Rundu and the Kavango Region
Rundu is Namibia’s second largest town, sitting on the Okavango River with Angola on the far bank, and it is the gateway to the Caprivi Strip. The Kavango region it serves is the most densely populated part of Namibia and the country’s woodcarving centre. Almost every traveller heading to the Zambezi Region passes through.
A Different Namibia
Arriving in Rundu from the interior is disorienting, and the reason is people.
Namibia is the second least densely populated country on earth, and travellers spend days seeing almost nobody. The Kavango regions reverse that entirely. Settlement runs continuously along the river, villages sit close together, and the roadside is busy in a way nothing else in the country is.
The reason is the Okavango. A permanent river in a country with no perennial water in its interior determines where people live, and the population has concentrated along it accordingly.
Rundu itself has grown fast and is now Namibia’s second largest town, with a population well over 60,000 and rising, though it retains the feel of a large river settlement rather than a city.
The country here is green, wooded and worked, with mahangu fields, cattle and riverine forest, and it looks nothing like the Namibia most visitors have driven through to reach it.
The Okavango and Angola
The river is the point and the border runs down the middle of it.
The Okavango, called the Kavango in Namibia, rises in the Angolan highlands and flows east along this border before turning south into Botswana, where it spreads into the delta and never reaches the sea.
From the Namibian bank you look across at Angola. Villages are visible on the far side, boats work the channel, and the two countries share the water without sharing much else.
The river supports fishing, farming and a substantial birdlife, and lodges along it run boat cruises at sunset that are the standard activity here.
Hippo and crocodile are present and are a genuine hazard rather than a theoretical one. Do not swim, stand at the water’s edge, clean fish or wash at the bank, and take particular care at dusk and dawn.
The river also determines the malaria picture, which is covered below.
Stay at a lodge on the riverbank rather than in Rundu town. The town itself is a working commercial centre with little to detain a visitor, while the properties strung along the Okavango east and west of it have gardens running down to the water, sunset boat trips and birdlife that starts before breakfast. The difference between the two is considerable and the price difference is not.
Woodcarving
The Kavango region is the woodcarving centre of Namibia and the roadside stalls are where you should be buying.
Carvers work in hardwoods including kiaat and leadwood, producing animals, figures, bowls, masks and furniture, and the tradition here is long established rather than tourist driven.
The main craft market at Rundu and the stalls along the B8 are where the work is sold directly by the makers, which means the money reaches them rather than a lodge gift shop taking a margin.
Prices are negotiable, and haggling is expected. Keep it good humoured, since aggressive bargaining over small sums with someone who needs the money reads badly.
Larger pieces present a shipping problem and sellers are usually used to arranging it, though confirm the practicalities before committing.
Check what wood a piece is made from if that matters to you, since some hardwoods are under pressure and reputable buyers ask.
Rundu as a Waypoint
For most travellers, Rundu’s function is practical.
It sits roughly 250 kilometres east of Grootfontein on the B8 and around 700 kilometres from Windhoek, which makes it the natural overnight on the long run to the Zambezi Region.
From here the B8 continues east through Divundu, along the Caprivi Strip past Kongola, to Katima Mulilo, which is well over 1,200 kilometres from Windhoek in total. That is two long driving days minimum.
Rundu has fuel, supermarkets, banks, ATMs, a hospital and vehicle workshops, making it the last substantial service town before the strip proper. Divundu further east has limited services.
It also serves travellers heading into the Kavango region itself or crossing into Angola, which requires its own paperwork.
Accommodation runs to hotels and lodges in town and along the river in both directions.
Popa Falls and Divundu
The next stop east is worth knowing about, and worth managing expectations for.
Popa Falls sits near Bagani around 200 kilometres east of Rundu, where the Okavango drops over a broad series of rock ledges. It is not a waterfall in any dramatic sense, exposing a fall of around four metres at low water in the dry season.
What it offers instead is a pleasant river setting with rapids, boat trips, birding and guided walks. Namibia Wildlife Resorts runs a resort there with chalets and camping, and a community campsite operates on the east bank.
Divundu is the gateway to Bwabwata National Park‘s western core areas, Mahango and Buffalo, which hold over a thousand buffalo and the highest bird diversity of any protected area in Namibia at over 450 recorded species.
That makes Divundu the point at which a Caprivi trip becomes about wildlife rather than driving.
Birding on the Kavango
The Kavango and Zambezi regions together hold around seventy percent of Namibia’s bird species, and the river is why.
African skimmer work the channels, along with slaty egret, rufous bellied heron, coppery tailed coucal and Pel’s fishing owl in the riverine trees. African fish eagle call constantly and are the sound of this region.
Carmine bee eaters nest in colonies in the river banks through the warmer months, which is among the more striking sights in this part of Africa.
