Caprivi Tourist Attractions
The total population for Caprivi was recorded as 80 000 in the 2001 population census carried out by the Central Bureau of Statistics. Most of this population lives a traditional, rural existence in villages located along the main roads. Agriculture is the most important livelihood activity in Caprivi and there is also a strong reliance on the use of natural resources such as wood for fuelling and building, grass for thatching, veld foods and fish. The best soils for cultivation are found in the wetlands areas. Mahangu (millet), sorghum and maize are the main crops grown. Typical of Africa, wealth in rural areas is traditionally invested in cattle which also have a strong social value. Cattle are also used as draught power to plough fields and cattle drawn sleds are still used as a means of transport. Katima Mulilo is the main town with Kongola, Bukalo, Linyati and Ngoma being much smaller centres. Due to its unique, linear shape which gives Caprivi vast international borders, the region has an interesting ethnic history with ties to neighbouring Zambia, Botswana and Angola. The Mafwe and Subia are two main groups in East Caprivi, where Silozi (a Zambian language) is the lingua franca and only written indigenous language of the region. In the West Caprivi Game Park (to be reproclaimed the Bwabawata National Park) there are ten villages housing a majority population of Khwe San people that form the remnants of a much larger San (Bushmen) population that extends from Botswana to Angola.
Caprivi RiversCaprivi has two of the five permanent rivers in Namibia (Zambezi and the Kwando that have their catchments in Zambia and Angola). In years of heavy rainfall, these rivers flood over an extensive area. Two other rivers in Caprivi are often regarded as rivers in their right, the Chobe and the Linyati, but they are really extensions of the Zambezi and Kwando rivers respectively.
The main road through Caprivi (B8) the Trans-Caprivi Highway from Ngoma to Katima Mulilo and then westwards towards Rundu – is tarred and forms a major trade route between Namibia and other southen African states. The other major road that links Kongola to Sangwali and Linyati is gravel-surfaced.
In the dry season (May-Nov) these parks are home to large herds of migratory buffalo and elephant. Attractions in the wet season (Dec-April) include bird filled pans fringed by water lilies and inhabited by hippos. Look out for the water loving antelope – Lechwe, Reed and water buck – in the floodplains. The Caprivi Game Park is located in the 200km stretch from the Kavango river to the Kwando River. Nambwa and Bum Hill campsites are located along the Kwando River in this park and have set a precedence in Namibia by being the first conservancy owned and managed tourist facilities in state protected areas.
MalariaIt is very important when travelling to take medication to prevent you from getting this disease that is transmitted by the nocturnal Anopheles mosquito. Speak to your pharmacist or doctor about the appropriate medicine. Always use mosquito repellent at night and sleep under a mosquito net.
Because the Caprivi is ‘Namibia’s Wetland Paradise’, it makes it Namibia’s bird paradise. The Caprivi has varied habitats including broad-leafed and acacia woodlands, mopane forests, riverine forests, grasslands and floodplains and therefore boasts more than 400 species of birds. The eastern floodplains and grassveld are accessible by 4x4 vehicles at certain times of the year (May - Nov).
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