Namibia - Caprivi Region

In the northeast of the country, Namibia reaches out to touch the great Zambezi. Here wide tropical rivers bear names to conjure with – the Zambezi, the Okavango, the Chobe, and the Linyanti. The vegetation is lush and supports a dense population, making this a unique corner of Nambia.

On a trip across the Caprivi you will come across many villages and their inhabitants. Children herding goats wander back and forth across the road, women sell fruit, carvings, pots and pans from makeshift stalls, and everywhere you will be warmly welcomed. Once in the parks, you will find big game, including hippo, crocodile, elephant and even buffalo.

In the heart of the Caprivi, on the banks of the tropical river Kwando, are two excellent lodges. Both make lovely two-or three-night stops as you cross the Strip.

Susuwe Island Lodge is a little gem, tucked away in riverine forest on an island in the river. Mornings and evenings can be spent seeking out the game with some of Namibia’s most experienced guides. Then, return to your chalet and sit on the shady deck with a pair of binoculars and watch the prolific birdlife around you.

Lianshulu Lodge is an old favourite, within the lush Mudumu National Park. Guests stay in comfortable wood-and-thatch bungalows, built, like the rest of the lodge, by local craftspeople using natural materials. This popular lodge also has a delightful bushcamp nearby. Activities at both lodges are similar, including game drives, walks, boating trips and fishing.

Game concentrations in both areas are excellent and the ecosystems here are the same as those in the Botswana’s Linyanti area.

Highlights include large numbers of elephant, buffalo, lion and red lechwe. The Kwando River’s rich birdlife includes dazzling colonies of migrant carmine bee-eaters and endemic copperytailed coucals.

Impalila Island
On Namibia’s easternmost tip, at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe, lies a small island known as Impalila.

With only two tiny lodges, this is a very peaceful island, perfect for a relaxing stay. Spend a morning being punted gently around floodplains on a mokoro (dug-out canoe), or boat down the beautiful Chobe River, enjoying the animals and birds that come to the waterfront of Chobe National Park. The two lodges are slightly different in style.

Impalila Island Lodge is actually on the Zambezi, overlooking the Mambova Rapids. It has eight comfortable wooden chalets with en-suite facilities. Ichingo Chobe River Lodge is very close by, on the other side of the island beside the Chobe River. It is more of a bushcamp in style, with a rustic air and large walk-in tents dotted about the riverine forest.

Both lodges are run by their friendly owners, so the welcome will be warm, whichever you choose. Note that the island is easily accessed from Victoria Falls (two-hour road/boat transfer) and Kasane (ten-minute boat transfer).