PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Botswana & Namibia ................... 2Map .................................. 416 Top Experiences ........ 6Need to Know ................. 14If You Like... ..................... 16Month by Month ............. 20Itineraries ........................ 22Planning a Safari ............ 28Regions at a Glance ....... 38

YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT

Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions to help you put together your perfect trip

Wildlife Watching Botswana is one of Africa’s great safari des-tinations. There are more elephants here than in any other country on the planet. But whether it’s elephants, lions, leopards, hyenas, rhinos, bu aloes, antelopes or myriad other species, the numbers and va-riety in Botswana will quickly overwhelm your digital camera. In Namibia the series of waterholes around Etosha Pan attract astounding numbers of animals especially in the dry season, making wildlife watch-i g s si l s ki g o tti g

to track highly endangered black rhon foot?

Landscape The landscapes of Namibia and Botwill sometimes leave you wondeyou have arrived on another planemighty gash hacked out of the surface at Fish River Canyon is the great natural sights on the conLonely desert roads expose you to a wness that will clear your mind andits way into your soul. Humongou

Welcome to Botswana & Namibia

“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET

PAGE

2

Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans Landscapes Wildlife Lodges

Salt Pans The largest salt pans on earth offer up views where the horizon never seems to end, an extraordinary, humbling sight. In places the pans are interrupted by baobab islands, while the Boteti River is one of the great curiosities of Bot-swana’s natural world.

Migrations A zebra migration that may be the largest in Af-rica catches most of the

Chobe National Park & Kasane Wildlife Landscape Lodges & Campsites

Elephants & the Rest Chobe means elephants, big elephants, and more than 70,000 of them at last count. Elephants might get all the attention (rightly so, we might add), but there are also infamous lion prides, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs, plus a full suite of antelopes to keep them all happy.

Rivers, Rocks & Marshes Chobe Riverfront is clas-

Architecture An ensemble of European architecture, particularly the remarkably rich collec-tion of German art nouveau buildings found in Namibia, is often a shock to first-time visitors. In Botswana visi-tors may stumble across a colonial vestige harking back to the early 1900s. Lüderitz There is an absurd-ity to this town littered with German colonial relics wedged between the desert and the rollers of the south Atlantic – it’s just ludicrous...(p 306 )

Swakopmund This is where Na-mibia’s German heritage shines, with its seaside promenades, half-timbered homes and colonial-era buildings (p 274 )

Hiking A great way to experience the magic of the region is to hear the crunch of the earth beneath your boots. Some of Southern Africa’s great hikes are here and multi-day treks really enable you to immerse yourself in this ancient landscape. Fish River Canyon The best – and really one of the only – ways to get a feel for this massive gash in the earth is to embark on a challenging ve-day hike along the valley oor (p 316 )

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park A remote corner of Botswana, the park o ers some challenging multi-day hikes along wilderness tracks (p 126

Waterberg Plateau Park Four-

» Meerkat, Makgadikgadi Pans (p68)

1. Naukluft Mountains (p 293 )Rising from gravel plains, the mountains are bound by gorges, caves and springs.

2. Okovango Delta (p 88 )A mokoro (dugout canoe) is poled along the shallow delta in the Ngamiland district.

3. Cheetah-WatchingThe cheetah can reach speeds of up to 112km/h, but must rest for 30 minutes between hunts.

4. Damaraland (p 260 )Laced with rivers and springs, Damaraland is one of Southern Africa’s last ‘uno cial’ wildlife areas

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SURVIVAL GUIDE

Health .............................. 362Language ........................ 368Index ................................ 383Map Legend .................... 398

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» Travel with Children (2009) Brigitte Barta et al

IN BOTSWANA & NAMIBIA

Availability & Cost of Health Care Good-quality health care is available in all major urban areas in Botswana and Na-mibia, and private hospitals are generally of excellent standard. Public hospitals by contrast are often under-funded and overcrowded, and in off-the-beaten-track

