Trip report from a recent educational to the Caprivi Strip by one of our senior consultants:
The Caprivi Strip is a largely unexplored part of Namibia and fairly unfamiliar to tourists. Your average tourist visiting Namibia will concentrate on the more well known highlights such as the Etosha National Park, the red dunes at Sossusvlei and Sesriem and the Namib Naukluft Park with the ancient Welwitschia plant.
We started our trip in Windhoek and drove to the Hakusembe River Lodge near Rundu. The Lodge is located on the banks of the mighty Okavango River which has its catchment area in the highlands of Angola and flows out into the well known Okavango Delta in Botswana. We spent only one night here but with all the activities on offer one can easily spend 2 or 3 nights here. The enthusiastic bird watcher will enjoy the boat cruise.
Making our way deeper into the Caprivi Strip we spent the next night at Namushasha Lodge. This Lodge is located on the banks of the Kwando River which also has its origin in the highlands of Angola. The lodge is ideally situated for guests to do day trips either with the lodge or on their own into the Mudumu and Mamili National Parks. Vegetation here resembles that of the Okavango Delta and the Chobe National Park.
On day three we travelled to the most eastern tip of Namibia called the Impalila Island. The tip is indeed so remote and isolated from the rest of Namibia that it can be accessed only via Botswana. The Island is also the only place in Southern Africa were four countries meet; namely Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We stayed at the Ichingo Chobe River Lodge on the island – about 8km downstream of where the Chobe River meets the mighty Zambezi River. Activities on offer at the lodge include boat cruises into the Chobe National Park, fishing trips and guided walks on the island. This area is a definite must for all bird watchers and elephant enthusiasts. The Chobe National Park boasts the largest elephant population in sub-Saharan Africa.
Having been to the eastern most tip of Namibia we turned back and headed back west towards Rundu. We spend the night at Ndovu Lodge a very well kept Tented Lodge with a rustic feel to it. The whole lodge reminds me of the old style lodge building as it was built about 10 years ago. The lodge stays true to the genuine African experience with its closeness to nature. Located directly on the bank of the Okavango River you have the occasional visitor (Hippo or Elephant) to the Lodge. The Mahango Game Park is a mere 4 km away from the lodge, making this an ideal stopover for guests visiting this wildlife rich sanctuary.
Our last night’s accommodation, before returning to Windhoek was spent at the largely unknown Ohange Namibia Lodge. This place is a real gem of a lodge and deserves a whole article on its own. Read more about the lodge in my next text!
When planning your next trip to Namibia include the Caprivi region and witness the hidden treasures this mostly undiscovered corner of Africa holds.
