Arrival
Arrival
Day 1
Windhoek- Arrival
Windhoek- Arrival
Upon arrival, we will transfer you from the airport to Windhoek. You may stroll the city at your own pace and do some last-minute shopping for the tour. Your hotel is located in the city center making it an easy access to the main facilities in town.
- Main Destination:
- Windhoek (City, Namibia)
- Accommodation:
- Hilton Hotel Windhoek
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2-3
Western Etosha
Western Etosha
After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to the less visited part of Etosha National Park, the western part. This area is hilly and dominated by dolomite outcrops whereas the rest of the park is topographically flat. This is a stopover to access the northern part of the country. We will spend 2 days here doing morning and afternoon game drives. The area is a demarcation of the Namib Desert and semi-arid area; hence some mammals and birds are mostly Namibian near endemics.
- Main Destination:
- Western Etosha National Park (Namibia)
- Accommodation:
- Dolomite Resort
Wildlife in Etosha NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Kunene River -Epupa Falls
Kunene River -Epupa Falls
After breakfast, we will head extreme northwest of the country to the Epupa Falls. This is the OvaHimba people area. Rising in west-central Angola, the Kunene River has a total length of 1,050 km (650 mi). The river forms the border between Namibia and Angola, and it enters a gorge tract through mountains. In this gorge tract are the Epupa Falls, more than 100 feet (30 meters) high. The Epupa Falls do not compare with the Victoria Falls in scale, but they are all more beautiful occurring in such an arid region. With some baobab trees, many balancing rocks and many islands in the stream, it makes Epupa Falls a magical spot. The river then goes into the Namib Desert, where it generally has a small volume, before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. This afternoon we will embark on a sundowner drive to the Epupa Falls.
- Main Destination:
- Epupa Falls (Kaokoland, Namibia)
- Accommodation:
- Omarunga Epupa-Falls Camp
Wildlife in Kaokoland
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Kunene River- Ruacana
Kunene River- Ruacana
After breakfast, we will visit the Ova Himba people that have been in this area for decades. There found in both the Namibian and Angola side of the river. They are semi-nomadic pastoralists with huge herds of cattle. This morning, we will learn about the intriguing traditional life of the OvaHimba people, including their dress, food and craft. You will also learn about how the homestead is built, with holy fire at its heart (where all communication with ancestors takes place). We will learn how they survive in this present day and their lives along the Kunene River. After this activity, we will take a scenic drive along the Kunene River to Ruacana. Nested in huge Makalani Palm trees, enjoy the beauty, peace and tranquility of this riverine habitat.
- Main Destination:
- Ruacana Falls (Highlight, Namibia)
- Accommodation:
- Ruacana Eha Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Okavango River- Kavango West
Okavango River- Kavango West
Today is a driving day through the Ovamboland, until we get to the Okavango River. We get to experience the land of the Owambo people which has a total surface area of around 56 000km2. The land consists mainly of communal farming land and most of the inhabitants survive on subsistence farming. They are various wetlands that hosts a number of water birds. We will drive along the river up to Kavango East Region. Beginning in the sandy highlands of Angola, the Okavango River is 1700 km (1000mi) long and is the fourth longest river in southern Africa. Along its middle course the Okavango forms part of the Angola-Namibia border. After being joined by its largest tributary, the Kwito River, the Okavango River then crosses Namibia’s narrow Caprivi Strip to enter Botswana where it terminates in an immense inland delta known as the Okavango Delta.
- Main Destination:
- Rundu (City, Namibia)
- Accommodation:
- Hakusembe River Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7-8
Okavango River- Kavango West
Okavango River- Kavango West
After a relaxed morning and breakfast, we will take a 2-hour drive to the Kavango West Region. We will embark on a guided village walk in one of the local villages, learn the culture and experience how the local Hambukushu people are dependent on nature along the river. Reeds from the islands in the river are used to construct their homes and traditional canoes are used for fishing. The people are part of the larger Lozi ethnic group and have significant populations in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. We will embark on a sundowner game drive in the Bwabwata National Park (Mahango Core Area) in the afternoon. We will spend the second day exploring the Buffalo Core Area. It is 629 km2 and mammal species include roan, sable, kudu, impala, reedbuck, Chobe bushbuck, red lechwe, giraffe, zebra, blue wildebeest, elephant and buffalo. Hippo and crocodile flourish in the rivers and predators include lion, leopard, cheetah, hyaena and African wild dog. Birding is prolific.
- Main Destination:
- Mahango Game Reserve (Bwabwata NP, Namibia)
- Accommodation:
-
Shametu River Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 9-10
Kwando River- Zambezi Region
Kwando River- Zambezi Region
After breakfast on the boat cruise along the Okavango River, we will head east to the Kwando River. This is an interesting river as it has different names depending on the location due to its complicated flow. Beginning in central Angola, if flows about 225km (140 mi) along the Zambian/Angola border. It enters Namibia for a short distance and gets to Linyati Marshes in Botswana where it meets another river forming a confluence of about 10 km. The marshes drain into Zambezi and the River is known as the Chobe River on the Botswana side. Before checking in, we will explore the Kwando Core Area with our lunch packs. It is stocked with wildlife as it happens to be the migration corridor between countries. On the second day we will embark on game drive in the same area and a sundowner drive in the nearby Mudumu National Park. The park consists of dense savannah and mopane woodlands, and alive with more than 400 bird species and a home to a small population of elusive Sitatunga.
- Main Destination:
- Mudumu National Park (Zambezi Region, Namibia)
- Accommodation:
- Namushasha River Lodge
Wildlife in Mudumu NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 11
Zambezi River
Zambezi River
After a relaxed morning, we will visit a heritage center where we will learn the culture and traditions of local people like the MaFwe. They do not have borders as they share culture with their relatives that are in Botswana, Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe. Along the Chobe/Zambezi confluence is the only quadripoint in the world where 4 countries meet. Fishing plays an important role in the subsistence economy. They make very beautiful crafts including reed weaved baskets and clay pots. The tour will end singing and dancing to the beat of drums and the melodies of the wooden piano. We will then drive to the banks of the Zambezi River and embark on an afternoon boat cruise. From its source in the African Central Plateau northwest of Zambia, the Zambezi River flows 2,574 km (1,599 mi) through eastern Angola, along the north-eastern border of Namibia and the northern border of Botswana, then along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe to Mozambique, then empty into the Indian Ocean.
- Main Destination:
- Zambezi Region (Namibia)
- Accommodation:
- Zambezi Mubala Lodge
Wildlife in Zambezi Region
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 12
Zambezi River- Victoria Falls
Zambezi River- Victoria Falls
After breakfast, we will drive to Zimbabwe, further exploring the Chobe River. The Victoria Falls is on the Zambezi River along the Zimbabwe and Zambian border. It is classified as the largest based on its combined width of 1,708 meters (5,604 ft) and height of 108 meters (354 ft), resulting in the world's largest sheet of falling water. We will visit the Victoria Falls upon arrival and end our tour with a boat cruise on the Zambezi River. This park of the river is inside the Zambezi National Park hence chances of seeing wildlife and birds along the banks of the river.
- Main Destination:
- Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
- Accommodation:
- Cresta Sprayview
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 13
Departure- Victoria Falls Airport
Departure- Victoria Falls Airport
This marks the end of your Namibian Perennial Rivers Culture and Wildlife Tour. We will transfer you to the airport.
- Main Destination:
- Victoria Falls Airport (Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
