tony wheeler, cofounder – lonely planet plan 1 2 find … · wildlife watching botswana is one of...
TRANSCRIPT
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Welcome to Botswana & Namibia ................... 2Map .................................. 416 Top Experiences ........ 6Need to Know ................. 14If You Like... ..................... 16Month by Month ............. 20Itineraries ........................ 22Planning a Safari ............ 28Regions at a Glance ....... 38
YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT
Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions to help you put together your perfect trip
Wildlife Watching Botswana is one of Africa’s great safari des-tinations. There are more elephants here than in any other country on the planet. But whether it’s elephants, lions, leopards, hyenas, rhinos, bu aloes, antelopes or myriad other species, the numbers and va-riety in Botswana will quickly overwhelm your digital camera. In Namibia the series of waterholes around Etosha Pan attract astounding numbers of animals especially in the dry season, making wildlife watch-i g s si l s ki g o tti g
to track highly endangered black rhon foot?
Landscape The landscapes of Namibia and Botwill sometimes leave you wondeyou have arrived on another planemighty gash hacked out of the surface at Fish River Canyon is the great natural sights on the conLonely desert roads expose you to a wness that will clear your mind andits way into your soul. Humongou
Welcome to Botswana & Namibia
“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET
PAGE
2
Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans Landscapes Wildlife Lodges
Salt Pans The largest salt pans on earth offer up views where the horizon never seems to end, an extraordinary, humbling sight. In places the pans are interrupted by baobab islands, while the Boteti River is one of the great curiosities of Bot-swana’s natural world.
Migrations A zebra migration that may be the largest in Af-rica catches most of the
Chobe National Park & Kasane Wildlife Landscape Lodges & Campsites
Elephants & the Rest Chobe means elephants, big elephants, and more than 70,000 of them at last count. Elephants might get all the attention (rightly so, we might add), but there are also infamous lion prides, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs, plus a full suite of antelopes to keep them all happy.
Rivers, Rocks & Marshes Chobe Riverfront is clas-
Architecture An ensemble of European architecture, particularly the remarkably rich collec-tion of German art nouveau buildings found in Namibia, is often a shock to first-time visitors. In Botswana visi-tors may stumble across a colonial vestige harking back to the early 1900s. Lüderitz There is an absurd-ity to this town littered with German colonial relics wedged between the desert and the rollers of the south Atlantic – it’s just ludicrous...(p 306 )
Swakopmund This is where Na-mibia’s German heritage shines, with its seaside promenades, half-timbered homes and colonial-era buildings (p 274 )
Hiking A great way to experience the magic of the region is to hear the crunch of the earth beneath your boots. Some of Southern Africa’s great hikes are here and multi-day treks really enable you to immerse yourself in this ancient landscape. Fish River Canyon The best – and really one of the only – ways to get a feel for this massive gash in the earth is to embark on a challenging ve-day hike along the valley oor (p 316 )
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park A remote corner of Botswana, the park o ers some challenging multi-day hikes along wilderness tracks (p 126
Waterberg Plateau Park Four-
» Meerkat, Makgadikgadi Pans (p68)
