By Marita van Rooyen This year our beloved motherland Namibia experienced an unusually dry and nerve-racking rainy season, leaving the entire nation down in the dumps […]
Text and photographs Pompie Burger Baby, I was born with a suit Leonard Cohen In Twelfth Night Shakespeare had Malvolio say: “Some people are born great, […]
A biodiversity conservation and tourism development research project station has been launched at Impalila Island by the University of Namibia (Unam) Katima Mulilo campus.
A couple of weeks ago, the 7th of April to be exact, it was my brother-in-law’s birthday. To celebrate, Nambwa Tented Lodge organised an island breakfast for us which was absolutely amazing.
Nambwa Tented Lodge, on the Kwando River, is the only lodge inside Bwabwata National Park. The spacious tented suites are connected with walkways raised high enough for elephants to pass underneath, honouring their right of way. Upon arrival at the lodge we were met by managers Juan and Bertha and our guide for the duration of our stay, Beaven. Welcome drinks and excited conversation quickly ensued and we set off to explore this unique location.
Journeys are about exploring and discovering. They are crammed with surprises: interesting people, fascinating stories and intriguing places. Instead of racing to your destination, consider slowing down and spicing up your trip with some colourful stops.
Travelling through Namibia is like travelling through several different historical epochs, continuously encountering different cultures and experiencing different types of climate and vegetation. The Zambezi Region in Namibia's extreme north east is entirely different to the rest of the country in all these respects, especially as regards its history.
People often ask what our favourite birding spot is. I would rate the Bwabwata National Park situated along the Kwando River in the Zambezi Region among the top birding spots in Namibia, probably in the same league as Mahango and Impalila Island. After each birding trip we do our usual ‘saw’ list, and after Bwabwata we soon realised that, as far as birding is concerned, the park is a quantity and quality birding area par excellence. After 40 odd years as a bird-watcher and still seeing new bird species in a place I’ve visited regularly, is truly exceptional.
These master builders live in northern Namibia from Rundu in the west to the Zambezi Region in the east around marshes, rivers and dams with thick grass and reed beds and papyrus (Cyperus papyrus).
After the gritty heat of Chobe and Kasane, taking the boat to Impalila Island is a joy. The island forms the north-eastern tip of Namibia at the meeting place of two major African rivers, the Chobe and Zambezi, and four countries, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
On 22 August, give or take a day or two, the carmines arrive in their thousands to do their annual breeding thing at Kalizo. With great expectation and anticipation, Kalizo is on fire for this incredible happening every year. However, like in-laws, their departure is not that predictable, taking place from early November until late December.