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PAGE

361VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO

HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP

STAY IN TOUCH lonelyplanet.com/contact

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botswana-namibia-3-cover.indd 2botswana-namibia-3-cover.indd 2 15/03/2013 3:43:32 PM15/03/2013 3:43:32 PM

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Alan MurphyAnthony Ham, Trent Holden, Kate Morgan

17/1/2013Andrew S

Contents D2

Alan Murphy

Botswana & Namibia 3

00-contents-bon3

p204Namibia

p46Botswana

p171Victoria Falls

Hydro

dest'nsOff mapSymbols

Title

Scale

NotesBookNthpt

Spot colours removed?

Masking in Illustrator done?

Inset/enlargement correct?

Hierarchy

Hierarchy

RoadAll key roads labelled?

File

Date

Date

Date

Date

Date

Date

Date

Editor Cxns

MC Cxns

Author Cxns

Final Ed Cxns

Editor Check

Key

MC Check

MC/CC Signoff

Chapter

Author

Border

Basefile

New References

Initial Mapping DateBook

KEY FORMAT SETTINGS

Column Widths and Margins

Number of Rows (Lines)

YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE

In-depth reviews, detailed listings and insider tips

ON THE ROAD

PAGE

42

Look out for these icons:

Our author’s top recommendation

Every listing is recommended by our authors, and their favourite places are listed first

A green or sustainable option No payment

required

BOTSWANA � � � � � � � � � 45GABORONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47AROUND GABORONE . . . . . 57North of Gaborone . . . . . . . . 57West of Gaborone . . . . . . . .58South of Gaborone . . . . . . .59EASTERN BOTSWANA . . . . . 59Palapye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Serowe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Khama Rhino Sanctuary . . .62Tswapong Hills . . . . . . . . . . .63Francistown . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Tuli Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66NORTHEASTERN BOTSWANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68CHOBE NATIONAL PARK & KASANE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Kasane & Around . . . . . . . . . 75Chobe Riverfront . . . . . . . . . 81Nogatsaa/Tchinga Area . . .84Savuti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84Linyanti Marshes . . . . . . . . .86OKAVANGO DELTA . . . . . . . . 88Maun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Shorobe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100Eastern Delta . . . . . . . . . . .100Inner Delta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101Moremi Game Reserve . . . 103Okavango Panhandle . . . . .108NORTHWESTERN BOTSWANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Tsodilo Hills & Around . . . . 111KALAHARI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

On the RoadGhanzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117D’kar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119Central Kalahari Game Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120Khutse Game Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Kang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126UNDERSTAND BOTSWANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Botswana Today . . . . . . . . .130History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130People of Botswana . . . . . . 135Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139Arts & Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Botswana Cuisine . . . . . . . 144Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . 144National Parks & Reserves . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151SURVIVAL GUIDE . . . . . . . . 153Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . . . . 153Getting There & Away . . . . 164Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . 167

VICTORIA FALLS � � � 171ZAMBIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176Livingstone & Around . . . . 176ZIMBABWE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Victoria Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

WILDLIFE � � � � � � � � � 187Cats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188Primates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190Cud-Chewing Mammals . . 192Hoofed Mammals . . . . . . . . 194

Carnivores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196Birds of Prey . . . . . . . . . . . . 198Birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

NAMIBIA � � � � � � � � � �203WINDHOEK . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205NORTH-CENTRAL NAMIBIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223East to Botswana . . . . . . . .224North to Etosha . . . . . . . . .225Etosha National Park . . . . .237NORTHERN NAMIBIA . . . . 243The North . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243Kavango Region . . . . . . . . .246The Caprivi Strip . . . . . . . .248Otjozondjupa . . . . . . . . . . . .254NORTHWESTERN NAMIBIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258Damaraland . . . . . . . . . . . . 260The Kaokoveld . . . . . . . . . .265The Skeleton Coast . . . . . .269CENTRAL NAMIBIA . . . . . . 273Swakopmund . . . . . . . . . . . 274Walvis Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286Namib-Naukluft Park & Sossusvlei . . . . . . . . . . . 290SOUTHERN NAMIBIA . . . .300The Central Plateau . . . . . .301The South Coast . . . . . . . 305The Far South & Fish River Canyon . . . . . 315UNDERSTAND NAMIBIA . . 321Namibia Today . . . . . . . . . . 321History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .322The Namibian People . . . .326