1. Naukluft Mountains (p 293 )Rising from gravel plains, the mountains are bound by gorges, caves and springs.
2. Okovango Delta (p 88 )A mokoro (dugout canoe) is poled along the shallow delta in the Ngamiland district.
3. Cheetah-WatchingThe cheetah can reach speeds of up to 112km/h, but must rest for 30 minutes between hunts.
4. Damaraland (p 260 )Laced with rivers and springs, Damaraland is one of Southern Africa’s last ‘uno cial’ wildlife areas
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SURVIVAL GUIDE
Health .............................. 362Language ........................ 368Index ................................ 383Map Legend .................... 398
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IN BOTSWANA & NAMIBIA
Availability & Cost of Health Care Good-quality health care is available in all major urban areas in Botswana and Na-mibia, and private hospitals are generally of excellent standard. Public hospitals by contrast are often under-funded and overcrowded, and in off-the-beaten-track
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PAGE
361VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO
HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP
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botswana-namibia-3-cover.indd 2botswana-namibia-3-cover.indd 2 15/03/2013 3:43:32 PM15/03/2013 3:43:32 PM
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY
Alan MurphyAnthony Ham, Trent Holden, Kate Morgan
17/1/2013Andrew S
Contents D2
Alan Murphy
Botswana & Namibia 3
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p204Namibia
p46Botswana
p171Victoria Falls
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YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE
In-depth reviews, detailed listings and insider tips
ON THE ROAD
PAGE
42
Look out for these icons:
Our author’s top recommendation
Every listing is recommended by our authors, and their favourite places are listed first
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required
BOTSWANA � � � � � � � � � 45GABORONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47AROUND GABORONE . . . . . 57North of Gaborone . . . . . . . . 57West of Gaborone . . . . . . . .58South of Gaborone . . . . . . .59EASTERN BOTSWANA . . . . . 59Palapye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Serowe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Khama Rhino Sanctuary . . .62Tswapong Hills . . . . . . . . . . .63Francistown . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Tuli Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66NORTHEASTERN BOTSWANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68CHOBE NATIONAL PARK & KASANE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Kasane & Around . . . . . . . . . 75Chobe Riverfront . . . . . . . . . 81Nogatsaa/Tchinga Area . . .84Savuti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84Linyanti Marshes . . . . . . . . .86OKAVANGO DELTA . . . . . . . . 88Maun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Shorobe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100Eastern Delta . . . . . . . . . . .100Inner Delta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101Moremi Game Reserve . . . 103Okavango Panhandle . . . . .108NORTHWESTERN BOTSWANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Tsodilo Hills & Around . . . . 111KALAHARI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.
On the RoadGhanzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117D’kar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119Central Kalahari Game Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120Khutse Game Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Kang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126UNDERSTAND BOTSWANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Botswana Today . . . . . . . . .130History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130People of Botswana . . . . . . 135Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139Arts & Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Botswana Cuisine . . . . . . . 144Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . 144National Parks & Reserves . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151SURVIVAL GUIDE . . . . . . . . 153Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . . . . 153Getting There & Away . . . . 164Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . 167
VICTORIA FALLS � � � 171ZAMBIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176Livingstone & Around . . . . 176ZIMBABWE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Victoria Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
WILDLIFE � � � � � � � � � 187Cats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188Primates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190Cud-Chewing Mammals . . 192Hoofed Mammals . . . . . . . . 194
