The river wild

The eastern end of the Caprivi Strip in Namibia is a wildlife lover's paradise

- Melinda Ferguson

To give you some idea of the geographical magic of the Caprivi area, within four hours after checking in at Chobe Water Villas, I saw hippos in Namibia, lions in Botswana, crocodiles in Namibia and then elephants back in Botswana.

The reason for the flitting between two countries is that the lodge is located on the edge of the Chobe River on the Namibian side, with 16 villas perched on high stilts overlooking the Botswana Chobe National Park and the world-renowned Sedudu Island, known as Kasikili Island in Namibia. For years, the island was the centre of a territorial dispute between the two countries, but the issue was finally resolved in 1999 when the International Court of Justice settled the borderline. Today, all traces of conflict have evaporated, leaving behind an area that offers what can only be described as world-class wildlife magic.

When I read that Chobe hosts the greatest density of wildlife of any river system in the world, with over 160,000 elephants roaming free, I was a tad skeptical, but after spending a few days in the area all doubt was erased. On the daily Chobe River Safari Cruises through the Chobe National Park, we saw more elephants than I have seen in my lifetime. Watching enormous herds of these huge creatures in a safe environment did wonder for my rather tired and jaded soul.

Symbols of strength