Zambezi Region Safari Guide
Namibia's lush northeastern panhandle (formerly the Caprivi Strip) — a ribbon of green between four countries where rivers, floodplains, and forests teem with wildlife.
Top Highlights
Best Time to Visit Zambezi Region
May to October for dry season game viewing and accessible roads. The wet season (November-April) brings floods that can make some areas inaccessible but attracts huge numbers of waterbirds and migratory species.
Zambezi Region Safari Budget Guide
The most affordable safari area in Namibia. Community lodges from $50-150/night. Mid-range lodges $100-300/night. Camping at community conservancies $10-20/night. Park fees $8/adult/day.
Getting to Zambezi Region
Fly to Katima Mulilo from Windhoek (2 hours). Drive from Windhoek via the Trans-Caprivi Highway (13-14 hours — usually broken with stops in Etosha or Rundu). The region borders Botswana's Chobe (1-2 hours to Kasane) and is a day trip from Victoria Falls.
The Zambezi Region is Namibia's best-kept secret — a lush, river-fed panhandle that feels like a completely different country from the arid deserts that define the rest of Namibia. Sandwiched between Angola, Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, this narrow strip of land is blessed with permanent rivers, floodplains, and forests that support wildlife populations more typical of tropical Africa.
Bwabwata National Park and Nkasa Rupara National Park (formerly Mamili) protect extensive wetlands that rival the Okavango Delta in biodiversity if not in scale. Buffalo, elephant, hippo, crocodile, wild dog, and sitatunga are all present, along with over 400 bird species. The region's community conservancies offer affordable, authentic safari experiences that directly benefit local communities.
Strategically, the Zambezi Region serves as a perfect bridge between a Namibia self-drive circuit and Botswana's Chobe or Victoria Falls, allowing travelers to combine desert and river safari in a single overland journey.
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