Keetmanshoop could well be vying for the record for the greatest number of fuel stations per head of population! It's also a good place to visit banks and shops and get organised. If you enter on Kaiser Street, then you will find most of these one block over to your right, on Fenschel Street – which runs parallel to Kaiser Street. Here are the First National and Standard banks, and several supermarkets, including Sentra and Spar; next to Uschi's restaurant there's another branch of Sentra that remains open at lunchtime. Camping supplies are available from LTL on Fifth Avenue, opposite Central Lodge. For souvenirs, it may be worth checking out the craft stalls laid out by the side of the road as you leave the B1.

If you want to stop for a brief break, then the small grassy park standing between the tourist office and the post office is ideal. You can relax and watch both the townspeople and your vehicle at the same time.

In an emergency, the main hospital (tel: 063 223388) is on the main road as you're heading out of town. The town's pharmacy is on tel: 063 223309, and the police may be contacted on tel: 063 223359.

Tourist information

Southern Tourist Forum (STF)
Fifth St; tel: 063 223316; fax: 063 223818; email: munkhoop@iafrica.com.na
Opposite the main post office, over a grassy square, this bears a grand name for a tourist office, but the lady who runs the place is keen and helpful, and aims to promote the whole region. So do stop in for a chat, and look out for the replica of Mukurob, the Finger of God. It's open Mon–Fri, 07.30–12.30 and 13.30–16.30.

What to see and do

Like many of Namibia's provincial towns, Keetmanshoop doesn't have a wealth of attractions in the town, though you could while away a couple of lazy hours visiting its museum, and the tourist office, which resides in perhaps the town's most historic building, the Kaiserliches Postamt – or Imperial Post Office. This was built in 1910 and is now a national monument.
Museum Tel: 063 221256/11

In a central spot on Kaiser Street, this old Rhenish Mission Church was built in 1895 to replace the original one that the floods destroyed. Now it is surrounded by rockeries and used as the town's museum. Don't ignore these rockeries though, as they are dotted with native plants, as well as old wagons, machinery and even a Nama hut. If you're not visiting the Quivertree Forest, then take a close look at the small trees here in the museum's garden.

Inside the church is a beautiful pulpit and an interesting collection of local memorabilia, including a selection of early cameras, photographs, and various implements which were used by past townspeople.

Open: Mon–Fri 07.30–12.30, 13.30–16.30. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.