Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nkasa Lupala Lodge $$$
( 081 147 7798;
www.nkasalupalalodge.com
; d per person N$1400)
Located
30km from Mudumu, and just outside the entrance to Mamili National Park, this remote
luxury lodge sits on the banks of the Kwando-Linyanti River system. The lodge gets rave
reviews from travellers and offers activities such as game drives in both national parks.
Accommodation is in tents on stilts, from where you might just spot elephants trooping
past your deck.
LODGE
Getting There & Away
Nkasa Lupala lodge is about 75km from Kongola and 130km from Katima Mulilo. Take
the C49 (a maintained gravel road from Kongola and sealed from Katima Mulilo) to
Sangwali. From Sangwali, head to the Mamili National Park - you'll need a 4WD, or call
for a pick-up. From the Shisintze ranger station at the park boundary, drive east for 1km to
reach the lodge.
Otjozondjupa
Otjozondjupa is commonly referred to as Bushmanland, a pejorative term that unfortu-
nately seems to resist dying away. A largely flat landscape of scrub desert lying at the
edge of the Kalahari, Otjozondjupa is part of the traditional homeland of the Ju/'hoansi
San, who were among the original inhabitants of Southern Africa. Following a spurt in
worldwide interest in Kalahari cultures, tourist traffic has increased throughout the region,
though any expectations you might have of witnessing an entirely self-sufficient hunter-
gatherer society will, sadly, not be met here.
For some people, witnessing the stark reality of the modern Ju/'hoansi San lifestyle is a
sobering experience fraught with disappointments. Hunting is forbidden throughout the
region, and most communities have largely abandoned foraging in favour of cheap, high-
calorie foods such as
pap
(corn meal) and rice, which are purchased in bulk from shops.
Try to look beyond the dire realities of the San's economic situation, and attempt to use
the experience as a rare chance to interact with the modern-day descendants of perhaps all
of our ancestors.
If you're visiting the region as a tourist, you are required to stop by the office of the
Nyae Nyae Conservancy
( 244011; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri)
in central Tsumkwe. It's
recommended that you book/get recommendations for activities through here rather than