The Namibian Way of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .332Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334Namibian Cuisine . . . . . . . .337Environment . . . . . . . . . . . 338National Parks & Reserves . . . . . . . . . . . . .342SURVIVAL GUIDE . . . . . . . . 344Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . . . 344Getting There & Away . . . .354Getting Around . . . . . . . . . .356

Y

Spencer Bay

Alexander Bay

Chamais Bay

Lüderitz Bay

Rock Bay

Sandwich Harbour

Conception Bay

O C E A NA T L A N T I C

Walvis Bay

Cape Cross Bay

DAMARALAND OTJOZONDJUPA

KAOKOVELDREGION

KAVANGO

OWAMBOREGION

KoësTsesHelmeringhausen

OranjemundAlexander Bay

Aus

KolmanskopElizabeth Bay

Lüderitz

Karasburg

Witputs

Ai-Ais

Vioolsdrif Goodhouse

Noordoewer

Grünau

Goageb

Neisip

Bethanie

Seeheim

Keetmanshoop

Onseepkans

Davignab

Ariamsvlei

Tsaraxaibis

Aroab

WINDHOEK

Okahandja

Rehoboth

Maltahöhe

Büllsport

Naukluft

Klein Aub

SesriemSossusvlei

Walvis Bay

Swakopmund

Solitaire

Ugabmund

Torra Bay

Terrace Bay

Henties Bay

Uis

Usakos

Karibib

Omaruru

Khorixas

Kamanjab

Otjiwarongo

Outjo

Leonardville

Aranos

Voigtsgrund

WitbooisvleiGibeon

Asab

GochasMariental

Kalkrand

Bergland

Twee Rivier

Goricia

Oorwinning

OkanuwaOtjosondu

Seeis Witvlei Gobabis

Summerdown

Okakarara

Otavi Grootfontein

Buitepos

Labora

RuacanaOkongwati

PurrosSesfontein

Opuwo

Otjinungwa

Oshakati

OngandjeraOndangwa

CaluequeOshikango

Karakuwisa

Tsumeb

Mangetti

Maroelaboom

Katwitwi

Nkurenkuru

Rundu

Calai

Dorbabis

Palmwag

Brandberg West

KanoVlei

RoshPinah

Seal ReserveCape Cross

Twyfelfontein

PetrifiedForest

InternationalAirport

KutakaChief Hosea

18ºE

20ºE

Canyon

RichtersveldNP

Fish River Cañon ParkGondwana

Game ParkDaan Viljoen

Namib-NaukluftPark

Skeleton Coast NP

Dorob NP

Hardap Dam

& Game ParkRecreation Resort

Plateau ParkWaterberg

onSkelet

Coast

Wilderness

EtoshaNP

NamibRand NR

(1586m)Brukkaros

(1973m)Naukluft

Burnt

(1728m)SpitzkoppeBrandberg

(2573m)

Mountain

(1869m)Schwarze Kuppen

Ehomba(1868m)

(1339m)

28ºS

26ºS

24ºS

20ºS

12ºE 14ºE

22ºS

18ºS

16ºE

OpononoLake

EtoshaPan

Tropic of Capricorn

Dolphin Head

HollandsbirdIsland

Plains

Kuiseb Canyon

Gaub

Welwitschia

Cabo Fria

Rocky Point

N a m

i bD

e s e r t

Sand Dune Sea

Hochland

Khomas

Diamond Area 1 &Sperrgebiet NP

(Restricted Access)

