A beautiful awakening with a view of our camp—the birds are singing, and the sun shines through the trees directly into our camper. While we’re having breakfast, Dan, the campsite owner, stops by. We quickly arrange a boat trip with him for 3:30 PM.

Until then, we plan to independently visit the nearby Mudumu National Park, which is just about 20 minutes away. The entrance fee is $N 100 per person plus $50 for the car. We drive in slowly, noticing that the roads are sandier, more natural, and much less traveled than those in Etosha National Park. First, we head to the "Hippo Pool." While we don’t spot any hippos, we do see antelopes and admire the beautiful vegetation. We also scan the treetops for leopards, which live here too, but have no luck.

We continue driving, rarely encountering other vehicles, and are thrilled to see zebras, elephants, monkeys, sitatunga, bushbucks, giraffes, and various birds. It’s a wonderful outing.

After a late lunch back at camp, Dan picks us up. We walk to the boat dock, which is only two minutes away. It’s a small boat, seating about eight people, with a sunshade. Three others join us: Dan’s partner and two apparent tourists. The boat ride starts leisurely, and Dan shares interesting facts about the area and life in this region. The river branches off in several places, and it’s not always easy to identify the main channel, especially with the tall reeds. But Dan knows the area well and expertly navigates the boat along the river.

The Kwando River has many different branches, but navigating them is no problem for Dan.

It’s hard to believe, but we’re actually navigating through here with our boat. Just around this bend, a surprise awaits us.

After just five minutes, Dan gives us a signal and points to one side of the river. We’re still rounding a bend when suddenly, a hippo appears on the bank. It starts running (they’re fast!) and charges into the water in our direction with full force! Our hearts stop for a moment. Dan reacts immediately, speeds up the boat, and we take off. At one point, it resurfaces behind us. That was close. We definitely didn’t expect that much action!

The wildlife in and around this river turns out to be absolutely phenomenal. In the next few minutes, we see so many hippos that we quickly get used to their presence. At times, we count more than ten in one spot. They rise slowly, only their eyes visible above the water before silently submerging again. It’s a spectacle. Their deep, bass-like grunts can be heard for miles. We’re incredibly close to them. Dan’s extensive knowledge of the wildlife is impressive, but he’s not the only one with stories to tell.

The two "tourists" with us are actually Dan’s colleagues: a Namibian wildlife researcher and veterinarian, and his German au pair. The researcher works and conducts research in Etosha National Park, and between him and Dan, deep discussions about the local wildlife unfold. It feels like a university lecture, and we’re lucky to witness such an incredible exchange of knowledge firsthand. They share endless insights not just about the animals we’re seeing, but also about Namibian culture and life from a local’s perspective.

The wildlife researcher has some unbelievable stories to tell. From jumping out of helicopters onto animals, tranquilizing lions, to flying a plane painted in zebra stripes, he’s an adventurer through and through—like a real-life Indiana Jones! We could listen to him all night long.

The boat ride includes Namibia’s famous ‘Sundowners,’ where gin and tonic is the preferred choice. As the trip progresses, we get to know each other better, and the ride becomes increasingly enjoyable. We can ask any questions that come to mind and receive honest answers. This experience feels like hitting the jackpot.

Besides numerous hippos, we spot elephants, various bird species, and different kinds of antelopes. We only return to the dock as darkness falls. The wildlife researcher and his au pair still need to check on bee colonies that are part of a research project. They head back to Windhoek that same evening in their very old Land Rover with a trailer (which brings to mind memories of the TV show ‘Daktari’). This day will stay in our memories for a long time—it was simply phenomenal.