Region
Caprivi
Add 2–3 nights in the Zambezi Region as an optional leg of the northern loop, not on a first-trip route.
Key facts · Namibia
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Currency
- Namibian dollar
- Language
- English is the only official language
- Plugs
- M · D · 220–230 V
- Time zone
- Central Africa Time
Rules in force · 7Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive befor…
- Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
- Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
- Southern Africa ↗A rental car may leave its home country only with the rental company's cross-border letter, the registration papers and paid road taxes at each post; driving into Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Angola without them ends at the border.
- Southern Africa ↗Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive before sunset: livestock, wildlife, pedestrians and unlit trucks make night driving the main cause of serious visitor accidents.
- Namibia ↗Check visa and entry rules for your passport on official Namibian government sources before booking: since 1 April 2025 citizens of 33 countries, including the US, UK, most of the EU, Canada and Australia, need a visa on arrival or an e-visa.
- Namibia ↗Taking a rental car into Botswana, South Africa, Zambia or Zimbabwe needs written permission from the rental company and the right papers; ask when you book.
- Namibia ↗Etosha gates open at sunrise and close at sunset: you must be inside a camp or out of the park by closing time.
The Caprivi — officially the Zambezi Region — is Namibia's wet panhandle: four perennial rivers, three small parks and elephants on the B8. It is not a first-trip stop. It pays off for self-drivers already heading to Chobe or Victoria Falls, who get river cruises and game drives at a fraction of Botswana prices.
Sleep
Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- Katima MuliloPlanned
Regional capital on the Zambezi; fuel, banks, shops and the Sesheke bridge to Zambia.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Transit
- KongolaPlanned
B8/C49 junction; the practical base for Bwabwata, Mudumu and Nkasa Lupala.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
- NgomaPlanned
Chobe river crossing into Botswana; lodge and camp on the river.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Night sequences
- 2 nights
- Kongola 2: one boat cruise, one game drive in Bwabwata or Mudumu
- 3 nights
- Kongola 2 + Katima Mulilo 1, then cross to Chobe or Zambia
- Driving after dark on the B8 risks elephants and stray cattle; plan to arrive before sunset.
- Rainy-season tracks east of Katima Mulilo can be impassable even in a 4x4 — ask your host about conditions.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bwabwata National Park | Kongola | check min | unknown | Self-drive the B8 corridor; elephants on the road at dusk. |
| Mudumu National Park | Kongola | check min | unknown | Small park, few vehicles; 4x4 useful after rain. |
| Nkasa Lupala National Park | Kongola | check min | unknown | Remote and seasonal; check access before setting out. |
| Chobe National Park (Botswana) | Ngoma | check min | unknown | Border formalities at Ngoma; carry your vehicle papers. |
Bags between cities
Fuel stops thin out east of Rundu, so fill up at every station; carry all bags in your vehicle — luggage forwarding is not a standard service here.
When and how
Months, arrival and passes
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namibia (country-wide) | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zambezi RegionCaprivi panhandle | wet | wet | wet | ok | best | best | best | best | best | ok | wet | wet |
- Zambezi Region
- Dry season May–September is best for game and road access; October–April is hot and wet, with the flood peak later in the season.
The rivers rise after rains far upstream in Angola, so high water can lag the local rainfall by weeks.
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windhoek | Katima Mulilo | Self-drive on the B8 via Rundu and Divundu | check | Most travellers break the drive at Rundu or Divundu; do not drive the last stretch after dark. |
| Windhoek | Katima Mulilo | Intercity coach | overnight | Katima Mulilo sits on the Windhoek–Lusaka coach route; book ahead. |
| Kasane / Chobe (Botswana) | Ngoma | Road via the Ngoma bridge | ~1 h | The usual way in from Botswana; border closes in the evening. |
| Livingstone / Victoria Falls (Zambia) | Katima Mulilo | Road via the Sesheke bridge | check | Crossing at Sesheke puts you on the Zambian side; the Botswana route via Ngoma is the tarred option. |
Eat and move on
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| River fish (bream, tilapia) | Lodges along the Kwando and Zambezi | Often the set dinner; menus are limited, so lodges expect you to eat in. |
| Buffet dinners at river lodges | Ngoma and Kongola | Set buffets rather than à la carte; tell the lodge your diet when booking. |
Go next
Chobe National Park, Botswana
plannedCross at Ngoma, ~1 h to Kasane
The main reason to include the Caprivi.
Victoria Falls
plannedVia Ngoma into Botswana then Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwean side is reached by a tarred stretch from Ngoma; distance check.
Okavango Delta, Botswana
plannedSouth via the C48 and Maun
Long gravel day; fuel up before leaving.
Etosha National Park
plannedWest on the B8
Pairs with the Caprivi on a northern loop.
Windhoek and Khomas
B8 south-west
Two days back to the capital.
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source