Okavango Panhandle Accommodation
The Panhandle is the main Okavango river before it fans out into the Delta
Okavango Panhandle - One theory has it that millions of years ago the Okavango, Chobe and Upper Zambezi flowed as one majestic river across the middle Kalahari
This huge river later joined the Limpopo river and emptied into the Indian ocean
Earth movements however stopped this flow and caused a damming effect of the river and the formation of the Linyanti swamp and Okavango delta
The Panhandle is a stretch of 70km of the Okavango River with tall reeds and deep water
Okavango Panhandle Accommodation
Drotsky Cabins
Xaro Safari LodgeSituated near Shakawe, on the panhandle, on the north western side of the Okavango delta, Botswana 15 minute boat ride from Drotsky cabins.
Mahangu Safari Lodge
Divava Okavango Lodge & Spa
Nunda Safari Lodge
Best Rustic Lodge
Okavango Houseboats |
Panhandle AccommodationDrotsky CabinsXaro Safari LodgeNamibia - Caprivi StripOkavango Fishing LodgeDivava Okavango Lodge and SpaNunda LodgeBest Rustic CampHouseboat RentalsHouseboats Okavango |
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See and Do - Panhandle Okavango
FishingWith the Panhandle being deep and fast-flowing it is ideal for both the fighting Tigerfish and bream. Seventeen species of fish can be caught in the Panhandle area |
BirdingBird watching is outstanding in this region's tall, shady, riverine forests and many resident and migratory birds can be seen along the river |
Tsodilo Hills - food for the imagination
About 40km to the west of the Panhandle lies a rocky outcrop known as Tsodilo Hills, an area that boasts fascinating cave paintings and walking trails
Mountain of the Gods, Rising majestically from the surrounding Kalahari, Tsodilo’s Botswana’s highest peak (1395 meters) and a sacred landmark that has for thousands of years attracted people to live, trade and visit.
Tsodilo is actually one of Africa’s premiere rock sites and Botswana’s first World Heritage Site. Over 4500 images have been painted at 400 sites, most of these date between 850AD and 1000AD.
Tsodilo Hills consist of four large pieces of rock, rising unexpectedly from the dry expanse of desert. The Bushmen that lived here referred to the bigger rock as the 'male', the smaller one was known as the 'female', and the smallest one was the 'child'. According to legends the fourth hill was the male hill's first wife, whom he left for a younger woman, and who now prowls in the background.
Bushman paintings : It boasts 400 individual sites representing thousands of years of human habitation. Nobody knows the exact age of the paintings although some are thought to be more than 20 000 years old, whilst others are merely a century old
It can be reached on a good dirt road in a standard 2 wheel drive car
Drotsky's Caves - Gcwihaba Caves ("hyena's hole")
These beautiful caves are situated 50km south east of Aha Hills and are set in the same undulating Kalahari dunes
The cave has two entraces but no guides, lighting or route indicators which makes them unsuitable for the faint hearted. The route through the cave is however easy to walk and you will see stunning stalagmites and stalactites that reach lengths of 10 m in some places. The caves are also home to a large population of bats including the big Commersons Leaf Nosed Bats.
There are two unspectacular low ridges of sand-covered rock at the entrance to the caves, but an enchanting spectacular curtain of stalactites is the first of many wonders inside this fascinating formation.
The caves are a labyrinth of linked passages and caverns, which exist on two levels, one raised several metres above the other.
The large bat population sometimes encountered inside is noisy, but totally harmless. The system of caves contains a maze of passages which lead to bizarre rock formations, flowstones of various beautiful and subtle colours, stalactites, inlets, hallways, apertures and "frozen" waterfalls.
These magnificent chambers and formations, stalagmites and stalactites which reach up to 10m in height or length, were all carved and formed by dripping water, which seeped through and dissolved dolomite rock. Although completely isolated this unspoilt area is worth exploring for a few days. It is necessary to be completely self-sufficient as the cave is very remote.
In the !Kung language, the name of this cavern system in the Gcwihaba Hills means "hyena's hole".
The Gcwihaba Caverns were first brought to European attention in the mid-1930s when the !Kung showed them to Ghanzi farmer Martinus Drotsky, and for years they were known as Drotsky's Caves.
As with many caves, Gcwihaba has a legend of treasure; the fabulously
wealthy founder of Ghanzi, Hendrik Matthys van Zyl, is said to have
stashed a portion of his fortune here in the late 1800s.
Find it if you can. Accessible only in 4x4 vehicles
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