Namibia - Event

The Kunene River is Namibia's main white-water rafting destination, promising the infamous Ondorusa Rapids, waterfalls, crocodiles and adventure. When you are off the river you can relax in riverside pools, watch the wildlife and soak up the wilderness atmosphere.

The river cuts through the dry Kaokoveld and Namib Desert to the Atlantic, creating a green strip of lush vegetation in a hostile land. This area is one of Namibia's least explored, a wilderness of arid mountains and plains. It is still inhabited by the Himba, an ancient tribe who were undiscovered until 1964. They cling to their centuries-old traditions, travelling with their herds in search of grazing.

While there are several outfits based in Windhoek that organise rafting trips, there are also places actually on the river, like the Kunene River Lodge, some 100km east of Epupa Falls, which organises tailor-made rafting expeditions to the Falls in addition to shorter local trips through the Ondorusu Gorge. Such organised trips not only take on the thrills and spills of the rapids, but give visitors a taste of the Himba villages. Most of them operate from March to September, when the heat is bearable and the rapids are at their best.

The Epupa Falls are the highlight of the river. Here, the Kunene breaks up into several channels before hurtling into a deep chasm. You can camp nearby and walk down to marvel at the falls, or swim in the pools at the base - although you need to check which ones are free from crocodiles...

This adventure gives you a chance to experience true wilderness beyond the well-travelled paths that run through other African countries.