Carnivores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196Birds of Prey . . . . . . . . . . . . 198Birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
NAMIBIA � � � � � � � � � �203WINDHOEK . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205NORTH-CENTRAL NAMIBIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223East to Botswana . . . . . . . .224North to Etosha . . . . . . . . .225Etosha National Park . . . . .237NORTHERN NAMIBIA . . . . 243The North . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243Kavango Region . . . . . . . . .246The Caprivi Strip . . . . . . . .248Otjozondjupa . . . . . . . . . . . .254NORTHWESTERN NAMIBIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258Damaraland . . . . . . . . . . . . 260The Kaokoveld . . . . . . . . . .265The Skeleton Coast . . . . . .269CENTRAL NAMIBIA . . . . . . 273Swakopmund . . . . . . . . . . . 274Walvis Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286Namib-Naukluft Park & Sossusvlei . . . . . . . . . . . 290SOUTHERN NAMIBIA . . . .300The Central Plateau . . . . . .301The South Coast . . . . . . . 305The Far South & Fish River Canyon . . . . . 315UNDERSTAND NAMIBIA . . 321Namibia Today . . . . . . . . . . 321History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .322The Namibian People . . . .326
The Namibian Way of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .332Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334Namibian Cuisine . . . . . . . .337Environment . . . . . . . . . . . 338National Parks & Reserves . . . . . . . . . . . . .342SURVIVAL GUIDE . . . . . . . . 344Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . . . 344Getting There & Away . . . .354Getting Around . . . . . . . . . .356
Y
Spencer Bay
Alexander Bay
Chamais Bay
Lüderitz Bay
Rock Bay
Sandwich Harbour
Conception Bay
O C E A NA T L A N T I C
Walvis Bay
Cape Cross Bay
DAMARALAND OTJOZONDJUPA
KAOKOVELDREGION
KAVANGO
OWAMBOREGION
KoësTsesHelmeringhausen
OranjemundAlexander Bay
Aus
KolmanskopElizabeth Bay
Lüderitz
Karasburg
Witputs
Ai-Ais
Vioolsdrif Goodhouse
Noordoewer
Grünau
Goageb
Neisip
Bethanie
Seeheim
Keetmanshoop
Onseepkans
Davignab
Ariamsvlei
Tsaraxaibis
Aroab
WINDHOEK
Okahandja
Rehoboth
Maltahöhe
Büllsport
Naukluft
Klein Aub
SesriemSossusvlei
Walvis Bay
Swakopmund
Solitaire
Ugabmund
Torra Bay
Terrace Bay
Henties Bay
Uis
Usakos
Karibib
Omaruru
Khorixas
Kamanjab
Otjiwarongo
Outjo
Leonardville
Aranos
Voigtsgrund
WitbooisvleiGibeon
Asab
GochasMariental
Kalkrand
Bergland
Twee Rivier
Goricia
Oorwinning
OkanuwaOtjosondu
Seeis Witvlei Gobabis
Summerdown
Okakarara
Otavi Grootfontein
Buitepos
Labora
RuacanaOkongwati
PurrosSesfontein
Opuwo
Otjinungwa
Oshakati
OngandjeraOndangwa
CaluequeOshikango
Karakuwisa
Tsumeb
Mangetti
Maroelaboom
Katwitwi
Nkurenkuru
Rundu
Calai
Dorbabis
Palmwag
Brandberg West
KanoVlei
RoshPinah
Seal ReserveCape Cross
Twyfelfontein
PetrifiedForest
InternationalAirport
KutakaChief Hosea
18ºE
20ºE
Canyon
RichtersveldNP
Fish River Cañon ParkGondwana
Game ParkDaan Viljoen
Namib-NaukluftPark
Skeleton Coast NP
Dorob NP
Hardap Dam
& Game ParkRecreation Resort
Plateau ParkWaterberg
onSkelet
Coast
Wilderness
EtoshaNP
NamibRand NR
(1586m)Brukkaros
(1973m)Naukluft
Burnt
(1728m)SpitzkoppeBrandberg
(2573m)
Mountain
(1869m)Schwarze Kuppen
Ehomba(1868m)
(1339m)
28ºS
26ºS
24ºS
20ºS
12ºE 14ºE
22ºS
18ºS
16ºE
OpononoLake
EtoshaPan
Tropic of Capricorn
Dolphin Head
HollandsbirdIsland
Plains
Kuiseb Canyon
Gaub
Welwitschia
Cabo Fria
Rocky Point
N a m
i bD
e s e r t
Sand Dune Sea
Hochland
Khomas
Diamond Area 1 &Sperrgebiet NP
(Restricted Access)
River
Fis
hR
iver
Kuiseb Riv
er
Hoanib
Uniab
River
River
Otjosondjou
River
Eiseb
Om
atak
o
River
FallsRuacana Cubango
River
Olifants
River
ANGOLAANGOLA
NAMIBIA
Arnhem Cave
DuwisibCastle
Etosha National Park
Sossusvlei
Fish River Canyon
Lüderitz
Swakopmund
Skeleton Coast
The world's oldest sand dunes(p297)
Wildlife watching doesn't get easier(p237)
A classical symphony in stone(p316)
Teutonic roots, African setting(p306)
Adventure capital of Southern Africa(p274)
Steeped in myth and mist(p269)
› Botswana & Namibia
CAPRIVI STRIP
Shakawe
Nokaneng
Gumare
Ghanzi
Ohe
Middlepits
Nakop
Upington
Rooiputs
Rietfontein
Bokspits
Fly's Kop
Khawa
NcojaneKule
Xanagas
Rietfontein
Tshootsha
D'kar
Tsumkwe
Nxaunxau
Andara
Tshabong
Vryburg
McCarthysrusJOHANNESBURG
Tutume
Masunga
Serule
Spanwerk
Mahalapye
Kalamare
TakatokwaneSalajwe
Jwaneng
Mabule
WerdaMakopong
PhephengBray
Sekoma
Khakea
TsetsengKang
Tshane Morwamosu
Lokalane
GABORONE
Mafikeng
RamatlabamaPhitshane
Kanye
Lobatse
Molepolole
Kodibeleng
LetlhakengMochudi
Artesia
Rakops
Takatshwaane
Molapo
Toteng
Maun
Sehithwa
Kuke
Konde
Shorobe
Matlapaneng
OrapaMopipi
Letlhakane
MosolotsanePalapye
Tlalamabele
