Nakatwa Campsite No. 3, Mudumu NP | Established Campground

January 27th, 2024 by expeditionconservation.org

Absolutely wonderful place! The best and widest view of the Kwando river from all the sites. This is the best campsite from the three. We spent wonderful and very tranquil two nights here. You can watch a lot of hippos in the river all the time. Pretty good MTC LTE signal. Nothing here (no bin, not really a long drop anymore, etc.), so it’s like wild camping, bring all you need with you. We only saw four elephants in the park now, most have migrated to Angola atm. Not much other animals atm, either, but still a great experience in this little park. Not much mud atm, either. Some deep sand parts, but easy driving with a 4x4. We were the only people (besides the ranger post) in the park.

May 17th, 2023 by boryenek

it looks like wildcamp : no showers, no water, no bin and dirty pit toilet. but the environment is magical. 1 elephant came during the day, plenty of buffalos, impalas, birds, crocodiles and hippos. relaxing place. bring water, food and wood.
4x4 required because some deep sand sections.
we stayed 2 nights and we loved it 5/5.
100 per people per day + 50 the car : you pay only the park fees and it is per 24 hours so we stayed 3 days and 2 nights for 500 rands (2 people and 1 car). cash only.

February 20th, 2023 by sbroadstock

True wild camping on the side of a loop in the river. Hippos in the water, a few giraffes and bucks in the park. Distant sighting of an elephant so far. Some animal noises in the night and lots of strange bird song in the morning. Surprised to have a safari tour drive through this remote site. Bring your own water and a shovel. Approach track needs a 4x4 - sandy. Check in at the ranger station. We stayed 3 night in February. 750 N$ total - for 2 people . Collect plenty of firewood before you reach the site.

January 14th, 2023 by anne.bonfert

Stunning campsite. This is as wild as camping can get. Beware of wildlife takes here another level. Elephants and hippos close by all the time. Also watch out for baboons.
We drove through the long stretch of thick sand from campsite two but on our way out, we took the straight road back to the main road. 4x4 necessary but no troubles. It hadn't rained, so mostly dry.
Amazing views of the floodplain and river. A must stay when driving through Caprivi for all those brave enough.

tip: just before reaching the gate, turn right to reach reception. Check-in is the yellow building even if the signs say otherwise.

October 15th, 2022 by antalleke

Lovely spot to camp, Fabian reserved for us via WhatsApp. Payment in the office with cash only. Spend two night on site 3. Very quiet at night, no lions and the baboons were quiet the one night they stayed in the tree with us. Many elephants, zebras and all kinds of ‘bok’. Hippo in the water and across on the island. On the afternoon of the 2nd day 2 hyena’s came to the river too. Nice sighting. We did get stuck for a few minutes with our 10tonnes truck, the spot in the middle of the park towards the river is very sandy.

May 10th, 2022 by Wyld Eagle Adventures

As described. Wildlife pure and close. Garbage can full and nobody seems to empty it, so take extra with you if you can.
Fabian still great and helpful to set you up for camping, same number as mentioned, +264 81 606 2961, but currently call or text only, no more WhatsApp as his smartphone broke.

April 21st, 2022 by julieaosborne

Lovely large spot with panoramic views across the flood plain. Hippos everywhere. Baboons in the tree above camp so just be careful. This and number 1 site are the best. Remember to book- don’t just turn up from the South Gate and pitch up. Someone will have booked it it’s unfair to do so. Also don’t ask to share - again unfair if someone has booked it and with no facilities you need some privacy!!

December 16th, 2021 by 14honeybadgers

Wild camping on the Kwando river. No amenities. Far from the maddening crowd. Birds, hippos, elephant for company. Who knows even the occasional croc I suppose. Peaceful.

