The Hoba Meteorite which is Namibia’s precious jewels in Namibia is located next to the Gondwana town and visited by astronauts and tourists who just want to see a rock that does not belong to the face of the earth. It was first discovered and tested in the year 1920 by a local who had gone hunting and ever since then, the Grootfontein council has tried their level best to protect it and also maintain so that the tourists still get to see it many years from now. It was at first an extremely huge rock but due to the constant erosion and vandalism from the different people it has greatly reduced although it can still be considered to be big but not like before.
As you head out to Grootfontein to see the famous space rock that fell in Namibia all those years ago, you might want to first check out the different tourist attractions that are found in the Grootfontein and then leave out the Hoba Meteorite as the last place to visit so that you can soak it all up without being rushed. The tourists attractions that you can check out before the Hoba Meteorite have been listed below so that before you go to your tour guide, you are sure of what you would like to see first before exploring the jewel and these include:
Explore the Mangetti national Park
This is located in the Grootfontein town and can be visited by many tourists that can easily be seen who go to Grootfontein in order to get a glimpse on the Hoba Meteorite. The National Park can be visited all year round and there are several activities that you can carry out while here and these include:
- Game viewing, this can be carried out when you either take a walk through the park or drive through the Park and since it is a home to numerous animal species, you will be rewarded with the sights of gemsbok, elands, giraffes, occasional elephants, African wild dogs, African wild cats, hyenas, leopards and many more other species.
- Guided walks through the Mangetti, these are normally done in the morning and they are always carried out with the aid of a tour guide. The guided walks will bring you closer to the landscape and vegetation found in the park and you will also be able to see some of the smaller animals that live within the Park which you might have missed when driving through the park.
- Birding, it might not have a lot of bird species for you to see but the few that are found in the Mangetti National Park will be worth your visit and some of the bird species that you will get to see include the Meyer’s parrot, tawny eagle and many more other species.
The Tsumeb cultural Center
The Tsumeb cultural center is located in the Grootfontein town and this is a place where you will be able to get to know more about the cultures that are located within Namibia. Namibia as a country is well known for her diverse culture and this is brought about by the different tribes that are found in the country that is the San Bushmen, the Herero, the Himba and many more others. The one place next to the Hoba which will give you an insight on the cultures of the above tribes is by visiting the Tsumeb cultural center where they showcase the different cultural things from the different tribes. They also showcase art crafts in the Tsumeb and these can be bought at an extremely low cost and this is considered as one of the best ways to get yourself a souvenir from Namibia.
Visit the Das Alte Fort museum
The Das Alte Fort museum is located at a hill in Grootfontein and can easily be spotted by the tourists and it was constructed in the year 1896 by the German colonialists and this was used as a fort or barracks for the German colonialists. When the Germans left Namibia, the fort was turned into a museum which was officially opened up in 1983 and when you get to the hill where the museum is located, you will find a tour guide who will take you around the museum showing you the different historical artefacts from the Germans and others that belong to the Namibian people. This is the best place where one can see and also get to know the history of the Namibian people and the country as a whole.
Go for a horse ride through Grootfontein
There is no better way of touring the wild side of Grootfontein other than going for a horse ride in the gazetted areas that were set up by the horse farms. The horse riding is mostly done by only those that have prior knowledge about riding and those who are not so sure, a quick lesson can be given so that you gain the ropes that come with horse riding.
After exploring the Grootfontein town with all the tourist attractions that are located around the town, then the best way for you to end our trip here is by visiting main tourist attraction which is known as the Hoba Meteorite. We have talked about the Hoba and when it came into the country and its components but we need to know the facts that surround it and what makes it a good destination to all tourists who visit Namibia.
The Hoba meteorite has been checked and it is believed to be the largest meteorite stone in the whole world after examining others that are located across the different countries on the different planets. The Meteorite fell about 20 kilometers away from the Grootfontein town and from the time that it fell from the sky, it has been in the same spot ever since because they have tries to move I but failed due to the sixty tons that it weighs.
The Hoba Meteorite also is believed to be about 400 million years old and it rises to a height of 122 meters high from the ground and when it fell, it created a large crater which was visible when it had just fallen but due to the erosion in the area and the increase in human settlement, the crater kept on reducing and at the moment only a small part of the crater can be seen and only if you get close to the meteorite. The few activities that you can carry out while at the Hoba Meteorite include the following:
- Nature walk around the meteorite, after driving to the Hoba Meteorite you can take a walk around the Hoba and get a lose feel of the rock. It is not a tiring exercise and when you get close to the rock you will also be able to touch it and get a feel of a space rock.
- A photo safari, this is another activity that can be done while you are at the Hoba. Carry your camera with you and get to take as many photos as you want pf the rock if not for the memories, at least take the photos to show off to all your friends that you once got a close feel of a rock from space.
- Go shopping for souvenirs in the shops that are located at the town Centre just a few minutes away from the Hoba.
Talk to your tour guide about the best time to visit the Hoba Meteorite although you can be rest assured that you can visit the stone all throughout the year but in order to get the best services while in Grootfontein, this all needs to be done in liaison with your tour operator. The place is not all that developed and therefore you might find that some of the facilities are not up to date but if you book early you might be able to get good facilities around the town. And as you head down to the Hoba meteorite, you will need a tour guide to take you around and he or she will be able to help you with the translations between the locals and tourists and they will also take you to the different sides of the Hoba meteorite while explaining its history and its significance in Namibia.
