- Accommodation
- Oranjemund Accommodation
Oranjemund was established in 1936 by DeBeers, a diamond mining company. Its sole purpose was to accommodate the mine workers, and it was run and operated privately by Namdeb until 2017.
All people entering end exiting Oranjemund had to go through security gates to be screened for stolen diamonds. Cars could not cross these gates and had to be parked on either side. A permit was required for non-residents to enter the town, and it was issued only to applicants from within: tour operators, and, of course, the mining business.
Opened to the general public only in October 2017, Oranjemund is not a typical Namibian settlement: There is no informal housing, crime is virtually non-existent. People in bars talk about their work. Consequently there are almost no tourist facilities. If you are looking for ocean cruises, car rentals, day trips, then this is the wrong place to go. However, the small town is quite attractive and relaxing due to its design. It is surrounded by a vegetation belt maintained by the residents with grey water from the mining business. Therefore, even though it is close to the Atlantic the wind is not as penetrating as in other Namibian coastal towns. Old, shady trees are everywhere, an abundance of playgrounds has been established, and wildlife like oryx roam the parks.