Mmashoro
Gweta
SemowaneNata
Swartwater
PRETORIA
Potgietersrus
Tom BurkeSefare
Sherwood
MaopeSefophe
Selebi-PhikweFoley
Matsiloje
Zanzibar
Bulawayo
Plumtree
Siviya
FrancistownGwanda
Etsha 6 Xaa
Kudumane
Linyanti
Imusho
Katima Mulilo
Pandamatenga
Victoria FallsLivingstone
Kasane
Kimberley
Parr's Halt
PontDrift
MataMata
Union'sEnd
20ºE 22ºE 24ºE 26ºE 28ºE
22ºE 24ºE 26ºE
28ºS
26ºS
20ºS
18ºSBwabwata NP
NR
AugrabiesFalls NP
Spitskop
TransfrontierKgalagadi
Park
Mahango GR
KhutseGR
Mokolodi NR
Mannyelanong GR
Nxai Pan NP
Central KalahariGR
Khama RhinoSanctuary
NataSanctuary
North-EastTuli GR
Chobe FR
Chobe NP
Mamili NP
MudumuNP
NP
FR
SibuyuFR
Kasane
Zambezi
MakgadikgadiPans NP
KazumaFR
KhaudumNP
MawanaNR
MoremiGR
(959m)Vloorskop
(1250m)Aha Hills
Otse Hill(1489m)
TsodiloHills
Sowa (Sua) Pan
OkavangoDelta
NtwetwePan
DeceptionPan
NxaiPan
KalahariDesert
Savuti
IslandMpalila
Tuli Block
River
Auob
Orange
River
Vaa
l R
iver
Quoxo
River
Okwa River
Shashe River
Zambezi
River
Lake Kariba
Mol
opo
River
Nossob
River
Chobe
River
SOUTH AFRICA
BOTSWANA
SOUTH AFRICA
ZAMBIA
ZIMBABWE
Pioneer Gate
Gcwihaba(Drotsky's) Cave
Tsodilo HillsVictoria Falls
Makgadikgadi Pans NP
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Okavango Delta
An astounding array of wildlife(p75)
Ancient San rock art(p111)
The mightiest waterfall on earth(p171)
Kalahari treasure of endless horizons(p68)
Iconic desert wilderness(p120)
A watery paradise for wildlife(p88)
Chobe National Park
ELEVATION
600m
1200m
1500m
2000m
300m
0
0 200 km0 120 miles
Top Experiences ›
Kate MorganVictoria Falls Having travelled in East and North Africa, Kate was keen to check out what the southern part of the continent had to offer. She was lucky enough to head off to Victoria Falls to stand in awe of the world’s most impressive water-fall from both sides, in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Kate is a freelance writer based in Melbourne and has written for other Lonely Planet titles including Japan and Phuket. She’s also compiled the music/travel anthology, Song for the Road.
Contributing AuthorDavid Lukas teaches and writes about the natural world from his home on the edge of Yosemite National Park. He has contributed Environment and Wildlife chapters to more than 25 Lonely Planet guides, including Tanzania, East Africa, South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland and Botswana & Namibia.
Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.
OUR WRITERS
OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London, Oakland and Delhi, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.
Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9833rd edition – Jun 2013ISBN 978 1 74179 893 7© Lonely Planet 2013 Photographs © as indicated 201310 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.
Alan MurphyCoordinating Author, Namibia Alan remembers falling under Southern Africa’s ambient spell after bouncing around in the rear of a bakkie on the way from Johannesburg airport in 1999. Since then he has been back numerous times for Lonely Planet, including this trip to Namibia. In particular, Alan finds wildlife watching exhilarating and although he can’t compete with twitchers spending hours hiding in a bush waiting for a feathered discovery, he has certainly taken
years off his life staking out waterholes. This was Alan’s third time to Namibia, a country custom-built for road trips with landscapes that never cease to inspire. Alan lives with his wife in the Yarra Valley outside Melbourne, which he wishes was just a touch closer to Melbourne airport.
Anthony Ham Botswana Anthony has been travelling around Africa for more than a decade, particularly the Sahara, Kenya and Botswana. A writer and photographer, he writes guidebooks about Africa – including Kenya, Africa, Libya and West Africa – and elsewhere for Lonely Planet. He also writes and photographs for maga-zines and newspapers around the world, among them Travel Africa and Africa Geographic. He counts among his passions conservation, wildlife, indigenous
peoples and the wild places of Africa. He covered more than 8100km on his most recent trip to Botswana. When he’s not in Africa, Anthony divides his time between Madrid and Melbourne, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.
Trent Holden Victoria Falls As a regular visitor to Africa, Trent rates the action at Victoria Falls up there with the best adventure destinations he’s covered. As well as its thrills and spills, it’s also a spot he loves for its good traveller vibes and fun, friendly locals. He currently resides in Melbourne, Australia and has worked on more than 15 books for Lonely Planet – most recently covering Uganda and parts of India. When not travelling he works as a freelance editor for Lonely Planet and
writes about music and food.
