Northern Perennial Rivers Tour

Safari summary

Approximately 31% of Namibia’s land area is desert. A large portion of the land is semi-arid hence characterized by vast desert landscapes, rugged mountains, and a coastline. The country is known for its sand dunes, gravel plains, and dry riverbeds. Namibia has about 20 well defined inland ephemeral rivers and only 5 perennial rivers along the country's borders. This tour aims to explore 4 northern perennial rivers in terms of wildlife, lives and culture of people along these rivers. The western part of Etosha National Park is the least visited area. It 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. 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. We will visit the OvaHimba People and learn their culture, past and present life along the Kunene River. 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. The local Hambukushu people are dependent on the Okavango River. The people are part of the larger Lozi ethnic group and have significant populations in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The area is adjacent to Bwabwata National Park, which will give us a chance to embark on boat cruises and game drives to further explore the relation between wildlife, the Okavango River and people. The Kwando River 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. Local people like the MaFwe tribes, do not have borders as they share culture with their relatives that are in Botswana, Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe. Fishing plays an important role in the subsistence economy. We will have a chance of game drives in the Kwando area as well. 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. We will explore the Zambezi River along with the Victoria Falls.

About this tour

	Tour type	Custom, tailor-made, private
	Main focus	Game drives
	Activity level	Easy activity
	Best months	All months
	Countries	Namibia Zimbabwe
	Parks	Etosha Mudumu Victoria Falls Zambezi

Fine details

Safari highlights

• Bird watching—with professional guide
• Boat, canoe, dhow, kayak, mokoro safari
• Cultural visits—orphanages, markets, schools

What’s included?

• Accommodation
• Airport transfers
• Meals
• Park fees
• Private vehicle and driver

What’s not included?

• Alcoholic beverages
• All drinks
• Hot air balloons
• Internal flights
• International flights
• Laundry
• Premium alcoholic beverages
• Spa treatments
• Tips and gratuities
• Visas