The expedition, whose objective is to promote tourism in the Angolan region of the Okavango-Zambezi Cross-Border Project, will run until 26 September.
"The first edition of the Raid Okavango from the source of the Cubango River to Bico de Angola will be a challenging and enjoyable adventure where participants will enjoy all the natural, cultural and historical wealth of the region, take a boat trip on the imposing Cubango, Cuito and Cuando rivers, as well as observe the wildlife in the Luengue-Luiana National Park", said Rui Lisboa, Chairman of the Board of Directors (PCA) of the National Agency for the Management of the Angolan Okavango Region (ANAGERO), quoted by Jornal de Angola.
The Chairman of ANAGERO explained that the initiative consists of a week-long trip, in which tourists travel in equipped 4x4 vehicles that will cover more than 2000 kilometres, starting at the source of the Cubango River (in Chicala Choloanga, in Huambo) and going to Bico de Angola in Cuando Cubango.
The initiative also includes a stop in Bié, where participants will have the opportunity to visit a centuries-old chapel, as well as admire the source of the Kwanza River.
According to Jornal de Angola, the itinerary also includes, in Cuando Cubango, visits to Luiana, Bico de Angola, Boa-Fé, in the municipality of Rivungo. The programme also includes a boat trip on the Cubango, Cuito and Cuando rivers with a view to exploring the flora and fauna of this region, where it is possible to see, for example, animals such as elephants, hippos, antelopes, lions, among others.
According to Rui Lisboa, Angola has great tourism potential in the national region of the Okavango-Zambezi project, which also includes Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, and whose objective is to create a conservation and tourism area with global reach.
According to the initiative's website, the 'Raid Okavango' "represents an organised visit by tourists to the main areas of tourist interest in the region", and "will be held annually and each year will correspond to the opening of a new tourist route, which will also highlight the main tourist resources in the region, for their operationalisation by tour operators".
"The raid is expected to begin in the provinces that are home to the Okavango and Zambezi water sources (Huambo, Bié and Moxico) and culminate in Bico de Angola, which currently represents the country's main wildlife sanctuary. The return will be made via the Caprivi Strip, in the Republic of Namibia, with an overnight stay in Rundu in Namibian territory, thus promoting cross-border tourism, which is one of the main flagships of the Okavango-Zambezi project", the website also reads.
