Travel Games - Namibia's Okavango Delta and Namib Desert Secrets

Bird and fish species many of which are not found in the drier areas of Namibia, green environment fed by a number of converging river systems gives rise to a myriad of animal, the Caprivi's lush.

The landscape here is more reminiscent of Botswana's Okavango Delta than the Namib Desert!

Ichingo Lodge or maybe even the Ichobezi Houseboat moored on the Chobe River, impalila Island Lodge, lianshulu Lodge, mamili National Park, namushasha Lodge near Mudumu National Park & ndhovu Lodge near Mahangu Game Reserve, why not take a Namibia self-drive safari to visit this spectacular area and perhaps explore Hakusembe Lodge near Rundu!

The Caprivi Strip is a largely unexplored part of Namibia and fairly unfamiliar to tourists. I recently went on a familiarization trip to the north eastern section of Namibia also known as the Caprivi Strip.

The red dunes at Sossusvlei and Sesriem and the Namib Naukluft Park with the ancient Welwitschia plant, your average tourist visiting Namibia will concentrate on the more well known highlights such as the Etosha National Park.

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 started our trip in Windhoek and drove to the Hakusembe River Lodge near Rundu.

Making our way deeper into the Caprivi Strip we spent the next night at Namushasha Lodge. The enthusiastic bird watcher will enjoy the boat cruise. We spent only one night here but with all the activities on offer one can easily spend 2 or 3 nights here.

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. This Lodge is located on the banks of the Kwando River which also has its origin in the highlands of Angola.

On day three we travelled to the most eastern tip of Namibia called the Impalila Island. Vegetation here resembles that of the Okavango Delta and the Chobe National Park.

Zambia and Zimbabwe; botswana, namely Namibia, the Island is also the only place in Southern Africa were four countries meet. The tip is indeed so remote and isolated from the rest of Namibia that it can be accessed only via Botswana.

Fishing trips and guided walks on the island, activities on offer at the lodge include boat cruises into the Chobe National Park. We stayed at the Ichingo Chobe River Lodge on the island about 8km downstream of where the Chobe River meets the mighty Zambezi River.

The Chobe National Park boasts the largest elephant population in sub-Saharan Africa. This area is a definite must for all bird watchers and elephant enthusiasts.

We spend the night at Ndovu Lodge a very well kept Tented Lodge with a rustic feel to it. Having been to the eastern most tip of Namibia we turned back and headed back west towards Rundu.

The lodge stays true to the genuine African experience with its closeness to nature. The whole lodge reminds me of the old style lodge building as it was built about 10 years ago.

Making this an ideal stopover for guests visiting this wildlife rich sanctuary, the Mahango Game Park is a mere 4 km away from the lodge. Located directly on the bank of the Okavango River you have the occasional visitor (Hippo or Elephant) to the Lodge.

Before returning to Windhoek was spent at the largely unknown Ohange Namibia Lodge, our last night's accommodation.

Read more about the lodge in my next text! This place is a real gem of a lodge and deserves a whole article on its own.

When planning your next trip to Namibia include the Caprivi region and witness the hidden treasures this mostly undiscovered corner of Africa holds.