With its scattered huts and sprawling rural population, the Caprivi is closer to the idea most people have of Africa than any other part of Namibia. It consists of a complex network of perennial rivers, riverine forests and fertile floodplains, an unusually flat area where no piece of land is more than 47 metres higher than the rest. The region is populated by over 80 000 people, most of whom are subsistence farmers making their living on the banks of the Zambezi, Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe rivers. In addition to fishing and hunting, they keep cattle and cultivate the land. When the Chobe and Zambezi rivers come down in flood, over half the land can become inundated with water. At this time of the year the Caprivians use their mekoro (dug-out canoes) to traverse the routes usually utilised by cars, trucks and pedestrians. 

 

Seen on the map, the Caprivi appears to be a strange appendage rather than part of the country, extending eastwards as a panhandle into Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. It is a classic example of how colonial powers shaped the boundaries of modern Africa. At the Berlin Conference in 1890, Germany acquired the strip of land to add to the then German South West Africa, naming it after the German Chancellor General Count Georg Leo von Caprivi.

 

The regional centre is Katima Mulilo, which has become a busy tourist hub, as it is the gateway to the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and the Chobe National Park in Botswana.  The proximity of Caprivi to countries with active art and craft industries has had a positive influence on Caprivian artists and craftspeople, known for the sculptural beauty and symmetry of their pots and baskets. 

 

Caprivi is home to over 400 birds species, making it a sought-after destination for birders and bird photographers. Game abounds here, with buffalo, roan and sable antelope and large herds of elephant and red lechwe criss-crossing the floodplains. The riverine vegetation in the backwaters hosts rare species such as reedbuck and sitatunga, as well as hippos and crocodiles. 

 

The top tourism activities in the region are game viewing by boat, 4x4 vehicle or on foot; white-river rafting on the turbulent waters of the Zambezi; peaceful sunset river cruises on pontoons; bird-watching by boat, vehicle or on foot; and fishing, the top challenge being the sought-after tiger fish. At the Lizauli Traditional Village a programme of traditional music and dance, complete with witchdoctor, gives visitors an insight into Caprivian culture. A wide variety of accommodation options ranging from luxury lodges on riverbanks and islands to basic camping sites, makes the Caprivi a destination that suits many different pockets.