Read more about Anthony at: lonelyplanet.com/members/anthonyham
OVERPAGE
MORE WRITERS
Itiner-aries
Whether you’ve got six days or 60, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travellers.
ANGOLAZAMBIA
BOTSWANANAMIBIA
É
É
É
É
É
#•
#÷BwabwataNational Park
#÷
Maun
EtoshaNational Park
#•
OkavangoDelta
Sepupa
Rundu #• Caprivi Strip
#÷MahangoGame Reserve
10 daysA Taste of the North
From Etosha National Park, home to some of the best wildlife viewing in Southern Africa, depart via the Von Lindequist Gate in the east and head northeast to steamy Rundu on the Angolan border, via Grootfontein. Spend a day lazing in one of the river side lodges on the banks of the Okavango River and then track east into the Caprivi
Strip to Bwabwata National Park and the Mahango Game Reserve, which attract large groups of elephants and herd animals. Head south through the reserve to the Mahango– Mohembo border post, where formalities are straightforward, and cross into Botswana. From here you can track down the western side of the Okavango Panhandle and down to Sepupa. For a taste of the delta to come, you can organise a mokoro (dugout canoe) trip here or go fishing – it’s a good place for a break before the serious business of wildlife watching starts further into the delta. When you’re ready to begin your delta adventure head southeast to Maun, the main gateway to the Okavango Delta, with some good accom-modation options. The road is sealed all the way.
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Three WeeksEssential Botswana & Victoria Falls
For most of this trip, you will have to be completely self-sufficient and fully confident in your navigation and survival skills. For the less adventurous, tour operators in Maun are happy to help you organise a custom safari.
Starting in Maun, the classic staging point for all Botswanan safaris, you can stock up on supplies before heading out to the Okavango Delta, either by mokoro or char-ter plane. If you’re pinching your pennies, there’s no shortage of budget camping trips to choose from, though it’s certainly worth stretching your budget to allow for a few nights in one of the safari-chic tented camps in the wildlife-rich Moremi Game Reserve (try Chief’s Island if you can afford it). Containing some of the densest concentrations of wildlife on the continent, Moremi is also the only protected area of the delta.
The next stage of your bush travel is a 4WD expedition through Chobe National Park (known for its huge populations of massive elephants). Stop at Savuti, where most mega-fauna are resident, and which is particularly well known for sightings of predators; Lin-yanti Marshes, an extensive wetland with opportunities to see elephants, lions, wild dogs, cheetahs and leopards; and the Chobe Riverfront, which is the most accessible part of Chobe and has the largest wildlife concentration in the park. Whether you travel by private vehicle or tour bus, the overland route through Chobe is one of the country’s most spectacu-lar and wildlife-rich journeys.
Make another supply stop in the border town of Kasane, at the meeting point of four countries – Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe – and it’s time to cross the border to visit the world-famous Victoria Falls. The falls are the seventh natural wonder of the world and a visit reveals nature at its most inspiring. Whether you base yourself in Livingstone, Zambia or Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, it’s worth exploring life on both sides of the Zambezi River. And of course, if you’ve got a bit of cash burning a hole in your pocket, there’s no shortage of pulse-raising activities to help you get a quick adrenaline fix. Try a micro flight over the falls for a unique perspective of this watery wonder.
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Three WeeksEssential Namibia
This enormous itinerary meanders more than 2500km, from dusty bushveld to dramatic canyons. It combines a good dose of culture with death-defying activities, and all of it is accessible with a 2WD vehicle. There are also decent, if slow, public-transport links.
Before striking off into the desert, spend a couple of days getting your bearings in the lovely capital of Windhoek, which still bears architectural traces of its German colonial history. Ideally with a rental car loaded with plenty of supplies and a few friends, make a beeline north for Etosha National Park, one of the finest safari parks on the continent. It is possible to actually drive out onto the pan with its white saline floor stretching as far as you can see into the horizon.
Although you’re going to have to backtrack, you can quickly bypass Windhoek en route to seaside Swakopmund, where you can take your holiday up a notch in a flurry of exciting activities, including dune boarding and quad biking. Back on the main road south, keep the heart beating during a scramble up the massive barchan dune fields of Sossusvlei and/or a trek through Sesriem Canyon. The ever-shifting dunes of the Namib Desert are par-ticularly worth gazing upon at sunrise when their colourful hues dance over the landscape.
