Connecting travellers with locals

Our area is known as the Otavi Triangle or the Maize Triangle. It is the region between the national parks Etosha, Khaudum and Waterberg Plateau. Natural borders are two Omiramba (dry river beds in the Kalahari): the Omuramba Ovambo and the Omuramba Omatako.

We call our area the triangle of hidden gems. It is a great stop-over en route Windhoek – Etosha, Windhoek – Zambezi (Caprivi) region and Etosha – Zambezi region. It is also a destination on its own, inviting travellers to explore – or, as we like to say: to meander.

Missing the gems

However, most travellers pass through the area without stopping. Which is a shame, because they miss the gems. For the people of our area this is bad, because they are barred from opportunities to benefit from the tourism business. As in all Namibia, about one in three people is unemployed.

The Omuramba Meander Route is meant to change that. Members of the Omuramba Meander Route are the municipalities of Tsumeb, Grootfontein and Otavi, as well as accommodation establishments, activity providers, museums and community projects in this region.

The initiator of the Omuramba Meander Route is the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD). Through its Local Economic Development Agency (LEDA) and supported by the German organisation for International Cooperation (GIZ), it brought potential stakeholders together and provided the funds for the initial steps of founding the route.

Promoting the gems

First step is this website. It promotes our hidden gems and helps travellers to discover them. The website will be gradually extended. At some point the Omuramba Meander Route will also be visible offline – in the form of signs along the roads and information boards at locations of special interest.

Fair enough, but where is the place of world records in terms of minerals? It is the mine at Tsumeb. About 240 minerals were found there, check the museum. For traditional huts of almost all Namibian peoples visit the Cultural Village at Tsumeb. And the World War I memorial you will find 2 km north of Otavi.