Recently updated on September 14th, 2023 at 04:33 pm

OK, that title is a pretty silly pun. Twyfelfontein is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Namibia. Another name is /Ui-//aes, in the language from this region where you will hear the clicks. I had never seen it written out or heard it in person until visiting here. This site is a collection of rock carvings from the people who have lived in this region for thousands of years. It was one of the spots we visited on our road trip through parts of the country and a memorable highlight for us.

It was strange leaving Etosha and knowing that our time with ALL OF THE animals was over. I didn’t know what to expect out of the rest of our journey. Initially, the roads out of Etosha were paved and easy. We stopped in the town of Outjo for cash and groceries. It was such a friendly town, and we spent some time exploring. The guys that guarded the parking lot were like a comedy duo, and we wanted to stay and hang out the whole day, but the adventure was ahead. Once we left Outjo, the landscape started to change, and the hills got bigger and bigger.

Before long, the road turned to gravel. It wasn’t too bad, really. We passed lots of smaller communities with signs advertising tire repair, but it didn’t look like they had too many customers. People and structures became rare sightings. We drove along until we had one more turn to make to reach our campsite and the main attraction in the area, Twyfelfontein.

When we approached the intersection, there was a moment of hesitation. Is this the road we are supposed to be going down? We consulted the map about eight more times to be sure and took a right. All of a sudden, the tire repair shops made sense. This road was nuts. It was like we had been poured into a blender and turned on high speed. The sides of the road were fine sand, and it looked like a few brave souls had turned on the 4-wheel drive and hopped up on the banks to avoid the jittering. It felt like we were on this road for hours, but it was only about 70 minutes. When other cars came down the road, it was like a game of chicken. I was so grateful for the 4WD and newer tires.

The Twyfelfontein Tour

We made it without any serious incidents. Twyfelfontein was worth that crazy drive. We pulled in right in the middle of the afternoon when the heat was at its max for the day. The visitor center was a few hundred meters from the parking lot. Once we paid a small fee, we waited to meet our guide. Guides are required here because so many tourists have broken the rules. Either taking pieces of the rock carvings or adding their own art. It helps create some jobs in the region, but it is so frustrating that people can’t just appreciate places without ruining them.

Our guide, Dion, took us and a small group of other visitors through the trails. We learned about the Dutch farmer who lived here in the mid-20th century when the area was studied. The carvings are from the hunter-gatherers who lived in this region as far back as 10,000 years ago. The carvings depict different kinds of animals and their tracks. They used the carvings as tools to teach each other how to track the animals. You can even find some of the seabirds depicted, which helps us learn more about the places these tribes traveled. There are also pictures showing different aspects of shamanist rituals.

It was incredible to see these carvings and take in the history of the land we were standing on. It would have been impossible to understand the full context without our guide. The full hike lasted about an hour which was perfect because we didn’t want to melt or burn. We enjoyed a late lunch of sandwiches and fruit from the truck cooler before getting back on that road to find our campsite for the night.

Camping at Madisa

Madisa was a gem. The turn-off was another gamble for us because it looked like we were pulling into the driveway of an abandoned house, but as we continued along, we found a pool and a small hut tucked behind the big red rocks. We met a young man working there, and he showed us to our campsite. The location is along an elephant trail in the desert and is surrounded by desert rocks and plants.

We set up camp and took advantage of the amenities offered by the campground. They included cold beers, a cold pool, and a “walkway” up the big rocks to a great spot for a sundowner. We enjoyed the views with a couple from Canada and enjoyed a good camp dinner. Entertainment mostly came from the Hornbills that wouldn’t stop banging on everyone’s car windows. A camp dog was also in charge of checking on everyone. He constantly made loops of the ten sites to ensure all was good.

Located just 50 km away from Twyfelfontein, it was a great location. We weren’t in the middle of the lodges near the rock carvings, but close enough that the drive wasn’t too traumatic to get to the campsite. We were heading to the coast from here, but having a relaxing night with no early morning safari drives the next day was nice.

Advice and Final Thoughts About Visiting Twyfelfontein

It was pure luck to make it out of that section of the drive with our tires intact. Some friends we met on our journey weren’t as lucky and had quite the adventure in the desert. If you are making your way to Twyfelfontein (or anywhere in Namibia), make sure you know how to change a tire and always have lots of water and sunblock in case you are trying to make that happen midday.

Twyfelfontein was one of my favorite spots on this trip. We were lucky enough to have an amazing guide. When in Swakopmund, we spent extra time in the museum to learn even more about the people of Namibia and their history.