Landscape representatives will collect you from home and take you to the airport, where you will meet up with your travel companions and board the early morning flight to Windhoek. You will be met by your Landscape guide and minibus upon arrival at Windhoek International Airport and will check into your lodge on the northern outskirts of Windhoek.
We head north across the semi-arid Khomas Highlands on the long straight road to the north. Later we approach the Waterberg (Afrikaans: water mountain), a massive table mountain looming up over the plains. We stay in the well-appointed chalets of Waterberg Lodge, nestled on a rock terrace high up on the slope of Waterberg, with grand vistas of the endless Kalahari savannah below. We spend the next day exploring this unique natural area with a guided walk in the morning, and in the afternoon a drive to historical sites dating back to the German/Herero war. There are several walking trails starting from the lodge, and you will have the opportunity to explore during leisure time.
MANGETTI NATIONAL PARK & KAVANGO RIVER Day 3
We pack up this morning and head north-eastward, passing through the Mangetti National Park en route to the Rundu area. Recently proclaimed, the park is a joint venture between the local community and central government, providing many benefits to locals. As we near the Okavango River, which rises in the central highlands of Angola, the landscape subtly changes, and we feel the difference in the climate - a more humid sub-tropical atmosphere which produces lush riverine vegetation, very different from the more arid scrub savannah that has dominated the scene thus far. We stay tonight in a comfortable lodge on the banks of the Kavango River - the life-line of the Caprivi.
BWABWATA NATIONAL PARK Day 4 & 5
Today’s route take us ever eastward, passing by the many rural settlements of subsistence farmers who depend on the river and its flood plain for their livelihood. It is clear that the local population is almost entirely dependent on the river - not only for subsistence crops, but also for building materials and grazing for their livestock. We head for Bagani - eastern portal of the Caprivi Strip, a typical rural village, undeveloped, sleepy and unrushed. We are now in the Greater Bwabwata National Park, which stretches eastward all the way to the Zambian border.
We spend two nights at a lodge on the banks of the Okavango River, near a series of rapids known as Popa Falls. Using this area as our base, we explore the nearby attractions and natural surroundings, with game drives and a boat trip in the Mahango National Park.
We now traverse the full length of the Caprivi Strip through diverse wetlands and mini lagoons, with prolific bird life and lush tropical vegetation. Our destination is in the Kongola region just west of the Caprivi Game Reserve. The Caprivi Game Park was originally proclaimed in 1968 and, together with Mahangu Game Reserve and the Kwando Triangle, was consolidated into the Bwabwata National Park in 2007. Wildlife found here include elephant, roan antelope, kudu, blue wildebeest, giraffe and Burchell’s zebra. For the next three nights we are based close to the river, an ideal position for exploration trips into the heart of the Caprivi. Activities include game drives in Bwabwata and leisurely boat cruises
From Kongola we make our way to Botswana via Kama Mulilo. We cross the border and head for Kasane, where we will spend the last two nights of our safari. Four African countries - Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia - meet not far from here, and we are ideally situated to make the most of our two night package, which includes an optional excursion to the mighty Victoria Falls. Other activities include a game drive and a river cruise. The lodge is on the banks of the Chobe River, with huge decks and verandas offering great river views. One could spend the day just siting and watching the world go by - large flocks of birds and herds of elephants on the island opposite the lodge. Meals are mouth-watering buffet presentations.
A typical day on the Chobe would start with a 2-hour game drive in an open vehicle, into the river front area of Chobe National Park. There are excellent opportunities to see a vast variety of wildlife, including red lechwe, puku and sable antelope. Leopard and lion also occur in the park. Back at the lodge we enjoy a scrumptious breakfast, after which we have a rest till lunch time. By mid afternoon we board a boat for a cruise into the national park, which offers exciting opportunities to view life along the Chobe River, such as the elephant and buffalo herds which converge here during the dry season.
We fly out from Kasane airport and later Landscape staff will meet you at your local airport to take you home.
