Epupa Camp, gateway to the glorious falls and more

Epupa Camp stands sentinel to Epupa Falls on the banks of the great Kunene River, deep in Namibia's harsh but spectacular Kaokoland. Nine luxury tents await visitors to this charming, classic tented camp right at the water's edge adjacent to one of the country's must-visited destinations. By road, it's a long but rewarding, indeed dramatic drive through scenery unsurpassed; 950 km north-west of the capital Windhoek, the usual route is via Opuwo and Okongwati, but self-sufficient bush fundis in well-equipped 4x4 vehicles could approach from Ruacana some 140 km to the east, following the Kunene along an extremely demanding district road (track really!). For folk on tighter schedules, Epupa Camp hosts many guests who arrive in chartered light aircraft and are collected from the airstrip just 7 km away. Maybe it's the soothing, distant roar of the falls, simply your situation in such a pleasant and leafy glade, or the relaxed atmosphere created by obliging staff, but you'll at once feel as chilled as the river waters sweeping past; welcome to Epupa!

Just make sure on that first evening, that you take the short stroll to the Falls themselves, enjoying that formidable and warm light that wraps Namibia towards the end of every memorable day. The Falls are seemingly untouched by mankind. Climb the nearest hillside and, looking down, you'll be astonished, perhaps mesmerised by the sight and sound of water gushing, dropping and swirling over a myriaded chasms in rocks touched by glinting shafts of sunlight, plumes of rainbow spray hanging high above the river; the variety of colours created by the aged rock formations of gneiss, para-gneisses and granites at the Falls are spectacular too. Angola is to the one side, Namibia to the other with the very Namib Desert and tall Makalani Palms all around as the Kunene follows its course from distant Angolan highlands to the Atlantic Ocean, 1050 km in all. The Falls themselves measure up to 1500 metres in aggregate width, their average height being 20 m, with a maximum single drop of perhaps 60 m. Water cascade over the Falls at a rate of 500 cubic metres a second, up to as much as 1000 m"/s after heavy rains in the catchment area far away. And Epupa Camp now distinguishes itself further, having set up a super sundowner spot high on the hillside. Did a cool beer or chilled wine ever taste so good? These Falls provide an incredible experience, one that will surely live with you forever.
Back at camp, dinner is served communally in a rustic lapa overlooking the river, with a glowing fire crackling on the very bank. Food and wine every bit as good as you'd expect; in the absence of Manager Andreas Viljoen, taking a well-deserved holiday, we were in the company of locum Brummer Olivier, himself a former Manager here and delighted to help out his old and true friends. He seemed almost mournful to be working now in neighbouring South Africa, such is his obvious love for Epupa. And an encyclopaedic knowledge of simply everything around, birds, trees, aquatic & insect life and the nomadic Himba tribes people of the area. Sleep will come easily after such a fascinating day; the tents all boast en-suite shower and toilet facilities, have twin beds and a small veranda overlooking the water. The generator for electricity needs at the Camp is switched off at 2200, but there'll be a lantern and torch in your room, together with some mozzie spray, for remember this water-filled area is malaria endemic - do ask your GP for advice before travelling. The two tents set aside, further back away from the river are for accompanying pilots and tour guides.

The Camp is surrounded by simply majestic tree-life: there are some 6,000 Makalani Palms around Epupa, most over six metres tall, huge Leadwood trees, probably over 1,000 years old, Ana trees, whose pods provide sustenance for the local Himbas' goats and cattle, Wild Fig, Commiphora , including the Purple Stem variety well-known for its fragrance, and many of those remarkable Baobab trees too. The birdlife here on the Kunene is legendary too; as many as 250 different species, including the Rufous-tailed Palmthrush, the Cinderella Waxbill (very rare), the White-tailed Shrike, Ruppells Parrot, Grey Kestrel and the Bare-cheeked Babbler, whilst Rosy-faced Lovebirds are just everywhere! There's some interesting wildlife to be seen too, in and out of the water; crocodiles are a-plenty, so remember no bathing in the river on any account. Water Monitor Lizard, Clawless Otter, Damara Dik-Dik, the not so common Black-faced Impala, Steenbok, Kudu, Vervet Monkey, plus Leopard and Cheetah all frequent the area. There are some fabulous walking/hiking/birding opportunities nearby as well, either guided or on your own. The Camp's own 'Corkwood Walk' will take you about an hour. There are two well preserved rock engraving sites locally, evidence of San (Bushman) presence hundreds of years ago, whilst, further afield, geological features abound in the Baynes and Zebra Mountain ranges. Don't miss the opportunity Epupa Camp offers you to visit a nearby Himba village. Their guides are welcomed to the homesteads and will explain the nomadic lifestyle of these extraordinary pastoralists in great detail. Refreshing to find a genuine village too, not a touristic 'development' whilst the visit you'll make to an ancestral graveyard is fascinating too. All in all, you'll be very sorry to leave Epupa Camp and the Falls, surely Namibia at its very best!

By Neil Digby-Clarke