Erongo is a region in eastern central Namibia.
Erongo is situated on the Atlantic Ocean and has domestic borders with Hardap in the south, Khomas in the southeast, Otjozondjupa in the northeast, and Kunene in the north. Most of its area is desert—rocky north of the Kuiseb River and sandy south of it.
Due to the scarcity of other options, most travellers will arrive by car. The major highway in the region is the Trans-Kalahari Highway (B2) that leads from Walvis Bay to Okahandja.
Walvis Bay has a regional airport with scheduled flights to the capital Windhoek, and to Cape Town in South Africa.
There is a train service from Windhoek to Walvis Bay via Karibib, Usakos, Arandis and Swakopmund. It runs a few times a week during the night. The train is predominantly for freight, with only one or two passenger cars, and it stops at every <s>tree</s> rock, as there are few trees in the desert. But the 11-hour trip is cheap and safe, and safes a night of accommodation. Bring a sleeping bag; the desert is cold at night.
Between towns you can catch a minibus. Karibib, Usakos, Arandis and Swakopmund have local shared taxis that can take you around.
The B2 highway is tarred and in very good condition, as is the C33 from Karibib to Otjiwarongo. The C34 from Swakopmund to Terrace Bay is paved with a sand-salt mix. It behaves like tar when it is dry, and like soap when it is wet, drive carefully. The Bosua Pass on the C28 can be problematic when driven uphill (from the coast inlands): It starts off with patches of sand and layers of rock which have to be navigated very slowly in order not to damage the car, and it then becomes very steep for a few meters. All other C-roads are gravel roads and in fair condition, easily passable with an ordinary sedan. Other roads (D-roads, F-roads, and those without letters or numbers) tend to be rough, sandy, heavily corrugated, and will further deteriorate after rainfall.
Within the Namib-Naukluft National Park there are plenty of smaller tracks for which a permit is required. See our our park article for details. Most of these tracks require a 4x4.
Farms are private properties. Don't drive onto a farm road, even if the gate is open, unless your destination is signposted there, or you intend to visit that farm. If you open a farm gate to drive through, close it again.
Erongo is touristically well developed. There is tourist accommodation in all towns and villages. Between tourist destinations there are many guest farms offering accommodation, for instance:
The Ugab riverbed in northern Erongo is inhabited by desert elephants. If you are driving through it, remember that the area is theirs, not yours. They certainly know it. Don't drive too close towards a herd of elephants. 10-15 m is close enough for good holiday pictures and will normally not put your party in danger. Otherwise, the younger ones might play with your car, the older ones might get angry, either way your car might end upside down. You'll know that an elephant is angry when it shakes its head. In this case, stay in the car, switch off the engine, and avoid all unnatural noise (cell phone, camera, such things). They will eventually walk away; wait for this to happen instead of trying a daring escape.
The following regions of Namibia border with Erongo: