Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From Ruacana, a rough track heads west along the Kunene to Swartbooi's Drift, where a
monument commemorates the Dorsland trekkers who passed en route to their future
homesteads in Angola. The town is a good place to break up the drive to Epupa Falls, and
it's also a good base to go white-water rafting on the Kunene River.
The very friendly
Kunene River Lodge
( 274300;
www.kuneneriverlodge.com
;
campsite per person N$105, s/d chalets N$720/1440, r N$790/1420; )
, approximately
5km east of Swartbooi's Drift, makes an idyllic riverside stop. Campsites are sheltered be-
neath towering trees, and the rooms and thatched chalets enjoy a pleasant garden setting.
Guests can hire canoes, mountain bikes and fishing rods, as well as go on birdwatching
excursions and booze cruises. With a minimum of two participants, the lodge also oper-
ates half-day, full-day and multiday white-water rafting trips, starting at N$420 per per-
son, from the class IV Ondarusu rapids (upstream from Swartbooi's Drift) to Epupa Falls.
At Otjikeze/Epembe, 73km northwest of Opuwo, an eastward turning onto the D3701
leads 60km to Swartbooi's Drift. This is the easiest access route, and it's open to 2WD
vehicles. The river road from Ruacana is extremely rough, but in dry conditions it can be
negotiated by high-clearance 2WD vehicles. On the other hand, the 93km river road to
Epupa Falls - along the lovely 'Namibian riviera' - is extremely challenging even with a
4WD and can take several days.
EPUPA FALLS
At Epupa, which means 'falling waters' in Herero, the Kunene River fans out into a vast
flood plain and is ushered through a 500m-wide series of parallel channels, dropping a
total of 60m over 1.5km. The greatest single drop, an estimated 37m, is commonly identi-
fied as the Epupa Falls. Here the river tumbles into a dark, narrow, rainbow-wrapped cleft,
which is a spectacular sight to behold, particularly when the Kunene is in peak flow from
April to May.
Although you'd think this remote corner of the Kaokoveld would be off the tourist trail,
Epupa Falls is a popular stopover for overland trucks and organised safaris, and unfortu-
nately can get swamped with tourists. But if you're passing through the area, a dip in the
falls is certainly worth the detour, and the sight of so much water in the middle of the dry
Kaokoveld is miraculous to say the least.
Sights & Activities
During periods of low water, the
pools
above the Epupa Falls make fabulous natural jac-
uzzis. You're safe from crocodiles in the eddies and rapids, but hang onto the rocks and
keep away from the lip of the falls; once you're caught by the current, there's no way to
