Katima Mulilo (Namibia)
Katima Mulilo is located in the far northeast of Namibia on the territory of the Caprivi Strip region. The Caprivi Strip stretches in a narrow strip between the borders with Angola and Botswana. The nature of this region is very different from the nature of other areas of Namibia. There is a significant amount of rainfall and many rivers. The natural boundaries of the Caprivi Strip are four rivers: Okavango, Kwando, Chobe and Zambezi. The Caprivi Strip is a land of swamps, lakes and dense forests. This is one of the best places in the country for bird watching, fishing and canoeing and rafting.
In Katima Mulilo and its surroundings, tourists are offered many places to stay: tourist camps, guest houses and holiday homes. Tours depart from here not only along the Caprivi Strip, but also to the majestic Victoria Fallslocated on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. Of the protected areas of this part of Namibia, one can single out the Mahango and Caprivi reserves stretching along the Okavango River and two national parks – Mudumu and Mamili.
The Mahango Reserve is located on the western side of the Caprivi Strip. Grassy steppes, dry deciduous forests and reed thickets are protected in the reserve. It is home to many elephants, sitatunga and over 400 species of birds.
To the east is the Caprivi Nature Reserve., which is occupied by forests of African rosewood, mahogany and teak.
Mudumu National Park is located in the center of the Caprivi Strip on the banks of the Kwando River. Savannahs and deciduous mopane forests stretch here, elephants, buffaloes, kudu, impala, zebras, a rare African wild dog, crocodiles, hippos, otters and hundreds of species of birds live.
The largest wetlands in Namibia are protected in Malili National Park. The park can only be traveled during the dry season.
Lüderitz (Namibia)
According to Softwareleverage, Lüderitz is located on the southern Atlantic coast of Namibia. The first Europeans landed here in 1488, it was Bartolomeu Dias and his crew. The navigator erected a cross here, which has survived to this day and is known as Diaz Point. In the 17th-19th centuries, Africans in these parts were engaged in fishing, whaling, mining and collecting bird droppings for agriculture on nearby islands. In 1883, the German merchant Adolf Lüderitz bought a section of the coast in the Angra-Pekena Bay area, where Lüderitz is now located, from the leader of one of the Nama tribes, and already in 1884, after signing an agreement with local leaders, the local lands were the first to become part of the German colonies. In addition, in 1908 in the vicinity of Lüderitz diamonds were found, after which the “diamond fever” began in the region. However, soon after the discovery of new larger diamond deposits, the center of the “diamond rush” moved to the south of Orangemund. Today Lüderitz is Africa’s largest center for lobster fishing and oyster farming.
Lüderitz famous for its seafood restaurants and German colonial architecture. On the slopes of the coastal hill Diamond Hill stands the old Goerke House (1909), and the Felsenkirche Lutheran Church (1911-1912), the Station building (1914) and the Post Office (1908), as well as numerous blocks of houses in colonial style. Be sure to take a walk along the promenade where the yacht club is located, go on boat trips to the quiet lagoons and to the coastal cliffs and islands inhabited by seals, flamingos and penguins, swim at Agate Beach and Gross Bay, or ride a jeep along the coastal dunes.
The areas extending south of Lüderitz, which are owned by the Namibian diamond companies, are forbidden to tourists. From Lüderitz excursions are arranged only to nearby ghost towns, preserved from the time of the “diamond rush”. The most popular of them is the city of Kolmanskop. The city was built at the beginning of the 20th century near the diamond mines to provide workers with housing and the necessary infrastructure. But 40 years later, new larger diamond deposits were discovered and Kolmanskop quickly became empty. Tourists arriving in the most famous ghost town of Namibia, the following picture opens up: many abandoned buildings stand in the middle of the sands, there is not a soul on the streets, and only the rumble of the wind is occasionally heard. In addition to the buildings that have survived to this day, Kolmanskop has a museum on the history of the “diamond rush”, which operates a souvenir shop where you can buy diamonds, though not larger than 1 carat.
