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Lodges still open for business in northern regions

 Although the rising water levels and floods in the north have led to the closure of some tourism establishments, not all lodges are closed for business. (Photograph contributed by Hospitality Association of Namibia)Despite many reports to the contrary, most tourism establishments in the Caprivi and Kavango regions have not been affected by rising water levels and floods.
Charlie Paxton, member of the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) and the Communal Lodge Task Group and Kavango Open Africa Route (KOAR), said this week that various establishments are open for business.
“… while the flood season may have an affect on some of the access routes to the various establishments, lodges and camps in the region; guests and travellers are always advised to contact particular establishments in advance of travelling to the area to find out about the status of the access roads, rather than to assume that all is flooded as this has had detrimental effects on business in the past,” Paxton said in a statement.
Only two lodges closed their doors due to the annual flooding of the Okavango river. These lodges are expected to open for business during the course of this month. Another five lodges are still open and are transporting their visitors via boats to the accommodation establishments.
“All the other twelve lodges and camps are fully operational and accessible by road. The Okavango river peaked in Rundu last week Friday and started subsiding over the weekend. It is expected to peak later this week at Andara and start subsiding early next week in the Divundu area. Tourism business is essentially open as usual, so please be advised to call your lodge to confirm you booking before you cancel or change it,” Paxton urged.
The river is currently rising in the Divundu/Bagani areas but dropped in Nkurenkuru and Rundu. The river level is expected to drop further towards the middle of next week, by which the affected lodges should be open for business again.

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