Continuing the canyon theme, head south for Fish River Canyon, a geological wonder of monumental proportions that is one of Africa’s hidden highlights. If you’ve packed sturdy hiking boots you could embark on a multi-day hike along the canyon floor. From Fish River Canyon, detour west to marvel at the German anachronism that is Lüderitz. Sausages washed down with German beer are a prerequisite before embarking on your explorations. Nearby, you can stop off at the diamond-mining ghost town of Kolmanskop and explore the overwhelming emptiness of the Sperrgebiet.
Finish things off in Noordoewer, which sits astride the Orange River and is the starting point for white-water rafting through some wild canyon country. Alternatively, head across the South African border to cosmopolitan Cape Town, which you can enjoy for a week or a weekend before setting off on the next adventure.
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» (above) Christuskirche, Windhoek’s best-recognised landmark (p205) » (left) Rafts on the banks of the Orange River (p346)
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If you’re looking to leave the khaki-clad tourist crowds behind, this off-the-beaten-track option in Botswana takes you straight through the heart of the Kalahari. If you’re starting in Johannesburg, head west for the border, where you can cross at Bokspits to enter the enormous Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The park is one
of the only spots in the Kalahari where you can see shifting sand dunes, though the un-disputed highlight is its pristine wilderness and low tourist volume. The Kalahari of your imagination, it’s noted for its wildlife watching, being home to large numbers of springboks, gemsboks, eland and wildebeest as well as predators, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, jackals and hyenas. If you like birdwatching then you’re in for a treat here too.
From here, head east towards Gaborone and then loop back to enter the southern gates of the utterly wild Khutse Game Reserve. Here are well-maintained trails and around 60 pans that once made up the largest inland lake on the continent. Leopard and lion sight-ings are possible wildlife highlights. From here, traverse north through some exciting 4WD territory into the adjoining Central Kalahari Game Reserve, where you can navigate one of the continent’s most prominent topographical features. It’s about the size of Denmark, so there’s plenty of scope for losing yourself in Africa’s raw heart. Before leaving, spend a night or two in Deception (Letiahau) Valley, renowned for its rare brown hyenas. Although wildlife densities are significantly lower than in Chobe or the Okavango Delta, so are the numbers of safari vehicles.
Heading north, you’ll pass through D’kar, where you can pick up some beautiful San crafts. If you’re here in August immerse yourself in traditional bushman culture at the Kuru Dance Festival. Then press on for the remote Gcwihaba (Drotsky’s) Cave, renowned for its 10m-long stalagmites and stalactites, as well as Commerson’s leaf-nosed bats. Finally, at the furthermost tip of the country, you’ll come to the mystical Tsodilo Hills, which are a treasure chest of painted rock art that continue to be revered by local communities. The beautiful colours of these remote hills are striking but it’s the 4000-plus prehistoric rock paintings throughout the hills that most people are here to see.
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Two WeeksCaprivi to Kaokoveld
This is not an itinerary for the faint-hearted. Many places in Namibia give you a vague sense that you’ve reached the end of the earth, but some of the destinations in this itinerary really are otherworldly. Getting to them, too, presents a major chal-lenge that definitely requires determination as well as a fair bit of cash.
To do this trip as a continuous journey, you’re best off starting from Kasane in Botswana. From here, you can charter a plane or boat to Mpalila Island, a luxuriously remote retreat stranded in the middle of the Zambezi. It’s where Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Zam-bia intersect. From here, head into Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and visit the mini-Okavango of the Mamili National Park where the rains bring a delta-like feel to the forested islands that contain some of Namibia’s best birdwatching. Drive from here to the untamed wilder-ness that is Khaudum National Park, a serious adventure destination. Here, wandering sandy tracks lure visitors through bushlands and across valleys where African wild dogs can be seen – the only place in Namibia with that particular boast. There are also large numbers of herd animals, including roan antelopes and a bird diversity that will thrill twitchers.
From Khaudum the road will take you south through Grootfontein, from where it’s worth making a short detour to the Waterberg Plateau Park. The park is famous as a haven of endangered species like sable, roan and white and black rhinos, some of which you may be lucky enough to spot along one of the well-marked hiking trails. It’s an unusual place in that it feels a little like a lost world on top of the plateau with its pristine bushy landscapes – take advantage of the hides at the waterholes for your best chance to spot wildlife.
North of Grootfontein the road takes you into Namibia’s cultural heartland, the Owambo region, from where you can access the remote and mysterious Kaokoveld, homeland to the Himba – a culturally rich tribal group that has retained its striking appearance and dress – and one of the most inaccessible areas of the country.
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