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Kolmanskop

A sand-engulfed ghost town in Namibia's 'forbidden zone'

Known as Namibia’s most famous ghost town, deserted houses overflowing with banks of sand make Kolmanskop a sight to behold. About 10 km outside the coastal town of Lüderitz, the remains of this once-wealthy town tell a vivid story with brightly coloured wallpaper peeling off of run-down walls. Rich with diamond-mining history, Kolmanskop experienced a quick rise and fall, and by 1954 the town was abandoned. Partially swallowed by the Namib Desert, this nostalgic Namibian wonder is worth exploring.

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FAQs

Best time to go to

Being filled and surrounded by sand and with the sun baking on the open-air museum, the best time to visit Kolmanskop is in the dry, cooler season, being winter, specifically from May to October. A bonus of this season is that water is rather scarce, making it easier to spot wildlife as they stay closer to watering holes. Neighbouring months are also pleasant to visit, and availability may be better.

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What our travellers are saying

Because of the easy way we communicated with our Viatu expert, it felt like planning our holidays with a friend. It made it really flexible and perfectly suitable for our needs. The accommodations that he suggested were just wonderful and a perfect mix of everything we needed.

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Nicole

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Our Viatu experience was just amazing, starting with the first discussions and the planning of our trip to Namibia. The Viatu team did a great job planning the trip according to our wishes and preferences.

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Stefano

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What can I say? We've had an absolute blast traveling through Namibia. Soooo many good new memories! We booked our trip a bit last minute but had amazing support from Viatu to get all the information in time.

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Anna

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We had an incredible journey with Viatu and many unforgettable memories in South Africa. The journey was tailor-made to our wishes and the communication with Alex really easy, friendly and helpful. All the information was accessible online at any time, nicely presented and structured in an overview.

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Michèle

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We had the most wonderful experience with Viatu and the trip of a lifetime. My sister and I travelled for 3,5 weeks through Namibia and South Africa, and everything was perfectly planned and just amazing.

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Valerie

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With super short notice, they organised a trip that was just perfect. Loved everything about it! Will definitely recommend Viatu to all my friends!

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Margherita

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The recommended accommodations were perfect for us and everything was as expected. Even though we booked on very short notice, everything went smoothly and was well managed by Viatu.

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Jan

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I'm very thankful for my first Viatu experience. The 3-week trip across Namibia combined incredible landscapes and nature, mindblowing eco-friendly lodges and utter peace of mind. The organisation and support of the Viatu team were spot-on - this is the way to impress. Thanks a lot!

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Christoph

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We loved using the Viatu Trip Builder to design our holidays in South Africa. It was super easy and transparent. Our holidays were great and the few times we needed support, our consultant Benoit was very quick and helpful.

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Anita

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I had a once in a lifetime trip with Viatu. It was extremely exciting, adventurous and diverse! As my first trip, I found it to be very enjoyable. Everything was totally planned out from A to Z.

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Irina

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Because of the easy way we communicated with our Viatu expert, it felt like planning our holidays with a friend. It made it really flexible and perfectly suitable for our needs. The accommodations that he suggested were just wonderful and a perfect mix of everything we needed.

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Nicole

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Our Viatu experience was just amazing, starting with the first discussions and the planning of our trip to Namibia. The Viatu team did a great job planning the trip according to our wishes and preferences.

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Stefano

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What can I say? We've had an absolute blast traveling through Namibia. Soooo many good new memories! We booked our trip a bit last minute but had amazing support from Viatu to get all the information in time.

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Anna

verified iconVerified Traveller

We had an incredible journey with Viatu and many unforgettable memories in South Africa. The journey was tailor-made to our wishes and the communication with Alex really easy, friendly and helpful. All the information was accessible online at any time, nicely presented and structured in an overview.

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Michèle

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We had the most wonderful experience with Viatu and the trip of a lifetime. My sister and I travelled for 3,5 weeks through Namibia and South Africa, and everything was perfectly planned and just amazing.

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Valerie

verified iconVerified Traveller

With super short notice, they organised a trip that was just perfect. Loved everything about it! Will definitely recommend Viatu to all my friends!

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Margherita

verified iconVerified Traveller

The recommended accommodations were perfect for us and everything was as expected. Even though we booked on very short notice, everything went smoothly and was well managed by Viatu.

avatar icon

Jan

verified iconVerified Traveller

I'm very thankful for my first Viatu experience. The 3-week trip across Namibia combined incredible landscapes and nature, mindblowing eco-friendly lodges and utter peace of mind. The organisation and support of the Viatu team were spot-on - this is the way to impress. Thanks a lot!

avatar icon

Christoph

verified iconVerified Traveller

We loved using the Viatu Trip Builder to design our holidays in South Africa. It was super easy and transparent. Our holidays were great and the few times we needed support, our consultant Benoit was very quick and helpful.

avatar icon

Anita

verified iconVerified Traveller

I had a once in a lifetime trip with Viatu. It was extremely exciting, adventurous and diverse! As my first trip, I found it to be very enjoyable. Everything was totally planned out from A to Z.

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Irina

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