Mamili and Mudumu National Parks

Information on two National parks in the north-east.

Mudumu National Park
Can be reached turning off B8 onto D3511 after
Kongola bridge travelling east. Permits are free and obtainable in Katima Mulilo. No accommodation or facilities are available. There are however several privately owned lodges.
The park is located within high risk malaria area. Precautions are necessary. The size of the park is more than 100 000 ha of woodlands. The western boundary of the park is formed by Kwando River.
Please remember that crocodiles and hippos are always present in the waterways and caution have to be exercised at all times. The park is also a home to more than 400 bird species. Mammals are represented by antelopes, elephants, Burchell's zebras, red lechwe, sable and roan antelopes and buffaloes.
Kwando River offers opportunity for freshwater angling with a possibility to catch even tiger fish. Size: 1009.59 sq km.
Park entrance fees for the Mudumu National Park have been implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Mamili National Park
Mamili Park is 32 000 ha and was established in 1990 (at the same time as Mudumu Park).
The park is located 30 kilometres south of Mudumu along D3511.

PLEASE NOTE: DRIVING IN A MINIMUM OF TWO VEHICLES GROUPS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!

Mamili National Park
Discover the Mamili (Nkasa Rupara)
National Park
© Nkasa Lupala Lodge

Wild – that’s the one word that best describes Mamili (Nkasa Rupara) National Park. It is an extraordinary piece of wilderness, waiting to be explored. Lush marshes, dense savannah and high river reeds mean that travelling through the area is a dream for 4x4 enthusiasts. During the dry winter months, large herds of elephant congregate on Nkasa and Lupala islands. But for much of the year, the park is awash with floodwater. Game drives go through the edge of deep pools and close to rivers where crocodiles lie in wait. Nearby buffalo or elephant may be crossing the river. For anyone who relishes the adventures of raw, real Africa, Mamili (Nkasa Rupara) National Park is the place to be.

Mamili Namibia’s largest wet wonderland
In a vast arid country, Mamili (Nkasa Rupara) National Park holds the distinction of being the largest wetland area with conservation status in Namibia. The Mamili (Nkasa Rupara) was proclaimed in 1990, shortly before Namibia’s Independence. And there is much to celebrate about this wet wonderland. The 318-km2 Mamili (Nkasa Rupara) National Park protects the flora and fauna living within a complex channel of reed beds, lakes and islands that make up the Linyanti swamps. Spectacular herds of elephant, buffalo, red lechwe and reedbuck are among the highlights of any game-viewing experience. But be careful, the waters are also home to five-metre- long crocodiles and families of hippopotamus, which venture onto the floodplains at night to feed. During the rainy season, areas of the park can become flooded and inaccessible, and yet it remains a sanctuary for birds. With more species of birds recorded here than anywhere else in Namibia, the Park is a bird-watcher’s paradise.

A uniquely Namibian edge
The Kwando River cuts a wide, wild path through Southern Africa.
From its source in the Angolan highlands, the Kwando flows for 1 000 km before it changes direction sharply, turning south-west at the border between Namibia and Botswana, to become the Linyanti River. At the southern edge of Mamili (Nkasa Rupara) National Park, it is possible to straddle the banks of the Kwando and Linyanti rivers. Sound odd? That’s just the beginning. The change in the river’s course heralds many other surprises in this dynamic environmental system. The park is dominated by wetlands, with shifting channels and floodplains. Several ‘islands,’ including Nkasa and Lupala, rise gently above the wetlands. The combination of water, reeds, trees and dense grass attracts wildlife in abundance. Lightning from thunderstorms literally ignites the ground, sparking fires that temporarily burn above and below the earth. Mamili (Nkasa Rupara) National Park beautifully mirrors Botswana’s Okavango style wetland wilderness with an edge that is uniquely Namibian.

Cross-border conservation efforts
Although you seldom encounter other tourists in the Mamili (Nkasa Rupara) National Park, the visit is a shared experience.
Along with Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism, local conservancies play a vital role in protecting this stunning park. The Caprivi and Kavango regions are the geographical heart of the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area, a five-country initiative, involving Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Angola, which is aimed at broadening the protected areas network, thus increasing biodiversity, expanding historical game migration routes and drawing more tourists into the area. In a place where local people often bear the costs of living with wildlife, KAZA will help make the protection of wildlife more economically viable for rural communities. The Mamili (Nkasa Rupara) National Park is part of a web of 22 protected areas which cover 280 000 square kilometres that have the potential to be transformed into a transfrontier conservation area.

Park size: 320 km2
Year proclaimed: 1990
Natural features: Most of the park consists of channels of reed beds, lagoons and termitaria islands. The Kwando River forms the western boundary and the Linyanti River its south-eastern border.
Vegetation: Tree and Shrub Savannah Biome. Caprivi Floodplain. Reeds, sedges, and papyrus, wild date palms (Phoenix reclinata). Tall trees such as jackal-berry (Diospyros mespiliformis) and mangosteen (Garcinia livingstonei) along the water edges and on the termitaria.
Wildlife: Hippo, crocodile, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hyaena, African wild dog, roan antelope, common impala, red lechwe, reedbuck, sitatunga, kudu, warthog, spotted-necked otter, rock and water monitor lizard. The 430 species of birds recorded, include breeding pairs of rare wattled cranes; slaty egret, Stanley's bustard, rosy-throated longclaw, Dickinson's kestrel, Allen’s gallinule, lesser jacana, black-winged and red-winged pratincoles, Long-toed lapwing, luapula cisticola, coppery-tailed coucal and black coucal.

Related Maps Accommodation in the area Activities in the area
Hotels Pensions B&Bs Lodges Camping & others
Divundu General map Lianshulu Lodge - - Mazambala Island Lodge Camp Kwando Boat cruises
Kongola Caprivi Ichingo Chobe River Lodge - - Lianshulu Lodge Mazambala Island Lodge Game drives
Outjo Regions Impalila Island Lodge - - Namushasha Lodge Kalizo Lodge Fishing trips
Katima Mulilo - - - - Susuwe Island Lodge Rupara Rest Camp Mokoro trails
Rundu - - - - Rainbow River Lodge - Safari River Boats
Caprivi Game Reserve - - - - Nkasa Lupala Lodge - Sheshe Crafts
Accommodation in Botswana - - - - Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge - -
History of Caprivi - - - - Chobe Savanna Caprivi Lodge - -

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