Where and when: Caprivi Strip, Namibia, September 2025
On the way to Namibia
0830: Time to wave goodbye to Nguma Island Lodge after two peaceful nights tucked away in the Delta. We pile back onto the trusty truck and rumble our way back to the main road.
0955: Back in the mini-van, and on the road.
1130: We are lucky at the border crossing, there isn’t much of a queue. Soon, border formalities are over, and we are in Namibia. It is a short drive to our hotel, but that’s enough to see a few zebras on the way.
1205: We pull into Rainbow River Lodge, our home for the night.
There’s enough time for leisurely lunch and spend time gazing over the Kavango River – yes, the very same river that becomes the Okavango Delta downstream in Botswana.
Sunset Cruise on the Kavango
This evening we board a boat and glide onto the river.
First stop: Popa Falls. Don’t let the name fool you—these are more like Popa Rapids, nicknamed “Baby Victoria Falls.” Small, but completely charming.
But the real attraction of this sunset cruise are the hippos. As the sun slides down, they lumber from dry land back into the water. Sightings are practically guaranteed.
You can only see their eyes and ears above the water – except for when they get angry and let out a grunt.
We also saw a small alligator on the banks, blending perfectly into the sandy ground.
There are more hippos further down the river.
We also saw a nesting colony of Southern Carmine Bee-eaters, all crimson and turquoise, darting like flying jewels over the river.
Back at the lodge, dinner is waiting – and we were not dissapointed. I didn’t try it, but the rest of the group agrees that tonight’s steak was one of the best of the whole trip: straight from the BBQ to the plate.
I also saw the first (and the last) cat of the whole trip. Since starting the trip from Victoria Falls a week ago, we had only seen a handful stray dogs and no cats. I asked the guide about it – he explained that the sparse human habitation in the areas we were travelling, coupled with the wild predators like warthogs and lions keeps the stray cat and dog population in check.
Tomorrow, we traverse the Caprivi Strip (more on that on the next post) and re-enter Botswana. But for today, I turn into enjoy the first night on the trip with aircon and mosquito nets.
Diary of a Tourist 