Next Time Try An Elephant Safari

Experience African wilderness from a whole new angle, from the back of an elephant on an adventure safari. 

Contact us to learn how you can experience this ride of a life time! Email info@falconsafaris.com

Caprivi Strip: An Incredible Gate Away Experience

In the northeast of the country, Namibia reaches out to touch the great Zambezi. Here, in the Caprivi Strip, wide tropical rivers bear names to conjure with – the Zambezi, the Okavango, the Chobe and the Linyanti. The vegetation is lush and supports a dense population, making this a unique corner of Namibia which, in many ways, feels much more like a part of Botswana or Zambia than it does a part of the rest of Namibia.

On a trip across the Caprivi you will come across many villages and their inhabitants. Children herding goats wander back and forth across the road, women sell fruits, carvings, pots and pans from makeshift stalls, and everywhere you will be warmly welcomed. Even the Strip's main town, Katima Mulilo, is fairly small. 
The town of Rundu gives access to the Caprivi Strip, meanwhile if you're driving past, consider dropping into Botswana for just a taste of that country during your trip. 

National parks & reserves in the Caprivi Strip

There are five protected areas within the Caprivi Strip – and in all of them you'll find big game, including water-loving species – like hippo, crocodile, sable, waterbuck, reedbuck and buffalo – which are largely absent from the rest of Namibia.

Popa Falls Reserve

Popa Falls lie at a point where the Okavango River breaks up and drops 2.5m over a rocky section, caused by the first of five geological faults. Essentially they are a series of rapids, pretty rather than spectacular; even the warden at the entrance admits that many visitors are disappointed. Beyond the falls, the Okavango begins gradually to spread out across the Kalahari.

The area by the riverside at Popa Falls is thickly vegetated with tall riverine trees and lush green shrubs, which encourage waterbirds and a variety of small reptiles. Footbridges have been built between some of the islands, and it's worth an hour's stop to spend hopping among the rushing channels, or walking upstream a little where there's a good view of the river before it plunges over the rapids. In a few hours you can see all of this tiny reserve, and have a good chance of spotting a leguvaan (water monitor), a snake or two, and many different frogs. 

Mahango National Park

The eastern boundary of Mahango National Park is the Okavango River, which is also the reserve's focus. Here the river forms channels between huge, permanent papyrus reedbeds. Adjacent are extensive floodplain areas, where you're quite likely to spot red lechwe or sable.

Beside these, on the higher and drier land of the bank, are wide belts of wild date palm-forest, as well as the lush riverine vegetation that you'd expect. Further from the river are dry woodlands and acacia thickets, dotted with a few large baobabs. This rich variety of greenery attracts an impressive range of animals including the water-loving buffalo, elephant, sable, reedbuck, bushbuck and waterbuck and the more specialist red lechwe and sitatunga. Good numbers of hippo and crocodile are also present.

Mahango is a great favourite with birdwatchers; more species can be found here than in any other park in Namibia. This variation should come as no surprise, as the reserve has one of Namibia's few wetland habitats, adjacent to large stretches of pristine Kalahari sandveld. Thus many water-loving ducks, geese, herons, plovers, egrets, kingfishers and various waders occur here, along with the dry-country birds that you'll find in the rest of Namibia. Okavango specialities like the slaty egret can sometimes be spotted, and for many birds – including the lesser jacana, coppery-tailed coucal and racket-tailed roller – Mahango marks the western limit of their distributions.

Bwabwata National Park

Bwabwata National Park (frequently pronounced 'Babatwa') covers a large chunk of the Caprivi Strip. This is a largely undeveloped park which, whilst home to much wildlife, has few facilities and little in the way of marked game-viewing side roads. Most visitors just pass through, saving their time for other parks. All that you can usually see from the road are a few raptors aloft and the occasional elephant dropping on the road – but drive carefully in case something does appear unexpectedly. The park is very sparsely populated, with a few settlements: Omega, Chetto, and Omega III.

Mudumu National Park

The more northerly of Eastern Caprivi's two reserves, Mudumu, covers 850km² of riverine forest south of Kongola. Bordered by the Kwando River on the west, the reserve has good populations of a large variety of animals. Together with Mamili and the Triangle, Mudumu is notable for its buffalo (otherwise uncommon in Namibia), roan and sable antelope (both generally uncommon species), the water-loving lechwe and sitatunga, and often large herds of elephant. 

