Caprivi Strip

The Caprivi is a narrow strip of land in the far northeast of Namibia, which stretches about 400 kilometers in length. It lies between Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the south and the Okavango Region to the west. It is described as the Okavango Delta of Namibia, and is a game-rich area, containing a diverse population of large mammals. It’s like a land before time where prehistoric-looking water monitors and giant crocodiles mingle with wattled cranes, carmine bee-eaters and other fantastic creatures.

Caprivi is the wettest region in Namibia and is bordered by four perennial rivers – Kwando, Linyanti, Chobe and the ever-mighty Zambezi. The Kwando river is the smallest of the Caprivi’s major rivers and possibly the most beautiful. Water lilies line its banks and hippos, like fat ticks ready to burst in the hot sun, graze its banks. It rarely gets deeper than four metres and is so clear you can see schools of fish. All of this water supports a large variety of animal and bird species and the area boasts four National Parks – Bwabwata, Mahango, Mamili and Mudumu. Mudumu National Park encompasses 100 000 hectares of woodland and wetland where the Kwando River splits into multiple channels to form the Linyanti Swamp. Sightings of elephant, buffalo, roan, kudu, sable, red lechwe, reedbuck, impala and zebra are normally commonplace and it’s possible to spot the rare sitatunga in the delta areas. There are also big cats, wild dogs and an abundance of crocodiles and hippos.

The Caprivi is no zoo; the critters are wild. Animals dash off when they hear the roar of an engine and you won’t find game-viewing vehicles clustered around a pride of bored lion.

Activites in the Caprivi include, houseboating with Caprivi Houseboat Safaris; game-viewing, which is best in the dry season from May to August; fishing, which is possible all year round and birding, which is best in the rainy season, between November and April.