November 26th, 2021 by janharm.duplessis

We stayed for 2 nights and it was one of the wildest and most amazing camping experiences we have ever had. Exactly as described in the previous post by @savannatales! Lions roaring around camp, hyena in camp, baboons, roan, zebra, giraffe…and an angry elephant bull on a rampage keeping us awake. The entrance to all camps are still deep sand, but some rain over the past weeks made it much easier. However, deflate tires (even on trailer) and steady low range. The only sad thing was to witness the rubbish left in the bins by previous visitors:-( We made park management aware who should clean, but campers should remove what they bring in!!!

As stated, camping is free and you only pay park, conservation and vehicle fees on entry. The new park infrastructure looks amazing although not yet completely in use. We arrived from the south via Shona gate (from Linyati) and had to go to the northern gate to pay (main reception) as Shona gate is not operational yet. We were the only people in the park and had the privilege to choose between any of the 3 x stands. However, Fabian (at reception) gave us his whatsapp number and said it is better to pre-book to avoid disappointment. (+264816062961). All 3 campsites are amazing and on the edge of the Kwando backwater. However campsite no 3 has the best unobstructed views.

We paid; Nd50 pppd (Park Fees SADC), Nd20 pppd (Conservation Fees) and Nd50 pd (Car Fees)

Note to Moderator: The campsites are actually called Nakatwa Campsites, inside Mudumu National Park.

Amazing place!!!!!

October 12th, 2021 by Instagram: @savannatales

Simply fantastic! Amazing views and very wild! I actually couldn't sleep because of so much going on around the campsite. :-) First of all baboons sleep on the trees at the campsite (they are not used to people so never feed them or they will become a nuisance like in most campsites!). Then there were the hippos coming out of the water, then an elephant literally one meter from the tent breaking into the bush, then lions roaring and getting closer and closer from the campsite, then baboons shouting because of the lions, then a group of elephants shouting and probably chased the lions away, then another elephant close to the tent and finally at 5am baboons waking up and leaving the trees. I actually only slept from 5am until 6:30am. Crazy night I guess! Oh the tracks from main road to here are quite deep sand so deflate your tyres. MTC network coverage with H+ internet although a bit unstable. Price for camping still free if you pay park and conservation fees. No shade during the day but lots of wildlife around coming to drink by the river throughout the day including roan antelopes, zebras and lots of herds of elephants.

September 1st, 2021 by patreon.com

Great place no facilities but you camp on the waters edge. Campsite 3 and 4 is the best. Campsite 4 has no shade. You pay enter fee just outside the North gate of the park. There was lots of toilet paper lying around. We picked it all up. Please assist by keeping it clean.

August 22nd, 2021 by petrastadler7

Had an Incredible time here!
Many elephant sightings but our most exciting experience was a lioness walking past us about 40m away!! We were still chilling at the fire and the baboons started going crazy and then we saw her tail disappear behind the bush.. we drove towards her and came super close!

July 2nd, 2021 by raymond

Camp is still great, fees went up a little, N$160 for 2 nights, 1 person, still very reasonable ,the only gripe I have is that campers do not take their rubbish with them! If you had place to bring it surely you can take it out again!

May 11th, 2021 by onlyME

Everything as described before. Still open and recommended. Not so many animals, but it's not the right season for elephants.
We stayed 2 nights, during the morning we drove through the park and spotted 1 giraffe, jackal, sable antelope. Many impalas and hippos near the Hippo Pool and campsite.
We paid NAD140 entrance fee for 2 people and our car (2 nights)
and NAD80 conservation fee.
Very friendly officer (Fabian 081 6062961) and staff

October 26th, 2020 by jcgvdb

Nice spot on the river with a very beautiful view over the river and the grasslands.
Saw quite some animals, most at a distance.
No facilities at all, but N$90 for 2persons and the car.
The last stretch of the track to the campspot is loose sand, lower tyre pressure and high clearance recommended.

August 1st, 2020 by gritschontour.com

very nice spot for a campsite! 30 elephants, hippos, impalas, blue wildebeests, baboons and crocs very close to watch. When we left we saw a sable antilope.
A track leading south from here, will bring you close to an army post. We saw a leopard in this area.

