Namibia> Places to visit in Namibia

Around 90 kilometers south of Windhoek, in a dense acacia woodland of camel thorn, sweet-thorn and candle-pod acacia, is the historical town of Rehoboth. The main inhabitants of the town is the Baster community the descendants of people of mixed parentage who trekked across the Orange River under their leader Hermanus van Wyk and settled at Rehoboth in 1870.

The history of the Rehoboth Basters is recorded in the Rehoboth Museum, where their cultural heritage and archaeological finds in the area, such as an open-air burial site, are recorded. A camel-thorn tree referred to as the Kaptein's Tree was the venue for the meetings of the Kapteinsraad, an equivalent of the Chief's Council, in earlier times.

Just west of Rehoboth is the Oanob Dam, which supplies Rehoboth with its water. There are picnic places with barbecue facilities, a restaurant, bungalows and a number of walking trails around the dam. Oanob is a favoured venue for day and weekend outings, both for locals as well as for birdwatchers and water-sport enthusiasts. Another popular attraction for tourists and locals is the Reho-Spa which offers a heated indoor pool and outdoor pool.

An area of around 8 400 ha referred to as the Acacia Forest and well known for its large camel-thorn trees (some are estimated to be 2 000 years old) lies within the municipal boundaries of Rehoboth. The possibility of proclaiming the area as a community park is currently being considered. It has been suggested that the people living in the area earmarked for proclamation will have to find themselves an alternative place to live or become involved in the management of the park.