Caprivi Strip

Caprivi Strip

A lush water-fed area, the narrow extension of land known as the Caprivi Strip (also known as the Zambezi region), protrudes eastwards from the extreme northeast corner of Namibia. The Caprivi borders Botswana, Angola, Zambia and, contrary to popular belief, not Zimbabwe (close, but no).

Caprivi Strip Facts

  • Size: Length +- 450km, width, between 30km and 105km
  • When to visit: May-Oct (cool, dry season - preferred for game viewing)
  • Climate: Pleasant with avg. daily temp. at 26°C
  • Rainfall: above 500mm per annum varying
  • Altitude: 1000m above sea level
  • Location: Top northeast corner
  • Accommodation: Zambezi Region Lodges

Information On Caprivi Strip

Although the wildlife in the Caprivi has not yet recovered from years of poaching and the destructive bush war of the 1970s and 80s, it is a superb conservation area that may in the future rival Etosha and the Okavango and Selinda national Parks.

Named after Leo Graf von Caprivi, the strip was ceded to colonial Germany by the British. The Caprivi is in a tropical climate zone and receives a high amount of rainfall in the summer months.

Open throughout the year; the Caprivi region is dominated by broad-leafed deciduous woodlands comprising wild Seringa, Copal Wood and Zambezi teak. It is the wettest region in Namibia, with its high rainfall fed by a number of major rivers like the Okavango, Kwando and Zambesi.

The small town of Katima Mulilo at the eastern tip of Caprivi offers some attractive lodges, an airport, a hospital, some petrol stations, grocery stores and a street market with crafts, traditional baskets woven from grass, wood carvings, jewellery and clothes.

Malaria is an endemic, year-round problem and prophylaxis are recommended for all visitors.

Animals seen here include: buffalo, elephant, zebra, antelopes, hippo, crocodiles, lion, giraffe, puku, sitatunga, red lechwe, spotted necked otters, waterbuck, Roan antelope, Oribi, wild dog.

As many as 339 bird species have been recorded in west Caprivi.

Where is Caprivi Strip located?

Located in the far northeast corner of Namibia, in a nutshell, drive north from Windhoek and turn right at Rundu, 100 kilometres later, one arrives in the Caprivi.

To give one more of an overhead view of where the Caprivi/Zambezi Region is located, have a look at this link; Google Maps - Caprivi Strip

Best Time to Visit Caprivi Strip?

In our humble opinion, the dry winter months are the best months to travel through the region; the days are mild to warm, as are the nights. The summer months are the rainy/wet months. Although this period is excellent for birding, accessing certain areas of the national parks is prohibited by rising waters, with a very good chance of one getting stranded.

Main Attractions Of National Park

  • View 4 of the 'Big 5'
  • Remarkable birdlife
  • Fishing and boat trips
  • Access into Botswana from Namibia (and visa-versa)
  • Popa Falls
  • Bwabwata National Park
  • Mudumu National Park
  • Nkasa Rupara National Park
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