Mamili National Park

This unfenced swampland reserve of about 350km² was created shortly before Namibia's independence and consists largely of marshland, veined by a network of reed-lined channels. It includes two large islands: Nkasa and Lupala. Together with Mudumu National Park, it has the vast majority of Namibia's population of sitatunga, red lechwe and puku, as well as large herds of buffalo, and a recorded 430 bird species.
Mamili is located in the southwest corner of the eastern Caprivi Strip, where the Kwando sharply changes direction to become the Linyanti. As yet there are few facilities for visitors.
If you really want to see Mamili, then one easy way is probably to stay on the other side of the river, in one of several exclusive camps in Botswana, which overlook the park.

History of the Caprivi Strip

The Caprivi strip consists of a 450km strip of land from Rundu westwards to Katima Mulilo in Zambia and Chobe on the Botswana border. It's an unusual corridor in that it is really very different from the rest of the country.

Briefly delving into the history of the region sheds light on why it is so. Germany annexed South West Africa (modern day Namibia) in 1884. At the Berlin Conference of July 1890 Britain agreed to slice off the Caprivi corridor from their Protectorate of Bechuanaland (modern day Botswana) for Germany in exchange for the island of Zanzibar. Thus were lines on the map decided and they still hold today.

A Taste of Botswana: the Panhandle

If you plan to drive across the Caprivi Strip, then there are several possibilities which would allow you to drop from Namibia into Botswana for a few days.

For a fascinating introduction to the Okavango Delta, drive south of Mahango for an hour or so, into Botswana's Panhandle area.

Meanwhile, if you plan to continue through the Caprivi to Livingstone, then you will usually pass through Chobe National Park renowned for its high concentrations of elephant and buffalo – and where Muchenje Safari Lodge often makes a good stop to explore. 

The Wild about Africa website has a large selection of small group camping and lodge safaris to Namibia, including some which visit the Caprivi Strip; all of which are backed by the expertise of the Expert Africa team.

What to See & Do

Botswana is world renowned as the premier safari destination in Africa. With nearly 40% its land reserved as unfenced national parks and game reserves teeming with abundant wildlife and wetlands, it's no surprise that safari activities are at the top of every vacationer's "must-do" list.

But a vacation in Botswana is not complete without making time to visit with local Batswana, explore Botswana's culture and heritage sights, and do a little shopping for that "just right" souvenir to remind you of your perfect Botswana vacation.

Top Things to Do

• Experience a sundowner. Sip a cool drink and enjoy a glorious sunset at the end of a satisfying afternoon game drive.
• Go on a walking safari - not for the faint-hearted but an exhilarating experience. In the hands of an experienced guide, you'll see nature in close-up, and may, if you're lucky, get thrillingly close to wild animals.
• Climb on the back of an elephant for a safari trek to remember. As well as learning all about elephants, you may see zebras, giraffes, gazelles and other animals - with no distracting vehicle noise.
• Float along on a mokoro, a traditional Okavango Delta canoe, expertly poled by a local guide who stands in the stern. Originally made from hollowed-out wood, but now just as likely to be fibre glass, they offer an unforgettable perspective.
• Fly over the Kalahari Desert in a hot-air balloon, and experience the thrill of landing in an open floodplain. 
• Experience some of the best sport fishing in Botswana, in the Okavango Delta and Chobe river systems. You can also fish near Shashe, Bokaa or Gaborone.

• Mountain bike through the bush of the Mashatu Game Reserve in the Tuli Block, stopping to watch passing elephants.
• Take off from Maun by helicopter or light aircraft to get a bird's eye view (and take some amazing photographs) of the Okavango. 
• Experience Botswana's culture in Serowe, a village with historic royal cemetery; in Lobatse with its Livingstone Memorial and the Botswana High Court, and in Gabororne.
• Roar across the Makgadikgadi Pans on a quad bike, reveling in the wide-open vistas.

Top Things to See

• Spot antelopes in the Gaborone Game Reserve and the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, and giraffes striding through the Khutse Game Reserve. Be dazzled by flamingoes on the Makgadikgadi Pans.
• Search for lions and leopards stalking their prey or just lazing around in the shade in the Moremi Game Reserve.
• Steer clear of charging buffalo in Chobe National Park, and marvel at hippos, while watching out for crocodiles, along the Chobe River.
• Grimace at rare brown hyenas in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park, a bi-national Peace Park created on ancient animal migration routes between Botswana and South Africa.
• Admire Botswana's remaining rhinos, carefully protected from poachers, at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary inSerowe.
• Watch baboons playing in scattered rocky kopjes in the Savute area, the northern shore of the prehistoric lake that once covered most of Botswana.
• Visit the Tsodilo Hills, considered a sacred site by the Bushmen; known to have been inhabited for at least 100,000 years, these isolated hills are decorated with thousands of rock paintings.
• Venture into the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Remote and virtually unexplored, it's a refuge both for animals and the country's few remaining Bushmen.
• Gaze at the pot pourri of rocks, millions of years old, that make up the incredible scenery of the Tuli Block. For a longer gaze, stay at one of the private game ranches in this ruggedly beautiful countryside.
• See the Okavango Delta, an extremely beautiful region of vast grass flats, low tree-covered ridges and narrow, shallow waterways opening into lagoons which fill with water during the annual flood.

