Popa Falls Resort in Divundu reopens on 29 November 2013

Popa Falls reopens after renovations. The Popa Falls Resort is located within the small Popa Falls Game Reserve on the banks of the mighty Kavango River, in north-east Namibia. It is the only NWR facility in the Kavango East Region. Popa Falls eco-lodge is only 15 km from the Mahango Game Reserve, one of the most diverse and interesting conservation areas, characterized by riverine forests, magnificent baobabs and a wide variety of wildlife species, including elephant, hippo, buffalo, the Nile crocodile, reedbuck, roan and sable antelope, and the elusive Sitatunga antelope. The lodge falls within the area identified for the Kavango Zambezi trans-frontier park and is the perfect stopover when travelling between the Khaudum and Mahango game reserves. The name ‘Popa Falls’ is somewhat of a misnomer, as they are really a series of rapids. The course of the river is abruptly interrupted by rocks, creating a four-meter high waterfall, before the river enters Botswana and the Okavango Delta. The lodge is also a haven for nature lovers as it provides activities such as fishing, canoeing, boating, guided tours and unguided self-drive game tours to Mahango Game Reserve (the area borders the Okavango River, where crocodile and hippo abound), scenery drives, walking trails to name but a few. Anglers can enjoy the presence of some of the species of game fish that occur in the Kavango River such as three-spot, green headed tilapia and tiger fish. The closure of the lodge was prompted by dilapidation and it was no longer meeting international standard tourism requirements. The camp was closed for redevelopment in March 2013. Popa Falls attracts local, regional and international people. The camp is an ideal stopover for tourists travelling to Namibia’s neighbouring countries, namely Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In May this year, NWR launched Namleisure card, a discount card that gives Namibian cardholders and their family members access to 50 percent discount on accommodation whenever they are visiting or making use of NWR facilities. Apart from the Namleisure membership card, Namibians get a 25 percent discount (on accommodation only) throughout the year. In addition, it is worth mentioning that during renovation, the project employed 30 local labourers from the community. A local supplier was contracted, hence economic empowerment and cash injection into the community which supplied the grass used for roof thatching. Furthermore, members of the local community make up fifty percent of permanent employees at the camp. The costs of renovations: over N$41 million was budgeted for the project and just over N$ 35 million was spent on the actual face

lift.