River

Fis

hR

iver

Kuiseb Riv

er

Hoanib

Uniab

River

River

Otjosondjou

River

Eiseb

Om

atak

o

River

FallsRuacana Cubango

River

Olifants

River

ANGOLAANGOLA

NAMIBIA

Arnhem Cave

DuwisibCastle

Etosha National Park

Sossusvlei

Fish River Canyon

Lüderitz

Swakopmund

Skeleton Coast

The world's oldest sand dunes(p297)

Wildlife watching doesn't get easier(p237)

A classical symphony in stone(p316)

Teutonic roots, African setting(p306)

Adventure capital of Southern Africa(p274)

Steeped in myth and mist(p269)

› Botswana & Namibia

CAPRIVI STRIP

Shakawe

Nokaneng

Gumare

Ghanzi

Ohe

Middlepits

Nakop

Upington

Rooiputs

Rietfontein

Bokspits

Fly's Kop

Khawa

NcojaneKule

Xanagas

Rietfontein

Tshootsha

D'kar

Tsumkwe

Nxaunxau

Andara

Tshabong

Vryburg

McCarthysrusJOHANNESBURG

Tutume

Masunga

Serule

Spanwerk

Mahalapye

Kalamare

TakatokwaneSalajwe

Jwaneng

Mabule

WerdaMakopong

PhephengBray

Sekoma

Khakea

TsetsengKang

Tshane Morwamosu

Lokalane

GABORONE

Mafikeng

RamatlabamaPhitshane

Kanye

Lobatse

Molepolole

Kodibeleng

LetlhakengMochudi

Artesia

Rakops

Takatshwaane

Molapo

Toteng

Maun

Sehithwa

Kuke

Konde

Shorobe

Matlapaneng

OrapaMopipi

Letlhakane

MosolotsanePalapye

Tlalamabele

Mmashoro

Gweta

SemowaneNata

Swartwater

PRETORIA

Potgietersrus

Tom BurkeSefare

Sherwood

MaopeSefophe

Selebi-PhikweFoley

Matsiloje

Zanzibar

Bulawayo

Plumtree

Siviya

FrancistownGwanda

Etsha 6 Xaa

Kudumane

Linyanti

Imusho

Katima Mulilo

Pandamatenga

Victoria FallsLivingstone

Kasane

Kimberley

Parr's Halt

PontDrift

MataMata

Union'sEnd

20ºE 22ºE 24ºE 26ºE 28ºE

22ºE 24ºE 26ºE

28ºS

26ºS

20ºS

18ºSBwabwata NP

NR

AugrabiesFalls NP

Spitskop

TransfrontierKgalagadi

Park

Mahango GR

KhutseGR

Mokolodi NR

Mannyelanong GR

Nxai Pan NP

Central KalahariGR

Khama RhinoSanctuary

NataSanctuary

North-EastTuli GR

Chobe FR

Chobe NP

Mamili NP

MudumuNP

NP

FR

SibuyuFR

Kasane

Zambezi

MakgadikgadiPans NP

KazumaFR

KhaudumNP

MawanaNR

MoremiGR

(959m)Vloorskop

(1250m)Aha Hills

Otse Hill(1489m)

TsodiloHills

Sowa (Sua) Pan

OkavangoDelta

NtwetwePan

DeceptionPan

NxaiPan

KalahariDesert

Savuti

IslandMpalila

Tuli Block

River

Auob

Orange

River

Vaa

l R

iver

Quoxo

River

Okwa River

Shashe River

Zambezi

River

Lake Kariba

Mol

opo

River

Nossob

River

Chobe

River

SOUTH AFRICA

BOTSWANA

SOUTH AFRICA

ZAMBIA

ZIMBABWE

Pioneer Gate

Gcwihaba(Drotsky's) Cave

Tsodilo HillsVictoria Falls

Makgadikgadi Pans NP

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Okavango Delta

An astounding array of wildlife(p75)

