwo toward the spectacular Epupa Falls, the single road leading past town just kept going.

Epupa Falls lies at the end of a road that cuts through desolate and sparsely populated countryside. Other than the ostriches crossing the road and the occasional groups of people sitting in the shade of the baobab trees, there were very few signs of habitation.

The isolation and pace of life were so unfamiliar to me as an American, that I could not help but feel that I had traveled across space and time altogether.

Opuwo: Hub of Namibia’s Kunene Region

Opuwo is the cultural heart of northern Namibia’s Kunene Region (formerly known as Kaokoland). The area’s regional hub pulses with the activities of a myriad of people hailing from diverse cultural backgrounds. They come to Opuwo from the far reaches of Kaokoland and blend into the multicultural atmosphere of this tiny metropolis. These groups of people live in a world that is uniquely their own, but they are not wholly untouched by modernity.

In Opuwo, it is possible to see Himbas in grocery stores or at bars–topless and and covered in ochre–while simultaneously drinking Coca Cola or talking on a cell phone. The complex relationship between tradition and modernity, local culture and globalization is certainly fascinating to witness and difficult to capture in words.

Perhaps the New York Times article The Lure of Namibia says it best,  when it describes Opuwo as “the heart of a modern Africa, tangled by time and defined by the collision of centuries and traditions.”

Before tackling the long and dusty ride to Epupa Falls, we spent the night at the clean and inexpensive Abba Guesthouse in Opuwo, The accommodation was ideal for us, since we were traveling Namibia on volunteer stipends and didn’t have the money to spend on luxury accommodation. Had we had a bit more cash to spend, however, we would have chosen to stay at the Opuwo Country Lodge–a stunning lodge complete with a swimming pool and views over the surrounding scenery.

The Drive from Opuwo to Epupa Falls

Epupa Falls sits literally at the edge of Namibia, on the Angolan border. The Kunene River divides the two countries and, from the waterfall, we could even see the beautiful Angolan mountains.

The drive from Opuwo to Epupa Falls is long, bumpy and dusty.

For the whole ride, I sat in the back corner of a pickup truck—at the point where the wind blows the strongest–perched on top of the cooler containing our food. From my lookout, I marveled at the scenery around me.. The environment was breathtaking and it seemed as though I had just jumped onto a set of a National Geographic article.

Himba women sat chatting by the dry riverbeds. Men wrapped in animal skins carried spears and led their cattle to pools of scarce and precious water. Children walked along the dusty roads, collecting firewood to bring to their remote Himba villages. We even passed a traditional burial site that was marked by large cattle horns.

The drive from Opuwo to Epupa Falls takes approximately three hours. The road is an uneven dirt track that crosses dried riverbeds and—as with most roads in Namibia—is best traveled in a 4×4 vehicle.

During my year in Namibia, I visited the falls twice—once as a day trip and once with a night of camping at the Epupa Falls Lodge. If at all possible, I recommend staying at least one night in the area.

There’s nothing quite like watching the sun set over the Kunene River and falling asleep under the sparkling canopy of Namibia’s night sky.

The Spectacular Epupa Waterfall

Epupa Falls is a cascading sheet of water that plunges 37 meters into an abyss. It is Namibia’s grandest waterfall and one of the most beautiful natural attractions in the country. Though it its size and scale cannot be compared with the thunderous Victoria Falls in nearby Zambia, the waterfall is a must-see attraction nonetheless.

The main part of Epupa Falls is dramatic and beautiful, but it is merely a fragment of the entire waterfall. The entire waterfall is comprised of a series of smaller cascades that stretch out over the span of one and a half miles.

I had seen many pictures of Epupa Falls on the Internet and was anxious to see the site with my own eyes. I believe strongly that, though photos can highlight the beauty of a location, they can never substitute travel. There is something so spectacular about seeing a place in all of its dimensions—of taking in the smells, breathing the air and noticing life as it unfolds around you.

If I had judged Epupa merely by the pictures of the place, I would have known of its beauty, but I would never have grasped just how stunning the surrounding area is. From the top of the falls, it is possible to see rust-colored mountains rising in all directions. The rocky red earth is covered in a carpet of makalani palms and baobab trees that cling to the edges of the cliffs and overlook the cascading water.

All around, local Himba tend to their sheep and wash their clothes in the cascading water. It is truly a local gem, and I had a hard time understanding why this untouched and remote corner of Namibia so seldom makes it to the top of Namibia road trips and itineraries.

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Namibia’s wide open roads seem to run forever into nothingness until—BAM!—the country throws in an attraction that is so majestic that one can’t help but gape in awe. Whether one is driving down the isolated Skeleton Coast, along the parched earth of Damaraland or through the windswept dunes of the Namib Desert, the country is full of unexpected gems that find a home amidst the country’s inhospitable scenery.

Though the area has been gaining in popularity with tourists, the Kunene Region still brims with authenticity.

And despite a small uptick in tourist numbers, this isolated region at the edge of the world remains one of the country’s wildest frontiers.

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