Ngandu Safari Lodge

If you were drawn to Ngandu Safari Lodge because of that safari bit and are hoping to spot the big five (elephant, buffalo, lions, leopards and rhinos), you won’t be let down around here: start with Mangetti National Park and Khaudum Game Reserve, both around an hour and a half from the Lodge, then venture further afield for Popa Game Park (two hours) and Etosha National Park (four hours). Staying out in the wild, make stops on your way to Etosha for Lake Otjikoto – home to arms and ammunition chucked in by the Germans during World War I (visit the museum in Tsumeb for some that have been fished out) – and Lake Guinas, the only two permanent natural lakes in Namibia. Closer to home, wandering the area around the Lodge is a must – the open market in Rundu is worthy of a poke around for local crafts and edible goodies, and the Mbumza Living Museum and Shambyu museum both give a solid overview of local history. For fab woodcarvings, head a short way out of town to the Ncumcara Community Forestry Craft Centre, where all proceeds are fed back into the community.