Visit Popa Falls & Mahangu Game Park, The Caprivi Strip
The edges of Mahangu Game Reserve, serves as a border between Botswana and Namibia. This area, with the Okavango River running through it, is good for game as well as spectacular birdlife.
Elephant in the reeds
Popa Falls & Mahangu Game Park
The Caprivi Strip, Namibia
In the corner of the Caprivi Strip lies the captivating Mahangu Game Reserve.
The reserve serves as a border between Botswana and Namibia and has the perennial Okavango River running through it.
Wildlife of Mahangu Game Reserve
Characterised by riverine forests, flood plains and magnificent baobabs, this is one of Namibia's most diverse areas. In Mahangu you will find many animals including elephant, buffalo, red lechwe, sable, roan antelope, bushbuck, kudu, reedbuck, impala, wildebeest, tsessebe and sitatunga.
The birding in the reserve is spectacular with more than 400 bird species. The reserve has a mixture of wetland habitats, adjacent to large stretches of pristine Kalahari sandveld, making it an ideal home for birds. Conspicuous examples including ostrich, kingfishers, bee-eaters, African skimmers, wattled cranes, pygmy geese, hornbills and the African fish eagle.
The picnic spot in the park, which overlooks the river, is well worth a visit. A good number of hippo and crocodile are present here.
Popa Falls
Contrastingly, the Popa Falls are not the most spectacular site to visit, however are lovely as part of a boat trip. These rapids in the Okavango River drop about three metres over a rocky area, caused by a geological fault. From here the Okavango River begins gradually to spread out across the Kalahari's sands until eventually, in Botswana, it forms the remarkable Okavango Delta.
Other places within The Caprivi Strip
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- At the eastern end of the Caprivi Strip the Chobe River forms the border between Namibia and Botswana. The area is renowned for its diverse and prolific wildlife; a boat trip on the river is the best way to see it.
- -17.796092692397
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- About 12 kilometres in length and 6 kilometres in width, Impalila Island lies in the middle of the Zambezi River. It is dotted with small villages and is a good place to see a variety of game and birdlife.
- -17.7517112054928
- 25.1688623428345
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- Katima Mulilo is the major centre in the Caprivi region and situated on the banks of the Zambezi River. There is a good local arts centre, and it's also ideal for boat trips along this stretch of the river.
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- Mudumu and Mamili National Parks contain the same animal species and you are likely to encounter elephant, buffalo, roan antelope, kudu, impala and Burchell's zebra. Both parks are also excellent for birdwatching.
- -18.3206331158665
- 23.5711669921875
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- Close to the Popa Falls and the Mahangu Game Reserve, the town of Rundu is located on the banks of the Okavango River. It is situated in Kavango, the home of Namibia's well-known Kavango woodcarvers.
- -17.9165943833119
- 19.7541904449463
Popa Falls & Mahangu Game Park
View place- {C7B72B67-72B8-43F1-8434-01F14A88D015}
- The edges of Mahangu Game Reserve, serves as a border between Botswana and Namibia. This area, with the Okavango River running through it, is good for game as well as spectacular birdlife.
- -18.2293513383867
- 21.6897583007813
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