Damara Living Museum, Damaraland

Great living museum right in the middle of Damaraland. It was really insightful to learn about the way people used to live. The people there were all really nice and it felt very educational.

The location is really nice -walking distance from Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp and by the rocks. You will get a guide to walk you through different tents to learn about bushman life. The tour was finished with a nice dance. There is a beautiful museum shop offering diverse crafts, although surprisingly with triple the price elsewhere! It’s a pity to have the prices that high and cut that good source of income from the community!

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 in the area.

We loved our visit to the Living Village of the Damara people. The guide was so enthusiastic, knowledgeable and funny which made it educative but also fun for the kids. Beforehand we thought it might be too touristy but because they interact and are not pushy in their sells we had an awesome time. Would highly recommend especially with kids.

Coming there we thought it was closed and were amazed by the lovely people that greeted us. A real heartwarming experience. Thank you ❤️