Popa Falls, Namibia

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Popa Falls is a welcome stop-over for visitors travelling between Rundu and Katima Mulilo, and is a convenient base for those wishing to explore the nearby Mahango Game Park.

Popa Falls is a simple government restcamp next to some rapids in the Okavango River, which are pretty rather than spectacular. They mark where the river drops 2.5m over a rocky section, caused by a geological fault. After passing over this, the Okavango begins gradually to spread out across the Kalahari’s sands until eventually, in Botswana, it forms its remarkable inland delta.

The rest camp on the banks of the Kavango River is dominated by mature stands of knob thorn and dense bushwillow scrub.
Much to the credit of Namibia's conservation authorities, the vegetation was disturbed as little as possible when the rest camp was being built and today the tall, shady trees are much appreciated after a long, hot drive.

From the camp it is an easy ramble to the falls. A wooden bridge has been built across the channel that flows past the camp sites. This gives day visitors access to an island, on which a short walk will bring them to the cascades.
Provided the level of the river is low, it is possible to boulder-hop across some of the smaller channels to get a better view of the falls. However, you must not expect to see a waterfall in the true sense of the word. The name is a misnomer as the falls are nothing more than a series of rapids created by a rocky quartzite ledge which obstructs the course of the Kavango River at this point. Although the rapids have a total drop of only about 4 m, they extend across the full width of the river - about 1,2 km at Popa.
When the river is in flood, the rocky ledge is submerged - the cascades are, therefore, best viewed during the dry season when the fully-exposed ledge reveals a multitude of rushing channels and small islands. More info on: www.namibiatourism.com

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