Ancient San rock art(p111)

The mightiest waterfall on earth(p171)

Kalahari treasure of endless horizons(p68)

Iconic desert wilderness(p120)

A watery paradise for wildlife(p88)

Chobe National Park

ELEVATION

600m

1200m

1500m

2000m

300m

0

0 200 km0 120 miles

Top Experiences ›

Kate MorganVictoria Falls Having travelled in East and North Africa, Kate was keen to check out what the southern part of the continent had to offer. She was lucky enough to head off to Victoria Falls to stand in awe of the world’s most impressive water-fall from both sides, in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Kate is a freelance writer based in Melbourne and has written for other Lonely Planet titles including Japan and Phuket. She’s also compiled the music/travel anthology, Song for the Road.

Contributing AuthorDavid Lukas teaches and writes about the natural world from his home on the edge of Yosemite National Park. He has contributed Environment and Wildlife chapters to more than 25 Lonely Planet guides, including Tanzania, East Africa, South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland and Botswana & Namibia.

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

OUR WRITERS

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London, Oakland and Delhi, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9833rd edition – Jun 2013ISBN 978 1 74179 893 7© Lonely Planet 2013 Photographs © as indicated 201310 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Alan MurphyCoordinating Author, Namibia Alan remembers falling under Southern Africa’s ambient spell after bouncing around in the rear of a bakkie on the way from Johannesburg airport in 1999. Since then he has been back numerous times for Lonely Planet, including this trip to Namibia. In particular, Alan finds wildlife watching exhilarating and although he can’t compete with twitchers spending hours hiding in a bush waiting for a feathered discovery, he has certainly taken

years off his life staking out waterholes. This was Alan’s third time to Namibia, a country custom-built for road trips with landscapes that never cease to inspire. Alan lives with his wife in the Yarra Valley outside Melbourne, which he wishes was just a touch closer to Melbourne airport.

Anthony Ham Botswana Anthony has been travelling around Africa for more than a decade, particularly the Sahara, Kenya and Botswana. A writer and photographer, he writes guidebooks about Africa – including Kenya, Africa, Libya and West Africa – and elsewhere for Lonely Planet. He also writes and photographs for maga-zines and newspapers around the world, among them Travel Africa and Africa Geographic. He counts among his passions conservation, wildlife, indigenous

peoples and the wild places of Africa. He covered more than 8100km on his most recent trip to Botswana. When he’s not in Africa, Anthony divides his time between Madrid and Melbourne, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.

Trent Holden Victoria Falls As a regular visitor to Africa, Trent rates the action at Victoria Falls up there with the best adventure destinations he’s covered. As well as its thrills and spills, it’s also a spot he loves for its good traveller vibes and fun, friendly locals. He currently resides in Melbourne, Australia and has worked on more than 15 books for Lonely Planet – most recently covering Uganda and parts of India. When not travelling he works as a freelance editor for Lonely Planet and

writes about music and food.

Read more about Anthony at: lonelyplanet.com/members/anthonyham

OVERPAGE

MORE WRITERS

Itiner-aries

Whether you’ve got six days or 60, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travellers.

ANGOLAZAMBIA

BOTSWANANAMIBIA

É

É

É

É

É

#•

#÷BwabwataNational Park

#÷

Maun

EtoshaNational Park

#•

OkavangoDelta

Sepupa

Rundu #• Caprivi Strip

#÷MahangoGame Reserve

10 daysA Taste of the North

From Etosha National Park, home to some of the best wildlife viewing in Southern Africa, depart via the Von Lindequist Gate in the east and head northeast to steamy Rundu on the Angolan border, via Grootfontein. Spend a day lazing in one of the river side lodges on the banks of the Okavango River and then track east into the Caprivi

Strip to Bwabwata National Park and the Mahango Game Reserve, which attract large groups of elephants and herd animals. Head south through the reserve to the Mahango– Mohembo border post, where formalities are straightforward, and cross into Botswana. From here you can track down the western side of the Okavango Panhandle and down to Sepupa. For a taste of the delta to come, you can organise a mokoro (dugout canoe) trip here or go fishing – it’s a good place for a break before the serious business of wildlife watching starts further into the delta. When you’re ready to begin your delta adventure head southeast to Maun, the main gateway to the Okavango Delta, with some good accom-modation options. The road is sealed all the way.

