The southern border of eastern Caprivi is defined rather indistinctly along the line of the Kwando, the Linyanti and the Chobe rivers. These are actually the same river in different stages. The Kwando comes south from Angola, meets the Kalahari's sands, and forms a swampy region of reedbeds and waterways called the Linyanti swamps. (To confuse names further, locals refer to sections of the Kwando above Lianshulu as 'the Mashi'.)

These swamps form the core of Mamili National Park. In good years a river emerges from here, called the Linyanti, and flows northeast into Lake Liambezi. It starts again from the eastern side of Lake Liambezi, renamed the Chobe. This beautiful river has a short course before it is swallowed into the mighty Zambezi, which continues over the Victoria Falls, through Lake Kariba, and eventually discharges into the Indian Ocean.

To explore any of these areas on your own, ensure that you have the relevant 1:250,000 maps from the Surveyor General (Nos 1723, 1724, 1823 and 1824), a compass and the normal tourist map of Namibia. Combine these with local guidance and you will find some interesting areas. The NWR has staff in Katima, who may be able to help you with specific information: tel: 0677 3027. If you are really heading off into Mamili, then you should have some back-up help (eg: a second 4WD vehicle) and a GPS might be very useful.