Etosha National Park

We loved Etosha. The only thing we didn’t like, was that it wasn’t self catering. We like to braai and do our own food

My first time I saw wild elephants, rhino & hyena!

I was in Etosha National Park in April 2017. It is end of the rainy season so there is enough water for the animals in the nature. That is maybe the reason why we had not so much good luck at waterholes. We had best sightings in the East around Fort Namutoni. It was the first time I saw elephants, a rhino and a hyena! Most of them in the afternoon, just before sunset.

On the way from East to West we saw a few antilopes, ostrich and some other birds and of course breath taking landscapes. But I wished we would have stayed in the East around Namutoni. Also at the waterhole at Okaukuejo Camp in the West we had no luck.

My recommendation would be coming in the dry season later the year (Aug-Oct) or staying a few days in the East instead of going to the West. But, this is safari, you never know what happens!! Maybe we had just bad luck.

The camp sites were all clean and there are shops and restaurants. It is possible there to book extra game drives / night drives. I recommend to bring your own water / don’t drink tap water (like I did in the rest of Namibia, without any issues).

Many sightings of animals (sadly no leopard although we did see black rhino)

Fine park must see!!!

We went in the wet season and there were less big animals, I think it’s better in the dry season because they have to come to the water holes.

Amazing

I went to Etosha for a week, and i have to say it has been awesome ! In just five days I had the chance to see 11 lions, a cheetah (with is usually rare in the area), Rhinos, and other wildlife... I was expecting that much.
the scenery was great, though the disappointing part, is that Etosha in July, August is so dry and deserted. The weather was fine, and the accommodation far beyond my expectations. Food is difficult to find in camps.

The heart of the Namibian wildlife

The park lies in a large endorheic salt pan, forming part of the Kalahari Basin in the north of Namibia. The park thus has a unique combination of landscapes (spanning from waterholes to stretches of salt) and wildlife, in particular elephants, lions, zebras and birds. The park is very wide, as compared to other parks in countries like Botswana, so, in order to spot wildlife rangers often needs to communicate via radio devices.
The weather in winter (July-August) is relatively dry and days are mostly sunny.
Regarding the accomodations there are a few options just outside of the park, which are comfortable, cosy and often green. Inside the park, lodges put you very close to waterholes, where you can easily watch animals assembling.

Incredible experience

We went to Etosha using our car rental during 2 days. It was our first safari and i have to say it was amazing. From the entrance of the park until the last meters we literally felt like on another planet.
Imagine after 30 seconds in the park you see an elephant quietly walking along the road. This elephant is being looked at by 2 giraffes who seem to be waiting for you to move along.
The following hours were then exceptional. Srpingbocks, rhinos, gembocks, hyena, more elephants, more giraffes. We could barely ask for more.
We followed the main road for the first day and did a bit of side roads on day 2. Main roads are fine, used by most vehicles. Side roads were clearly more challinging, especially "Eland drive" with holes as tall as the 4x4.
Overall, Erosha was totally worth it and I would go back any time.

Etosha is a huge safari park. Each game drive here is unique. You'll see a lot of animals, but it will be a surprise what it will be. I was three days in Ethosa and we saw a lot of rhino's. From a distance, but also up close near a water hole. We saw two cheetahs watching gemsbok. And then a large group of giraffe walking on the road. We did not see any elephant. That was a disappointment.
A large proportion of the park cannot be visited: the Etosha pan and the area north of the pan. That's the part of the park where National Geographic photographers do their work.
We slept one day in the park in Okaukujeo. The rooms and restaurant are OK, but not great. I prefer lodges like Etosha Safari Lodge & Camp just outside the park.

if you have been in Khaudum or at the Kwando river, Etosha looks like a big zoo

Beautiful salt flats and oryx, easy to access and close to civilization.