Each of Botswana's geographic regions has its own unique appeal, attractions and activities. Want to learn more? More Highlights of What to See and Do are outlined in this section.

Safari Activities

Game Drives - Botswana's game drives, in open 4WD vehicles, offer superb wild-and-bird life viewing. Many experts claim game drives in Botswana are the best in all of Africa due to the quality of wildlife, the ability to drive off road, exclusivity with few other vehicles, as well as the ability to offer night drives in selct privatee reserves areas throughout the country. 

Mokoro - Think gondolas on canals in Venice and you have the right mental picture. Long the local mode of transportation in the Delta, the mokoro is a dugout canoe that is powered by a guide standing up and poling through the wetlands of the Delta. The ultimate in relaxation and serenity while viewing wildlife at water level, a mokoro ride is paramount for a proper Delta experience.
Walking - Guided walking safaris are typically a two to three hour activity in the Delta-Chobe area. This type of safari provides a different, and highly recommended, perspective by moving slowly over the ground,

Interacting with the bushman culture - Genetic studies have shown that the Kalahari bushman are the original humans on earth. Learning their ancient survival skills is a unique and amazing opportunity, and you can experience their tremendous skills in action as they guide visitors to find lions, leopards, and other predators.

Horseback / elephant riding - There are just a few camps that offer horseback or elephant riding in Botswana safari areas, but for the adventurous this is an experience not to be missed.

Quad biking (a.k.a. ATV riding) -This is done at the Makgadikgadi Pans, Racing across the pans on quad bikes is an exhilarating experience. It is possible while quad biking in the pans to find stone age tools made thousands of years ago by ancient bushmen, you Quad biking is a seasonal activity depending on when the pans are dry but typically done between June 1 and the end of October. Once the rains come it is not possible to quad bike because it will damage the pans.

Mountain biking - Active adventure travelers can experience a safari - from a few hours to multiple days, on a guided cycling safari in the Tuli Block.
Hot Air Ballooning - This "uplifting" experience can be enjoyed in the Tuli region or in the Kalahari Desert.

Contact us on info@falconsafaris.com and we can help design a holiday experience that you will not forget

Cecil The Slain Lion

I once visited a nature reserve in Mutare, Zimbabwe, that had an interesting sign that read as follows:

• Leave nothing but footprints
• Kill nothing but time
• Take nothing but pictures

I remembered those words when i heard about Cecil's fate. A majestic and truly loved animal was lured out of its protected area to be killed by a trophy hunter from America.

The outrage that followed this killing is justified as killing lions for fun is not part of sustainable tourism. 

Learn more about Cecil The Lion:

Cecil was a 13-year-old male Southwest African lion (Panthera leo bleyenberghi) who primarily lived in the Hwange National Park inMatabeleland North, Zimbabwe. He was a major attraction at the park and was being studied and tracked by the University of Oxford as part of a larger study.

Cecil was wounded with an arrow by Walter Palmer, an American recreational big-game hunter, was then tracked, and on 1 July 2015, approximately 40 hours later, killed with a rifle.The killing drew international media attention and sparked outrage among animal conservationists, politicians and celebrities, as well as a strong negative response against Palmer. Two other men are being prosecuted in relation to the hunt, and the Zimbabwean government has stated it will seek Palmer's extradition.

Background

Cecil in 2010

Cecil—named after Cecil Rhodes,and another lion believed to be Cecil's brother were noticed in Hwange National Park in 2008.In 2009, Cecil and his brother encountered an established pride, which resulted in a fight in which Cecil's brother was killed and both Cecil and the leader of the pride were seriously wounded; the leader was subsequently killed by park rangers because of the wounds he had received in the fight with Cecil. Cecil retreated to another part of the park where he eventually established his own pride which had up to 22 members. In 2013, Cecil was forced out from the area by two young male lions into the eastern border of the park. 

There, he created a coalition with another male lion named Jericho to establish two prides which consisted of Cecil, Jericho, half a dozen females and up to a dozen cubs sired by Cecil or Jericho.^[14]

Cecil was the best-known animal in the national park and was identifiable by his black-fringed mane and a GPS tracking collar. The lions in the park, including Cecil, have been studied by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University as part of a scientific project that has run since 1999, and his movements had been followed since 2008. Of the 62 lions tagged during the study period, 34 have died. One of the researchers on the project suggested that Cecil had become so popular because he was accustomed to people, allowing vehicles sometimes as close as 10 metres (33 ft), making it easy for tourists and researchers to photograph and observe him.

