Caprivi Strip Activities:Experience the lush Caprivi Strip in northern Namibia:
The Caprivi Strip, an inspiring safari destination in Namibia, is made up of a number of reserves and parks for birding and game viewing by boat and on land. Five mighty rivers flow through here – the Kwando, Okavango, Linyanti, Chobe and Zambezi Rivers. The Caprivi Strip is sandwiched between Angola, Zambia and Botswana near the tip of Zimbabwe and close to other outstanding holiday hotspots like Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls. Rundu is the western gateway to the Caprivi on the Okavango River in Namibia. From here the main road travels to Katima Mulilo in the east on the Zambian border, which is the leading town in this region with an airport and a good local market. Impalila Island, on the far eastern tip of the Caprivi Strip is a popular holiday spot where the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers meet. There is no marked border between the Caprivi in Namibia and Botswana, so game move back and forth seasonally across the river.
In the Caprivi Strip in northern Namibia you can stay in riverside lodges and camps, on islands or houseboats and enjoy game drives, bush walks, fishing and boating or canoeing, and cultural visits. You can see big herds of Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Hippo, Crocodile, Leopard and sometimes Wild Dog, lots of antelope and hundreds of birds. The area is remote and roads are accessible by 4x4 only. Certain destinations combine well on a well-planned self-drive holiday or you can arrange a fly-in itinerary to specific lodges which are more difficult to access. Go on a Caprivi Strip safari in one of the many National Parks and Game Reserves:
Wildlife in the Caprivi Strip is varied with 4 out of the Big Five game present. The border of Botswana is unmarked so the animals move seasonally from area to area and through unfenced National Parks. You can see large herds of Elephant, also Buffalo, Hippo, Crocodile, Lion, Leopard, Wild Dog and a variety of antelope including Giraffe, Lechwe, Roan, Sable, Tsessebe, Sitatunga, Reedbuck and Waterbuck.
Caprivi Strip safari activities in Namibia include game drives, bush walks and sundowners on floating pontoons. Game viewing by boat, sunset cruises and canoeing adventures are a great way to relax. From a houseboat, you can watch wildlife at the water's edge at prime times and enjoy wonderful passing scenery whilst cruising along. The Caprivi Strip is also ideal for a birding safari with more than 400 recorded species – the highest in Namibia. West to East along the Caprivi Strip:
- Mahangu Game Reserve:
This small reserve borders on the Okavango River and Botswana. It has diverse scenery and wildlife, with lush riverine forest and Okavango floodplains on one side and dry Kalahari bush on the other.
- Bwabwata National Park (was Caprivi Game Park):
Next to Mahangu is Bwabwata which stretches from the Okavango River to the Kwando River. Game moves freely between this park and Botswana. The waters are clear and there are lush islands in the river. Popa Falls is a series of rapids in a very scenic area on the Okavango River.
Deep in the Caprivi, this park is characterised by the beautiful waterways of the Kwando River which are superb for boating and canoeing. The dense vegetation is favoured by all kinds of animals while marshy areas host Sitatunga and Spotted Neck Otters.
Mamili is secluded and has vast swamps, oxbow lakes and wetlands where the Kwando River turns into the Linyanti which becomes the Chobe River. Birdlife is prolific here. The park is reached on a day trip from Mudumu.
This is a popular area in the far eastern Caprivi at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers. You can enjoy canoeing in the floodplains and see animals along the waterfront of Chobe National Park whilst enjoying a Chobe River cruise. Catch one of the world’s best sporting fish in the rivers of the Caprivi Strip:
The Okavango River enters the Caprivi Strip in the west and flows out into the Okavango Delta, while the Kwando River cuts through the heart, becoming the Linyanti Wetlands before changing direction into the Chobe River separating Nambia from Botswana. The great Zambezi River forms the eastern border between Namibia and Zambia before the massive plunge of the Victoria Falls. |