If the itinerary permits, allow an hour to two hours to stretch legs, visit a few of the town’s monuments and buy mineral specimens and crafts.

There are a number of guest farms and lodges in the vicinity of Karibib. The town is very small, but travellers will find banking facilities, and will be able to restock cool boxes if necessary.

Itinerary
Karibib is a recommended comfort stop between Swakopmund and Windhoek and en-route to Spitzkoppe.

Shopping
Karibib offers a wide selection of luxury curios, jewellery and crafts, as well as mineral specimens. A stop on the route back to Windhoek, before departure, is recommended.

Navachab Gold Mine
The mine is closed to the public.

Cool box
If necessary, refill the coolbox or make last minute purchases for a climbing trip at Spitzkoppe.

* Mineral specimens
* Monuments
* Jewellery
* Crafts
* Carpet weaving
* Rock art in the vicinity

The town played a key role in the European settlement of Namibia, lying between Swakopmund, Windhoek and the lands of the Herero people. Its importance is reflected in a fair number of monuments.

There are a number of rock art sites in the vicinity of Karibib, including Bulls Party and Phillip’s Cave. These should be visited on an excursion arranged by a local operator.

The vicinity of Karibib has a number of interesting geological features. Gold is found in the area, and the area is also well known for its marble. The gold mine is closed to the public, but the marble works may be visited, and the workshop is a national monument.

There is an excellent tourism centre on the main road through town. The centre sells mineral specimens, jewellery, and crafts. The centre also houses a carpet weaving operation, with looms and weavers in full view. The centre also has a number of tables where travellers can relax and drink tea and coffee.

In 1906, Kaiser Wilhelm II sent a water diviner, José Rafael Perfecto von Uslar, to the colony to search for water. He was responsible for the development of 172 wells, one of which is Kaiserbrunnen, ‘the King’s Well’ at Karibib. The reservoir, trough and the remnants of the borehole can still be seen.

In 1864, Eduard Hälbich emigrated from Germany and settled in Otjimbingwe where he worked for the Rhenish Mission Society’s trading company, and Carl Hugo Hahn. In 1873, he set up his own trading company. One of his specialities was the very necessary skill of a cartwright, vital for looking after the oxwagons that traversed the country. When he died in 1900, his sons moved the company to Karibib, to service wagons along the route between Swakopmund and Windhoek.  The Hälbich buildings served as a home to the Hälbich family and contained a shop and a forge.

Hotel Zum Grünen Kranze was erected in 1913, one of six hotels in the town. Today it serves as a bakery, but the decorated ceiling of the room that was the bar can still be seen.

The Rösemann Building is currently used by a bank. This building was constructed in 1900. It housed a trading company and was also a hotel for travellers navigating the long route between Windhoek and Karibib.

The Proviantampt, the stores depot, consists of a warehouse and an office, which was used by the German colonial government. It was built in 1907, and is currently used by the Marble Works factory.

In 1897 construction began on the railway line between Swakopmund and Windhoek. A station building was erected 147 km along the line at a place called Kubas, in the Karibib vicinity, but named for its close proximity to the Kubas Mountains and the Kubas River. The building is constructed from marble, probably quarried at the point where the railway passed over a granite outcropping. Construction was completed in 1900.

Karibib can be reached in a 2 X 4 sedan.

Windhoek
* Travel from Windhoek along the B1 to Okahandja (approx. 66 km)
* Turn west on the B2 and drive to Karibib (approx. 112 km)

Usakos
* Follow the B2 from Usakos to Karibib (approx. 30 km)

Spitzkoppe
* Follow the D3716 from Spitzkoppe to the D1918 (approx. 15 km)
* Follow the D1918 to B2 the (approx. 17 km)
* Follow the B2 to Usakos (approx. 24 km)
* Follow the B2 from Usakos to Karibib (approx. 30 km)

Swakopmund
* Follow the B2 from Swakopmund to Usakos (approx. 145 km)
* Follow the B2 from Usakos to Karibib (approx. 30 km)

* Swakopmund
* Brandberg
* Spitzkoppe
* Usakos

On the long highway between Windhoek and Swakopmund, Karibib is an excellent opportunity to stop and stretch legs, explore part of Namibia’s early colonial history with a number of main street monuments, and bargain hunt for interesting and unusual mineral specimens.

The name Karibib derives from the Nama word ‘kharibes’ or the Damara word ‘kharibeb', both of which describe an edible onion-like plant.

During the winter morning temperatures can be very cold, rising in the day to over 30 degrees Celsius. During the summer nights are generally warm but temperatures can rise to above 40 degrees Celsius at midday.

The following minerals may be on sale, depending on availability at the time of the visit.

* Amethyst * Aquamarine * Biotite * Cassiterite * Citrine * Fluorite * Garnet * Giniite

* Granite * Heliodor * Hyalite * Jeremejevite * Karibibite * Marble * Microcline * Morganite

* Peridot * Rose Quartz * Scheelite * Siderite * Topaz * Torbernite * Tourmaline * Zinnwaldite