Migrants arrive from around November and push counts to their annual peak, which coincides with the wet season and the access difficulties that come with it.
Boat based birding is more productive than driving, since the channels concentrate the wetland species and you get close without disturbing them. Most river lodges run sunset cruises that double as birding trips.
Malaria in the Kavango
This needs stating plainly because travellers arriving from the desert have often not considered it.
The Kavango regions carry high malaria risk year round, alongside the Zambezi Region and the Kunene river area. This is one of the higher risk parts of Namibia rather than a marginal case.
Chemoprophylaxis is recommended for this area, with atovaquone and proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine the usual options, and it should be discussed with a travel clinic rather than decided on a blanket rule.
Risk peaks during and just after the rains, roughly November to May.
The practical measures matter alongside any medication. Mosquitoes carrying malaria feed between dusk and dawn, so cover arms and legs in the evening, use repellent, sleep under a net where provided and keep doors closed at dusk.
If you develop fever after travelling through this region, including weeks later at home, tell the clinician where you have been.
Best Time to Visit
June to October is the practical window and it is the reverse of the desert calendar in one respect.
Through those months floodwaters recede, roads are passable, game concentrates along the rivers and malaria risk drops to its annual low. September and October are strongest for wildlife in the nearby parks.
The rains from January to March flood roads in the region, and malaria risk peaks. Birding is at its best in those months, which is the trade birders make and general visitors mostly should not.
This is the wettest part of Namibia, receiving several times what the interior gets, so the seasonal swing here is more consequential than in the desert.
Getting to Rundu
Rundu sits on the B8 roughly 250 kilometres east of Grootfontein and around 700 kilometres from Windhoek via Otjiwarongo, Otavi and Grootfontein.
The B8 is tarred the whole way and continues east through Divundu and along the Caprivi Strip to Katima Mulilo, another 500 kilometres or so.
From Etosha’s eastern gate the route runs via Tsumeb and Grootfontein.
There is an airport with limited scheduled services. Most visitors arrive by road as part of a northeastern circuit, and many drive the strip one way and cross into Botswana or Zambia rather than returning.
Rundu and Kavango Questions
Is Rundu worth visiting?
As a town, it is a working commercial centre with little to detain a visitor. As a stop, yes, since it is the natural overnight on the long run east and the last substantial service town before the Caprivi Strip. The riverbank lodges east and west of town are considerably better than staying in Rundu itself, with gardens running to the water and sunset boat trips.
Why is the Kavango so populated?
The Okavango River. Namibia has no perennial water in its interior, so a permanent river determines where people live, and settlement has concentrated along it. The Kavango regions are the most densely populated part of the country, which is genuinely disorienting for travellers arriving from the empty interior. The country here is green, wooded and farmed rather than desert.
Can I see Angola from Rundu?
Yes, across the river. The Okavango forms the border here and villages are visible on the far bank, with boats working the channel between. The river rises in the Angolan highlands and flows east along this border before turning south into Botswana, where it spreads into the delta and never reaches the sea.
Where do I buy woodcarving?
At the craft market in Rundu and the roadside stalls along the B8, where work is sold directly by the makers rather than through a lodge gift shop taking a margin. The Kavango region is Namibia’s woodcarving centre, working in hardwoods including kiaat and leadwood. Prices are negotiable and haggling is expected; keep it good humoured.
Do I need malaria precautions here?
Yes, and unambiguously. The Kavango regions carry high risk year round alongside the Zambezi and the Kunene river area, and chemoprophylaxis is recommended. Risk peaks during and after the rains from November to May. Travellers arriving from the desert and coast, where no precautions are needed, frequently have not considered it. Discuss your dates with a travel clinic.
Is Popa Falls worth the stop?
Set expectations low on the falls themselves, which are a series of rock ledges producing a drop of around four metres at low water rather than anything dramatic. What works is the riverside setting, boat trips, birding and accommodation, which makes it a good overnight break on the long drive east. Divundu nearby is the gateway to Bwabwata’s western core areas.
How long does it take to drive the Caprivi Strip?
Windhoek to Katima Mulilo is well over 1,200 kilometres, which is two long driving days minimum, with Rundu the natural overnight at around 700 kilometres. The B8 is tarred the whole way. Many travellers drive the strip one way and cross into Botswana or Zambia rather than returning, which makes better use of the distance.
Booking Your Namibia Trip
The safari companies and tour operators listed on this website put trips like this together for a living and know which camps, guides and routes actually deliver. We are an independent guide to Namibia; we do not book or sell tours ourselves.
When you are ready, arrange your safari, tour or holiday with one of the recognised operators listed here. Tell them your dates and what matters most, and a real person, not a form, will handle the itinerary, park bookings and logistics for you.