The border river between
Namibia and Angola, the Kunene, plummets down a 40 metre deep gorge at the
Epupa Falls close to the nearby village of Epupa, it is one of Namibia’s five
perennial rivers.. The gorgeous Epupa Falls also recognized
as Monte Negro Falls in Angola. The fall is beautifully created by the Kunene
River on the border of Angola and Namibia in the Kaokoland area of the Kunene
Region. Though the river is only .05 kilometer wide and drops a series of
waterfalls spread over 1.5 kilometers with the greatest single drop being 37 m.
The name “Epupa” is a
Herero word for “foam” in reference to the foam created by the falling water. The
specialized nature of the steep riparian habitat and it is the locus of
endemism for a number of fish and other aquatic species. If you want to access
the falls, then you need a 4WD vehicle to reach them from Opuwo. Despite of
difficulties, the falls is a major tourist attraction in Namibia. The
surrounding area of falls is unspoiled with lovely fig trees, baobabs, makalani
palms and coloured rock walls framing the falls.
The journey of Opuwo to
the Epupa waterfall is having real worth of two to three hours trip to the falls
on four wheel drive. The track is not in good condition and sometimes extremely
difficult to accept. The real majestic beauty is enchanting, even you can see
Kunene valley. It gives you a feel of discovering a piece of heaven. Therefore Kunene
region is very dry the threat of malaria is minimal, and extreme dangerous are
the crocodiles in the Kunene River thus swimming in the river is not advisable.
Epupa Falls is a prevalent stopover for overland trucks and organized safaris,
and awkwardly can get swamped with tourists. The trip to Epupa falls is not
recommended from Dec to April due to rain season makes the trip extremely difficult.