Nkasa Linyanti
- Nkasa Rupara National Park
- 6 Rooms
- Enquire with Reservations
Tucked between the Linyanti and Kwando rivers, on the southern border of Namibia’s lush Zambezi region, Nkasa Rupara National Park is a vital piece of the greater conservation ‘puzzle’ that is the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.
With reed-lined channels, shimmering grasslands, and crystalline waterways reminiscent of the nearby Okavango Delta, Nkasa Rupara serves as a crucial corridor for wildlife moving between Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia.
Though Namibia is perhaps most famous for its deserts, Nkasa Rupara is a land of abundant water. Once known as Mamili, the park – much like the famous Okavango Delta – is transformed by the annual floods that arrive from April to October, with the life-giving water creating a rich mosaic of habitats, from open savannah to meandering channels.
These dynamic conditions support remarkable levels of biodiversity, making Nkasa Rupara both a sanctuary for endangered species and a crucial breeding ground for wildlife populations across the region. Elephants, buffalo, hippos, and rare antelope including puku and sitatunga thrive here, while the abundant birdlife includes more than 430 recorded species.
Home to only a few safari camps, the park remains one of Namibia’s most secluded safari destinations. Its conservation significance lies in both its fragile wetland ecosystems and its role in cross-border wildlife migrations. Serving as a buffer zone to more heavily visited safari areas, it provides a quieter, more intimate wilderness experience while supporting long-term conservation goals across the region.
The Nkasa Rupara National Park is located at the heart of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area in the Zambezi region of Namibia. As a keystone for regional conservation, the park is one of southern Africa’s most significant protected areas and serves as a crucial corridor for trans-boundary wildlife migrations between Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia.
In landscapes that evoke memories of the Okavango Delta, Nkasa Rupara offers a unique combination of wetland and savannah ecosystems that support a remarkable array of plant and animal life. The park’s varied habitats range from reed-lined waterways that fill during the seasonal floods to riverine forest, floodplains, wooded islands, and savannah grasslands on higher ground. Nkasa Linyanti is located on the permanent Nkasa Island.
Air Access: There is air connectivity from Windhoek to Katima Mulilo – guests can then either travel by road from Katima Mulilo to the camp or take a lodge hopper which flies to Lianshulu airstrip where they will be collected by the camp transfer vehicle. The guests also have the option of flying to Kasane in Botswana before taking the lodge hopper flight to Lianshulu airstrip.
Road Access: The camp is easily accessed by tarred road from both Katima Mulilo and Kongola.
Nkasa Rupara experiences two distinct seasons. During the summer months (November to March), one can expect warm to hot days, punctuated by dramatic thunderstorms that bring frequent rainstorms, transforming the landscape into a tapestry of lush grasslands, a magnet for migratory birds.
Winter (April to October) days are warm and dry, marked by the arrival of the seasonal floodwaters. This is the best time for water-based activities on the Linyanti River and its surrounding channels.
Located in the heart of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, the 30,000-hectare Nkasa Rupara National Park is a vital wildlife corridor linking Botswana, Angola, Zambia, and Namibia. The park borders three of Botswana’s most iconic reserves – Linyanti, Kwando and Selinda – and with the park entirely unfenced and minimal development in the region, wildlife here moves freely across national boundaries, parks, and ecosystems, resulting in remarkably rich and diverse game viewing.
In the winter months, seasonal wetlands – fed by the Kwando and Linyanti Rivers – transform the park into a landscape reminiscent of the Okavango Delta. Here, reed-fringed channels, deep lagoons, and wooded islands provide sanctuary for everything from large hippo pods and semi-aquatic red lechwe to the shy sitatunga.
But it’s not only antelopes and hippos that you may hear splashing through the water. With a little luck, you might also discover spotted-necked otters playing in the shallows. Often dubbed the ‘water hyena’, this curious mammal is the smallest of the three otter species found in Africa, and a sighting is a highlight for many guests.
Another is the chance to spot small herds of elusive puku, a medium-sized antelope found in wet grasslands and floodplains across the region and northwards into Zambia. The reedbuck is also a signature species of Nkasa Rupara, found in the grasslands and reed-lined marshes of the park. Vast herds of buffalo – the park is home to the largest concentration of buffalo in Namibia – roam the grassy floodplains, while elephants migrate in impressive numbers along the ancient routes that run through this vital corridor.
Nkasa Rupara is a conservation stronghold for rare species, including the African wild dog and sable antelope. An array of predators—the park hosts healthy populations of both lions and leopards—stalk the abundant herds of plains game: warthogs, kudu, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, and more. At night, listen out for the haunting call of spotted hyenas on the prowl.
Nkasa Rupara is a renowned hotspot for birdwatching. With over 430 species recorded here, it stands as Namibia’s most productive birding destination, offering the opportunity to add the likes of wattled crane, Hottentot teal, carmine bee-eater, black crake and Pel’s fishing owl to your list.
Perhaps most importantly, with just a few camps in the park, guests enjoy the luxury of space and solitude at sightings. Game drives, boat excursions, and guided walks unveil a unique wilderness where the wildlife is as spectacular as the scenery.