July 1st, 2020 by troopyblog.wordpress.com

One of the few places left camping in a national park with a real bush experience as in Botswana or Zambia.

This is the best of the 3 available wild camp sites. Amazing riverviews towards the “horseshoe” bent in the river.

There are no facilities. As said before, although there is a drum for trash, take yours with you, as baboons clean out the bins and rubbish is everywhere. Same for toiletpaper. Burry and burn! Pls make you fire only at the designated spot so the expierience of this special place is there for others to enjoy as well.

Camping is still free. You pay only for the park entrance permits. This can only be done at the camp on the right side (coming from the north) of the main road at the Nort Gate entrance (the offices here are not occupied).

There is a big sign which explains this, but we missed it the first time and the letters are small to read while driving past it...

February 23rd, 2020 by geoffreythisis

As described, loads of Hippos literally right in front of our campspot (we had the whole park to ourselves we think - didn't see anyone and the man at reception said we were the only visitors so far when we checked in at lunch time. We had a fire in the well used spot and drove around the following day (saw Giraffes, Elephants, Hippos, Zebras, Monkeys, Impala, (water?)buck, warthog and other things. Amazing value, still at 40pp plus 10 for the car with free camping.

January 13th, 2020 by Miss Daisy

As described amazing site but please please all travelers take your garbage with you don't leave it in the site although there is a bowl for it. The 2km road was muddy and sandy but we have managed with our heavy truck.

May 24th, 2019 by tracksaroundtheworld.de

We have to agree fully. A wonderful place. Very peaceful, wide view over the river. Many animals to hear and to see. You should reserve, because it is really nice and often fully booked. It is absolutely worth. You are alone with the nature.
For big rigs: The direct road from the main road was better than the connection from 1,2 to 3. That was too narrow. The sand is deep, but ok with flat tires and speed. And this road (direct from main road to 3) has less bushes.

September 8th, 2018 by PaPe

We stayed in C2 but added Photos from C3.

June 22nd, 2018 by contact

Beautiful spot directly on the river with stunning sunset. Hippos watch you while cooking, 3km from the next campsite. Park entry fees 40ND pp and 10ND for the car, camping is free! Friendly wardens at the Mudumu National Park Ranger Station! Firepit on site! Most certainly worth a visit!

July 6th, 2017 by Only the Wind Knows

Amazing site! Right on the water. The 3 sites in the park are over a kilometer apart from each other, so you truly have privacy and an experience of wild Africa. It's like wild camping with a reservation. There's an abandoned, but functional long drop at the site. Many hippos around. Elephants drinking right next to the campsite. We heard lions and jackals. You can reserve at the office where you get your permit. In high season, you may need to book a few days in advance to secure a site. This was the case for us in July. Camping is still free with N$90 park entry for two adults and a vehicle. What a find!

April 28th, 2017 by Cruisecanary

Excellent spot. When I arrived there at about 5 pm there were lots of impalas, kudu, baboons and an elephant on the spot! unfortunately there also was a camper that insisted he booked this campsite and didn't want any companions. I therefore moved to site 2.

The access track to site 3 I found to be somewhat sandy but not difficult if you have a 4x4. Those on motorcycle can easily avoid the sand. There are no facilities whatsoever. No guard, no toilets, no water tap, no firewood, no lights, nothing. The isolation and the wildlife make up for that but you should be aware of this and bring your own firewood and supplies.
Camping is indeed free if you pay the ridiculously low entrance fees.

November 20th, 2016 by mankei-travel

A really wonderful place at an backwater of the kwando with a wide view, beside a drinking place of animals, many elefants (eating from the bushes next to the car at night), hippos in the water. We heard lion at night.
It is allowed to walk araound.
The track to the camp and out is very sandy.

Only entrance fee 40N$ p.p. and 10N$ per car, camping is free.

Absolutely recommendable.

2G Internet with MTC-SIM