Epupa, Marienfluss, Hoarisib, Puros May 2025

[Forshawau]

Folks, I am doing my research and going through these forums but would appreciate some advice. I have a 3 month trip through Namibia and Botswana planned and booked up until I finish at Epupa Falls on the 13th May 2025. I need to return the hire 4WD to Windhoek on the 31st May before returning to Australia.

The hire company will not let us drive Van Zyls pass, and I am keen to experience the Marienfluss. The vehicle is a fully equipped Hilux from Bushlore, and I have many years of 4WD experience here in Australia and more recently in Botswana and Namibia.

My plan from Epupa, for which I am asking a sanity check re distance/travel, days at each location, and making the most of the landscape views, is.

14/5: Epupa to Opowu and then onto the end of the Hoarusib riverbed trail, Near Mt Himba Sphinx.
15/5: Marble Mine community camp
18/5: Puros Canyon Camp
19/5: Elephant Song Camp
20/5: Palmwag Lodge Camp
21/5: Twyfelfontein
26/5 - 27/5: Brandberg
28/5 - 30/5: Spitzkoppe (via divorce pass from Brandberg)
31/5: Windhoek

As you can see I have 4 free days to work into this trip.

Any advice gratefully received.

Kevin

[JLK]

From from Epupa, you can go via D3703 round Van Zyls up to the Cunene, through the Marienfluss, and then down to Puros. D3707 south is normally very corrugated, but there are slower tracks to avoid that road.

[LRO350]

Hi Johan - I'm looking for updated info wrt travel time, distance, road condition and camping spots wrt the road from Epupa, Van Zyl's Pass and down to Palmwag.
Plan is to go there in 2nd quarter 2026.
Will appreciate if you can share your knowledge and or refer to a place, site or person who can help.
Regards,
JOhan COetzee

[JLK]

Depends how how travel, the tracks are quit ok. You can work on between 40 to 60 kpu, I would say. On top of Van Zyl is a community campsite, and further done Marble Camp, Puros, Opuwa, Sesfontein, and Palmwag have also camp sites. But get T4A , still enough time for that, it will give all the options.

[s.wilson]

Hi Kevin,

Think we met in Nxai Pan south camp during the storm?

We travelled to Marienfluss from opuwo on D3707 early may. Water was quite high and had to wait at a few crossings. Otiju was the highest but have the coordinates for an alternative crossing that we ended up taking. Jouberts pass is ok. Very narrow for a few hundred m, and slight risk of sidewall damage on the tyres so a spare (ideally 2) is essential. T4A shows another route between marble mine and red drum but met a few people who tried this and got lost as rains have washed away any sight of a track.

I would set off early from opuwo if you want to get to marble mine, I believe without waiting for the rivers to go down it would take about 8 hrs.

Road to puros from blue drum was very corrugated. Scenery in parts was beautiful and nice to do a different way in and out but if going again I would do Jouberts pass both way. Poros was v beautiful at the moment as quite green and currently there are desert elephants that way so could be worth more than 1 night. Ongongo waterfall camp was beautiful but expensive 800 N$ per night with 30% going to the community. Another option would be to go there as a day visitor 80N$ and enjoy swimming in the water in perfect temp.

Brandberg white lady is a popular option
We didn't stay in Twyfelfontein
Spitzkoppe community camp is really nice camps 9-11 have nice sunset.

Have you considered adding on Swakopmund / sandwich harbour (<2hrs from Spitzkoppe)?

Kind regards

Sam

[MartinClem]

T4A shows another route between marble mine and red drum but met a few people who tried this and got lost as rains have washed away any sight of a track.

I would set off early from opuwo if you want to get to marble mine, I believe without waiting for the rivers to go down it would take about 8 hrs.


Kind regards

Sam

Thanks for the update .

Interesting that the route opuwo to marble via d3707 was 8 hours . I got exactly the same for opuwo , otjihaa to marble mine . very slow over otjihaa pass .

The alternate route from marble to the bloudrom - rooidrom track was fine in march . very hard ground too so they must have had a lot of water . Was onjuva plain nice and green ?

Did you drive up marienfluss ? , i am keen to know if it has had any rain .

[Oosy]

Marble - Syncro (partly washed away currenly) - Hartmansberge west exit - Purros is a 2,5 day drive. If you have 4 days, it should be fine. In case you are considering D3703, please note that this section is Joubert Pass grade / Hartmansberge passage grade. Not sure if it is due to the rains of if it was always like this:



did it just two weeks ago

[Forshawau]

Hi Sam,
yep I do recall our meeting, how did the rest of your trip go?

currently sitting in Camp Syncro waiting for the sun to come up, and deciding which route to take today.

thanks for your post, useful info.

Best

Kevin