Known as the Caprivi Strip, this panhandle region is bordered by the Okavango, Kwando, Chobe, and Zambezi rivers. This narrow piece of Namibia juts below Botswana to the south and Angola to the south and Angola and Zambia to the north. The area was named for German Chancellor Leo von Caprivi who brokered the deal for the land in 1890 with the United Kingdom. It provides Namibia with access to the important trade routes to East Africa through the use of the Zambezi River. But these lush, wetlands are becoming more and more important for conservation and tourism. The region even houses four magnificent national parks: Mahango, Bwabwata, Mudumu, and Mamili as well as the beautiful Popa Falls Reserve.

Unlike the rest of Namibia, this wetlands region has a tropical climate making it the ideal habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Caprivi is home to the elephant migration route between eastern Angola and the Okavango and it’s not usual for hundreds of elephants to be seen marching past safari lodges. Buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, and zebra frequent the strip in ample numbers with many of their predators including lions, hyenas, leopards, and cheetahs hard on their hooves. In fact, the region has supported a resurgence in the number of African wild dogs in recent years. Within the rivers themselves there are plenty of hippos and crocodiles while red lechwe, waterbuck, and sitatunga frequent the marshes.