Reedbuck River Lodge takes its name from the antelope that still graze the reedbeds at the edge of the lawn in the early morning. The lodge is a row of twenty chalets strung along the south bank of the Okavango, linked by a sandy path under jackalberry and sausage trees. The river here is slow and wide, and on the far side are the fields, fishing canoes and evening cooking fires of villages in Angola.
This is an easy place to stop for a night or three. The drive from Etosha or from the Zambezi is long, and the lodge is set up for people arriving a little dusty: a cold welcome drink, a pool by the water, a bar on a deck built out over the reeds. Dinner is relaxed and filling, with tilapia or bream grilled whole, pap and relish, and vegetables from garden plots worked with a women's growing group from the next village.
Rundu is fifteen minutes away for fuel, cash and the open market, where carvers sell bowls, drums and masks made from kiaat wood. On the water the lodge runs sundowner boat trips and morning outings in dugout canoes, and anglers come for tigerfish in the warmer months. Kingfishers are everywhere, pied, malachite and giant, and African fish eagles call from the dead trees on the Angolan bank.
Timber chalets on low stilts, about 32 m², with a queen or two single beds, air conditioning, a ceiling fan and a shower room. Sliding doors open onto a small deck a few steps from the water, with two chairs for watching the boats go by.
Two bedrooms under one roof, one with a queen bed and one with two singles, with a shared shower room and a larger deck. An extra bed fits in the main room for a third child.
Rates and live availability are on the Ombara booking engine. Ask the Windhoek team and they reply with both.
A flat-bottomed boat takes you upstream past reed islands and sandbanks where crocodiles bask and hippos surface with a snort. Children wave from the Angolan side, fishermen paddle home, and the sun goes down straight over the river. Drinks and snacks on board.
A local poler guides you through the quiet backwaters in a traditional dugout, close to the reeds where malachite kingfishers hunt and reed frogs cling to the stems. It is slow, quiet and very low to the water.
Head out with a skipper who knows the channels, for tigerfish, nembwe and threespot bream. Tackle is supplied, tigerfish are released, and bream can go to the kitchen for your dinner. Best from September to March. A Namibian fishing licence is required and arranged at reception.
A guide takes you into Rundu to the open market, with its piles of dried fish, mopane worms and fresh produce, and then to the roadside workshops where carvers shape kiaat wood into bowls and drums. Buy directly from the people who made the pieces.
15 km east of Rundu off the B8, on the south bank of the Okavango, Kavango East Region, Namibia
17.9208° S, 19.9034° E
Getting there: Ombara Shuttle and Ombara Drive 4x4s both reach most of our lodges. Ask the team for the best route from where you are.
Tell us your dates and group. We come back with availability and a sensible way to get there.
