Omapaha Etosha Himba Village — Attraction in Kunene Region

Visiting Omapaha Etosha Himba Village was upsetting and uncomfortable. What is presented as a cultural experience feels more like exploitation—especially of the women. The entire visit resembled a staged performance, like a human zoo, where people are put on display for tourists to photograph and observe.

The women are made to perform various rituals in front of every group of visitors—regardless of how invasive or repetitive it is. It felt like a show, and you could clearly see on their faces that they were not happy. Their expression and body language showed boredom, discomfort, even frustration. It was deeply disturbing to witness.

We were also shocked to learn that the entrance fees do not go to the Himba community. Instead, this is someone’s private business—tickets are collected without receipts, and the money is used to pay guides and staff, not the tribe itself. It feels like a system built entirely for outside profit, not community benefit.

We brought food, water, and sweets for the children, hoping to contribute something meaningful. Sadly, we have little hope these items ever reached those they were intended for.

This is not respectful tourism. It’s exploitation disguised as cultural exchange. We strongly urge others to avoid supporting this kind of operation. There are better, ethical ways to learn about indigenous cultures—this is not...

Visiting this local village was the highlight of our road trip in Namibia. Definetely this one is NOT a tourist trap, the guide is also a Himba, he speaks English and the tribe’s language, what made the tour even more special. He taught us some words to communicate with the people in the tribe, everybody there was very friendly with us and we felt welcome all the time. They didnt perform anything for us like in other villages, we could see them in their normal daily routine and we learned a lot about their culture. Important to know: you dont need a guide from any town to take you there. Just follow the location of this village on Google Maps with your own car and it will take you to a small reception where Veri or Paulino will guide you. There is a fee of 300N$ per person that you pay there to help the community and you can also buy local handcrafts from the tribe in the end of the tour (you can definetely negotiate the price, keep in mind that you help them directly when you support their work). I left the tour so fullfilled with such experience, Leo and I will never forget it. I recommend this specific village to whom is truely interested in their culture and tradition (Be respectful and polite). Everybody was really nice and didnt mind to share with us their culture. Himba people have all our...

I recently took a tour of a Himba village with Paulinho as my guide and it was an incredibly interesting and authentic experience. Paulinho was very knowledgeable and provided a lot of insight into the culture and way of life of the Himba people.

I was able to observe and learn about their traditional customs, such as the use of ochre and butterfat to beautify their skin, their intricate hairstyles, and their unique dwellings. I also had the opportunity to interact with the Himba people, which was a highlight of the tour. They were very friendly and welcoming, and it was clear that they took pride in sharing their culture with visitors.

The village was also located in a beautiful setting and it was a great contrast to visiting Etosha National Park. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the park. Not only does it provide a unique and authentic cultural experience, but it also gives visitors the opportunity to learn about and interact with the Himba people in a respectful and meaningful way.

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to the Himba village and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to experience the culture and customs of the Himba people. Paulinho was an excellent guide and made the tour even...