It is estimated there are between 25,000 and 30,000 lions alive in Africa. In 2013, 49 hunted lion carcasses were exported from Zimbabwe as trophies; the 2005-2008 Zimbabwe hunt "off-take" (licensed kills) average was 42 lions per year.

Death[edit]

In June 2015, Walter Palmer, an American dentist and recreational game hunter from Minnesota, reportedly paid US$50,000 to a professional hunter / guide, Theo Bronkhorst, to enable him to kill a lion. Cecil was allegedly lured out of the sanctuary where he was shot and wounded with an arrow. He was tracked, and approximately 40 hours later was killed with a rifle. He was then skinned and his head was removed.When his headless skeleton was found by park investigators, his tracking collar was missing.

On 28 July the UK's The Daily Telegraph reported that independent sources had "seen a copy of the relevant hunting permit".

Zimbabwe National Parks have stated that neither Bronkhorst nor the landowner, Honest Ndlovu, on whose property Cecil was believed to have been shot, had the appropriate permit for a lion. On 31 July 2015, Agence France Presse AFP reported that the Zimbabwean hunt guide, Bronkhorst, declared: "We had obtained the permit for bow hunting, we had obtained the permit for the lion from the council. The two Zimbabweans were arrested by Zimbabwe police and accused of assisting Palmer in the killing. Palmer had already returned to the United States, where he issued a statement that he had "relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt" and "deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion".

For more information about visiting Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or an unforgettable safari adventure in Botswana or Namibia email us on info@falconsafaris.com

Incredible Vicotria Falls Wildlife

Besides the majestic Victoria Falls, tourists can also experience the African wildlife in its unspoilt habitat.

This is a preview of what awaits you on your Victoria Falls safaris:

The Mighty African Elephants are always close by.

The King of the Jungle...Watching Lions is one of the highlights of an African Safari

 Squirrels sighting is common place

The legendary black rhino - Straight from pre-historic times

Buffalo soldier - Nothing is tougher

Warthogs - Another common sight

You can view leopards in the raw royal splendour

Somebody is watching me! Buffaloes galore

Naughty savanna monkeys will give you laughs with their antics!

Hippos!

Contact Falcon Safaris today on email info@falconsafaris.com for more information on how to book your next African safari

Victoria Falls Quick Facts

1. The spray from the falls make the River Zambezi Rain Forest the only place that receives rainfall 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

2. What is a Moonbow? Any ideas? Well, it is the rainbow formed by the reflection of moonlight on the water. At night, you will see the light from the moon forming a beautiful rainbow on the waters of the Victoria Waterfalls.

3. During the months of September to December, tourists enjoy 'toying with danger' on the edge of the waterfalls at the naturally formed Devil's Swimming Pool.

4. River Zambezi, the river that forms the Victoria Water Falls is the fourth largest African River after River Nile, River Congo and River Niger.

5 Although the most famous stretches of River Zambezi are in Zambia and Zimbabwe, the river traverses a whopping six countries that include; Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

6. The Victoria Waterfalls seems to dissect the River Zambezi almost by two. It sits halfway the 1677 miles from the source to the sea.

8. After all the factors are put into place; the Victoria Waterfalls are the largest in the world. They measure 5577 feet wide and varies in height from 262- 304 feet.

9. The first European to see the waterfalls was David Livingstone. In order to see the majestic waterfalls, he stood on a small outcrop christened the Livingstone Island that is on the edge of the waterfalls.

10. It is estimated that roughly 600 million cubic liters of water hit the ground every minute on the Victoria Waterfalls.

Contact us for more information on info@falconsafaris.com or visit www.falconsafaris.com to view our safari packages.

Game Drives in Victoria Falls

What is a game drive?

The word ‘gamedrive’ can be split into 2 different words: Game and Drive

‘Game’ is generally referred to as ‘animals that are not domesticated and are roaming the plains of Africa. In general we speak about ‘big game’ if we refer to animals like elephants, Cape buffaloes and other larger mammals.

‘Drive’ is referred to as a ‘drive with a vehicle’.

The combination of the words could therefore be described as a ‘drive with a vehicle in/over the plains of Africa in order to view these animals. Over time however, the word became mostly known as a ‘drive with a vehicle in Africa, in order to find (large) game for photographic reasons’.

Victoria Falls has a wide variety of game that includes the Big 5 as well as antelopes, crocodiles, velvet monkeys and hippo

Contact us for more information on rates, current specials or how we can organise your next game drive.