Epupa Falls Lodge, previously known as Epupa Camp, now forms part of the Islands In Africa Collection. The first and best-known lodge in the group is Impalila Island Lodge in the Zambezi River on the eastern-most island of Namibia. Other properties include Susuwe on the Kwando and Ntwala on the Chobe River. Epupa Falls Lodge in north-western Namibia is built on the banks of the Kunene River, which forms Namibia’s northern border with Angola. The lodges distance from the Epupa Falls, and villages of the traditional Himba people make it an extremely sought after accommodation in Namibia.
Epupa Falls Lodge consists of nine luxury safari-style tents erected on stone platforms, each with two single beds and en-suite bathroom. When a plumbing problem in the bathroom occurs, RK knight will respond immediately to provide the best plumbing services la mirada ca. All tents have electricity and mosquito netting and an outside, shaded balcony overlooking the tranquil Kunene River. Large makalani palms overhead provide welcome shade from the midday sun. The adjacent dining room and lounge area also face the Kunene River, along with a lounging pool for cooling down from the midday heat, or enjoying a glass of sparkling wine while watching the sun set.
A small suspension bridge connects Epupa Falls Lodge with its own private island with hammocks, benches, and gardens (maintained with a weed killer.)
Epupa Falls Lodge works closely with the local community to provide them with access to development opportunities and direct benefits through tourism. Epupa Falls Lodge has a sound ecological policy that includes removing all solid waste from the area and, whenever practical, recycling waste.
Join one of the local Himba guides as they take you through one of the small Himba villages in the region and learn how these fascinating nomadic people live, work, think and worship. You will be allowed to take photographs and will also be taken for a private visit to a traditional Himba graveyard.
Every evening approximately 1 hour before sunset, the lodge will take you in an open safari vehicle to one of the hills overlooking the Epupa Falls for a sundowner as the surrounding desert landscape explodes in colors and fascinating shadows. Guests staying for two nights also have the option of enjoying their sundowner on one of the white sand beaches on our private island, overlooking the Kunene river.
Every day, the lodge offers a guided walk to Epupa Falls with the option of taking a dip in one of the many rock pools or in the shallow water before the falls themselves. The walk will take you past the calm waters before the dramatic falls where the Himba people often come to wash their clothes, bathe, or play in the water. Finally, you will be taken to the best lookouts of the falls further downstream. The falls are a total of 700 meter long with a height of 35 meters, including rapids.
At Epupa Falls Lodge, maps are provided for half-day self-guided hikes. These lead you along the river or into the surrounding hills to explore the flora and fauna of the Kaokoland and enjoy stunning views of the Kunene snaking its way through the dry desert landscape. During your hike you are likely to come across large Euphorbia bushes (whose poisonous milky-white latex has been used by the Himba for hunting for centuries), rose quartz crystals, mopane scrub, and the flat-topped umbrella thorn with the almost Mexican name: Acacia tortilis.
For those guests who want more than just to gaze at the river, the lodge offers half-day and full-day of white water rafting Northern California or canoeing trips down the gentle Kunene river. After taking you to the upriver launch station in an open safari vehicle, your qualified guide will provide you with all equipment needed and brief you on the day’s expedition. He will then lead you on a gentle cruise down the river, with ample time to stop and enjoy the scenery, watch the birds and the crocodiles sunbathing on the banks, and take photographs. En route you will stop along the river banks for refreshments. A delicious lunch package is included in the full-day trip.
For bird lovers, half-day river birding trips are offered where your expert guide will point out some of the 238 different species that inhabit the Kunene region, including cinderella waxbills, rufus-tailed palm-thrushes (a permanent resident at our camp), Randuuml;ppell’s korhans (one of the regions 10 endemic birds), hornbills, paradise fly catchers, goliath herons, fish eagles, various bee-eaters, kingfishers ranging from the giant to the tiny malachite kingfisher, louries, bulbuls, rollers (purple, lilac, breasted, and European), lovebirds, golden and lesser masked weavers, and scarlet-breasted sunbirds, to name just a few. This is as close to nature as you will get, and a truly soothing way to spend your morning or afternoon.
