The Caprivi Game Reserve is a remote area and quite unlike any other region in Namiba. This area is crossed by two major rivers, the Okavango and Kwando Rivers, while the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers form the north-east and south-east boundaries. It is the only area in Namibia that is lush and green and well watered my rivers. The riverine forests along these rivers attract large numbers of mammals and numerous species of aquatic birds. Wildlife you can expect to see when visiting the Caprivi Game Reserve includes buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard, hippo, roan and other antelopes. The Caprivi was named after General Georg Leo von Caprivi, the successor of Bismarck as German Chancellor.
The Caprivi is an odd strip of land whose borders extend unnaturally towards the east at the top right hand corner of Namibia. Hemmed in by Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, it was a strategic South African Military zone for a long time and for tourists a gateway to the Victoria Falls. It is now back in the hands of the independent Namibia and contains several national parks and considerable safari opportunities. Although the wildlife in the Caprivi has not yet recovered from years of poaching and the destructive bushwar of the 1970s and 80s, it is a superb conservation area that may in the future rival Etosha.
The East Caprivi bordered by the Kwando, Linyanti, Chobe and Zambezi Rivers is a region of swamps and flood plains. There are several safari lodges in the area and activities include fishing, hiking, game-viewing safaris or a river trip onboard luxurious river boats or in a traditional "mokoro". The Mahango and Caprivi Game Reserves as well as the Mamili and Mudumu National Parks, are all in this area. At the Caprivi Art Centre in Katima Mulilo, distinctive pottery, wood carvings and basketry from the region can be bought. |
