Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ketry and tool making. After the guided tour, visitors can shop for good-value local handi-
crafts without the sales pressure.
The aforementioned partnership has also enabled the recruitment of Mudumu game
scouts from Lizauli and other villages, and was given responsibility for community con-
servation and antipoaching education. Most importantly, the project provides a forum in
which locals can interact with tourists, and benefit both economically and culturally from
the adoption of a strict policy of environmental protection.
MAMILI NATIONAL PARK
In years of good rains, this wild and seldom-visited national park becomes Namibia's
equivalent of Botswana's Okavango Delta. Forested islands fringed by reed and papyrus
marshes foster some of the country's richest birdwatching, with more than 430 recorded
species to count. Poaching has taken a toll, though Mamili's wildlife, mainly semiaquatic
species such as hippos, crocodiles, pukus, red lechwes, sitatungas and otters, will still im-
press.
Birding is best from December to March, though the vast majority of the park is inac-
cessible during this time. Wildlife viewing is best from June to August, and is especially
good on Nkasa and Lupala islands.
You must bring everything with you, including your own water, and be prepared for ex-
tremely rough road conditions. Although there is generally a ranger to collect park fees at
the entrance gate, you're all alone once inside, and it's highly recommended that you
travel as part of a convoy. Needless to say, a 4WD vehicle with high clearance is mandat-
ory, and you can expect lots and lots of deep mud.
Access to the park is by 4WD track from Malengalenga, northeast of the park, or from
Sangwali village, which is due north.
