Damara Living Museum — Attraction in Kunene Region

What started out as a pleasant experience with the bush walk and traditional living showcase turned into an awful experience when visiting the modern village.

The modern village was a short drive away from the museum which we drove our guide to visit. It seemed like an interesting activity at the time that was supposed to be only 25mins max, we ended up being there for an hour.

The information provided to us about the village was sparse and the tour guide only kept informing us of how they were living in poverty which can be visibly seen. There were also a lot of strange questions like “would you live here?”, putting us in an uncomfortable position.

We were then walked over to the local store where the guide asked us to buy a cold drink for his birthday. We agreed as it was for his birthday and he shared the drink with some people in the storefront including his fiancé.

We then went to his home and then he asked us if we could buy him some food as he hasn’t eaten in two days. I told him at the end of the experience he would get a tip for bringing us around but he was persistent saying he needed it now so his fiancé could buy groceries and cook dinner by the he was off the shift. I reluctantly provided him 200NAD so he can buy groceries before we left and felt exploited for our money. We thought we were supporting the local tourism already through the fares paid but to be put through that experience and exploited i don’t recommend anyone going for the modern village tour.

Overall this left a poor taste and we had to share this with others so no-one has to go through what we did, especially when this is one of the most highly rated attractions...

I really enjoyed the spectacular exhibition of the Damara culture. One of the fascinating culture in Namibia. They're very friendly and good to the visitors with bright smiles on their faces,unlike the Himbas who are just interested in ripping off our hard earned money with their grumpy faces and sometimes aggressive. Damara Living Museum is one that I would recommend to those who want to dig deep into the namibian culture. They will show you, demonstrate and teach you what's in their culture. Don't miss a chance to learn few words in damara, as this is the most romantic language in the namibian...

We went here as a family. The tour of the living village was very brief and the 'activities' the villagers where undertaking where forced and performative. I didnt like it, i felt very uncomfortable. My kids on the other had a lovely time, they would have just preferred to stay longer and have a go at the activities. We also felt obliged to buy something from the shop.

Overall, mixed bag, but I feel this is fine as its a good way to inject money into the local economy. We did learn more about Damara culture chatting to our guide at Twyfelfontein than here though...