22

#•

ANGOLA

ZAMBIA

BOTSWANA

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For most of this trip, you will have to be completely self-sufficient and fully confident in your navigation and survival skills. For the less adventurous, tour operators in Maun are happy to help you organise a custom safari.

Starting in Maun, the classic staging point for all Botswanan safaris, you can stock up on supplies before heading out to the Okavango Delta, either by mokoro or char-ter plane. If you’re pinching your pennies, there’s no shortage of budget camping trips to choose from, though it’s certainly worth stretching your budget to allow for a few nights in one of the safari-chic tented camps in the wildlife-rich Moremi Game Reserve (try Chief’s Island if you can afford it). Containing some of the densest concentrations of wildlife on the continent, Moremi is also the only protected area of the delta.

The next stage of your bush travel is a 4WD expedition through Chobe National Park (known for its huge populations of massive elephants). Stop at Savuti, where most mega-fauna are resident, and which is particularly well known for sightings of predators; Lin-yanti Marshes, an extensive wetland with opportunities to see elephants, lions, wild dogs, cheetahs and leopards; and the Chobe Riverfront, which is the most accessible part of Chobe and has the largest wildlife concentration in the park. Whether you travel by private vehicle or tour bus, the overland route through Chobe is one of the country’s most spectacu-lar and wildlife-rich journeys.

Make another supply stop in the border town of Kasane, at the meeting point of four countries – Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe – and it’s time to cross the border to visit the world-famous Victoria Falls. The falls are the seventh natural wonder of the world and a visit reveals nature at its most inspiring. Whether you base yourself in Livingstone, Zambia or Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, it’s worth exploring life on both sides of the Zambezi River. And of course, if you’ve got a bit of cash burning a hole in your pocket, there’s no shortage of pulse-raising activities to help you get a quick adrenaline fix. Try a micro flight over the falls for a unique perspective of this watery wonder.

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Three WeeksEssential Namibia

This enormous itinerary meanders more than 2500km, from dusty bushveld to dramatic canyons. It combines a good dose of culture with death-defying activities, and all of it is accessible with a 2WD vehicle. There are also decent, if slow, public-transport links.

Before striking off into the desert, spend a couple of days getting your bearings in the lovely capital of Windhoek, which still bears architectural traces of its German colonial history. Ideally with a rental car loaded with plenty of supplies and a few friends, make a beeline north for Etosha National Park, one of the finest safari parks on the continent. It is possible to actually drive out onto the pan with its white saline floor stretching as far as you can see into the horizon.

Although you’re going to have to backtrack, you can quickly bypass Windhoek en route to seaside Swakopmund, where you can take your holiday up a notch in a flurry of exciting activities, including dune boarding and quad biking. Back on the main road south, keep the heart beating during a scramble up the massive barchan dune fields of Sossusvlei and/or a trek through Sesriem Canyon. The ever-shifting dunes of the Namib Desert are par-ticularly worth gazing upon at sunrise when their colourful hues dance over the landscape.

Continuing the canyon theme, head south for Fish River Canyon, a geological wonder of monumental proportions that is one of Africa’s hidden highlights. If you’ve packed sturdy hiking boots you could embark on a multi-day hike along the canyon floor. From Fish River Canyon, detour west to marvel at the German anachronism that is Lüderitz. Sausages washed down with German beer are a prerequisite before embarking on your explorations. Nearby, you can stop off at the diamond-mining ghost town of Kolmanskop and explore the overwhelming emptiness of the Sperrgebiet.

