Experience the best of Rundu

Rundu stands on a high bank of the Kavango River, which forms the border with Angola, and is the main town of north-eastern Namibia. The land is flat, sandy and green along the water, with reed beds, millet fields and the thatched homesteads of the Kavango people. Dugout canoes still work the river, and hippos and crocodiles live in its channels.

Roadside stalls on the edge of town sell carved animals, bowls and masks cut from local hardwood, a craft the Kavango region is known for across Namibia. Farther east along the river lie the Mahango floodplain, part of Bwabwata National Park, and the rapids at Popa Falls, both good for elephants and birds. Khaudum National Park is a remote sandy reserve to the south-east.

River fish, grilled over coals or fried, and a stiff porridge of pearl millet make up many a meal here, and the evenings by the water are slow and warm. The town offers markets, lodges and the river itself rather than a list of sights. The dry months from May to September are clear with cool mornings, and the rains begin in November.