Situated east of the Epupa Falls on the banks of the Kunene River, in Kaokoland is Epupa Falls Lodge. With its waving palms, spectacular sunsets and perennially flowing waters, the Epupa area has much to see and experience. Exciting geological and archaeological sites can be seen in the area. Bird life in this riverine paradise is rich and varied, with some species endemic to the Kunene River environs.

It is a small, luxury tented camp that offers you a relaxing, yet exhilarating, few days of personalized service, excellent food and the seclusion of a lush riverine wilderness. The adjacent dining room and lounge area also face the Kunene River, along with a lounging pool for cooling down from the midday heat, or enjoying a glass of sparkling wine.

Other facilities include a telephone & fax machine, Internet facilities (slow but adequate for e-mail), a swimming pool and a laptop for downloading your pictures and burning them to a disc

A small suspension bridge connects Epupa Falls Lodge with its own private island. Hammocks, benches, and lounge chairs, placed close to the river, create a personal piece of paradise.

At Epupa, they serve three meals a day, as well as afternoon cake and tea, all of which are included in the full-board price. Complimentary coffee and tea are available all day, whilst their bar is always available for something stronger. Breakfast consists of a healthy buffet, with fresh fruits and nuts, cereals, homemade muesli, freshly baked bread, meats, cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggs.

A light lunch usually consists of quiches, lasagna or pasta, accompanied by fresh salad.

Dinner is very much a sociable as a culinary event. It takes place around a 7-meter long dining table, in company with the manager and/or one of our guides. Please inform us well in advance if you have any special dietary requirements (the nearest grocery store is more than 200 km away!). Depending on the season, some of the vegetables will be their own organic crop, home-grown in one of the vegetable gardens. Their wine list comprises a small, but hand-picked list of distinct South African wines for every taste.

Romantic candle-lit dinners on the river front can be arranged upon request.

Epupa Falls Lodge consists of nine luxury safari-style tents, each with two single beds, en-suite bathrooms, (with running water, hot showers and flush toilet), 220v electricity, (available for 6hrs/day), 24hr lighting (for bedside lights), and mosquito netting. An outside, shaded balcony overlooks the tranquil Kunene River. Large Makalani palms provide welcome shade from the midday sun.

Epupa Falls Lodge offers guided tours to one of the Himba temporary villages. Learn about the sacred fire, the twin that stayed behind and the holy oxen. It is here that you can share a day in Africa, amongst people without calendars. The lodge works closely with the local community to provide them with access to development opportunities and direct benefits through tourism. A sound ecological policy is in place, that includes removing all solid waste from the area and whenever practical, recycling waste.

Other activities in this fascinating corner of the world include, rafting, a bird-watching trip by boat, a visit to Epupa Falls and hiking.

The Epupa Falls, although not the biggest or highest in Africa, have a unique beauty that entices visitors from all over the world.

Visit to Himba settlement (included in full-board price)

Join one of our local Himba guides as they take you through one of the small Himba villages in the region and learn how these fascinating nomadic people live, work, think and worship. You will be allowed to take photographs and will also be taken for a private visit to a traditional Himba graveyard.

Sundowner (included in full-board price)

Every evening approximately 1 hour before sunset, we take you in our open safari vehicle to one of the hills overlooking the Epupa Falls for a sundowner as the surrounding desert landscape explodes in colors and fascinating shadows. Guests staying for 2 nights also have the option of enjoying their sundowner on one of the white sand beaches on our private island, overlooking the Kunene river. All drinks and snacks are complementary.

Rafting (extra)

For those of our guests who want more than just to gaze at the river, we offer half-day and full-day rafting or canoeing trips down the gentle Kunene river. After taking you to our upriver launch station in our open safari vehicle, your qualified guide will provide you with all equipment needed and brief you on the day's expedition. He will then lead you on a gentle cruise down the river, with ample time to stop and enjoy the scenery, watch the birds and the crocodiles sunbathing on the banks, and take photographs. En route we will stop along the river banks for refreshments. A delicious lunch package is included in the full-day trip.

Bird Watching Trip by Boat (extra)

For bird lovers, we offer half-day river birding trips where our expert guide will point out some of our 238 different species that inhabit the Kunene region, including cinderella waxbills, rufus-tailed palm-thrushes (a permanent resident at our camp), Rüppell's korhans (one of the regions 10 endemic birds), hornbills, paradise fly catchers, goliath herons, fish eagles, various bee-eaters, kingfishers ranging from the giant to the tiny malachite kingfisher, louries, bulbuls, rollers (purple, lilac, breasted, and European), lovebirds, golden and lesser masked weavers, and scarlet-breasted sunbirds, to name just a few. This is as close to nature as you will get, and a truly soothing way to spend your morning or afternoon.

Visit to Epupa Falls (included in full-board price)

Every day, we offer a guided walk to Epupa Falls with the option of taking a dip in one of the many rock pools or in the shallow water before the falls themselves. The walk will take you past the calm waters before the dramatic falls where the Himba people often come to wash their clothes, bathe, or play in the water. Finally, you will be taken to the best lookouts of the falls further downstream. The falls are a total of 700 meter long with a height of 35 meters, including rapids. Depending on the season, the falls have a typical flow from 20 (winter) to 800 m3 (summer) of water per second.

Hiking (included in full-board price)

At Epupa Falls Lodge, we provide maps for half-day, self-guided hikes. We take you along the river or into the surrounding hills to explore the flora and fauna of the Kaokoland and enjoy stunning views of the Kunene snaking its way through the dry desert landscape. During your hike you are likely to come across large Euphorbia bushes (whose poisonous milky-white latex has been used by the Himba for hunting for centuries), rose quartz crystals, mopane scrub, and the flat-topped umbrella thorn with the almost Mexican name: Acacia tortilis.

Directions:

The best way to reach Epupa Lodge is via Opuwo and Okongwati on the road D3700

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Email us for more information and bookings at Epupa Camp