Finish things off in Noordoewer, which sits astride the Orange River and is the starting point for white-water rafting through some wild canyon country. Alternatively, head across the South African border to cosmopolitan Cape Town, which you can enjoy for a week or a weekend before setting off on the next adventure.

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If you’re looking to leave the khaki-clad tourist crowds behind, this off-the-beaten-track option in Botswana takes you straight through the heart of the Kalahari. If you’re starting in Johannesburg, head west for the border, where you can cross at Bokspits to enter the enormous Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The park is one

of the only spots in the Kalahari where you can see shifting sand dunes, though the un-disputed highlight is its pristine wilderness and low tourist volume. The Kalahari of your imagination, it’s noted for its wildlife watching, being home to large numbers of springboks, gemsboks, eland and wildebeest as well as predators, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, jackals and hyenas. If you like birdwatching then you’re in for a treat here too.

From here, head east towards Gaborone and then loop back to enter the southern gates of the utterly wild Khutse Game Reserve. Here are well-maintained trails and around 60 pans that once made up the largest inland lake on the continent. Leopard and lion sight-ings are possible wildlife highlights. From here, traverse north through some exciting 4WD territory into the adjoining Central Kalahari Game Reserve, where you can navigate one of the continent’s most prominent topographical features. It’s about the size of Denmark, so there’s plenty of scope for losing yourself in Africa’s raw heart. Before leaving, spend a night or two in Deception (Letiahau) Valley, renowned for its rare brown hyenas. Although wildlife densities are significantly lower than in Chobe or the Okavango Delta, so are the numbers of safari vehicles.

Heading north, you’ll pass through D’kar, where you can pick up some beautiful San crafts. If you’re here in August immerse yourself in traditional bushman culture at the Kuru Dance Festival. Then press on for the remote Gcwihaba (Drotsky’s) Cave, renowned for its 10m-long stalagmites and stalactites, as well as Commerson’s leaf-nosed bats. Finally, at the furthermost tip of the country, you’ll come to the mystical Tsodilo Hills, which are a treasure chest of painted rock art that continue to be revered by local communities. The beautiful colours of these remote hills are striking but it’s the 4000-plus prehistoric rock paintings throughout the hills that most people are here to see.

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Two WeeksCaprivi to Kaokoveld

This is not an itinerary for the faint-hearted. Many places in Namibia give you a vague sense that you’ve reached the end of the earth, but some of the destinations in this itinerary really are otherworldly. Getting to them, too, presents a major chal-lenge that definitely requires determination as well as a fair bit of cash.

To do this trip as a continuous journey, you’re best off starting from Kasane in Botswana. From here, you can charter a plane or boat to Mpalila Island, a luxuriously remote retreat stranded in the middle of the Zambezi. It’s where Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Zam-bia intersect. From here, head into Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and visit the mini-Okavango of the Mamili National Park where the rains bring a delta-like feel to the forested islands that contain some of Namibia’s best birdwatching. Drive from here to the untamed wilder-ness that is Khaudum National Park, a serious adventure destination. Here, wandering sandy tracks lure visitors through bushlands and across valleys where African wild dogs can be seen – the only place in Namibia with that particular boast. There are also large numbers of herd animals, including roan antelopes and a bird diversity that will thrill twitchers.

From Khaudum the road will take you south through Grootfontein, from where it’s worth making a short detour to the Waterberg Plateau Park. The park is famous as a haven of endangered species like sable, roan and white and black rhinos, some of which you may be lucky enough to spot along one of the well-marked hiking trails. It’s an unusual place in that it feels a little like a lost world on top of the plateau with its pristine bushy landscapes – take advantage of the hides at the waterholes for your best chance to spot wildlife.

North of Grootfontein the road takes you into Namibia’s cultural heartland, the Owambo region, from where you can access the remote and mysterious Kaokoveld, homeland to the Himba – a culturally rich tribal group that has retained its striking appearance and dress – and one of the most inaccessible areas of the country.

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