Etosha National Park

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.

Great park. The newly refurbished rooms are expensive compared to South Africa, but lovely. I'll pay anything for an outdoor shower. Wildlife is great, although a bit sparse due to the terrain in the park. I wouldn't want to spend weeks here, like I could in Kruger, but it is still well worth it's reputation.

Fantastic place full of wildlife, except lions (we didn't see any in 3 days). It's a place where lots of visitors drive their own car, so no "bush vibe". Halali Camp would definitely deserve a better service

Wonderful scenery!

Etosha is a scenic and unique wildlife destination, very different to other parks with little greenery, but beautiful in its own right. There is an abundance of wildlife although the Big Cats are not as common as in other African National Parks. The camps and lodges are all of a good standard and although there are a lot of self drivers it is still very easy to feel like you are on your own in the vastness of the park. Great and highly recommended destination.

Great wildlife experience but disliked the fact that safaris may even be done with big busses through the park