Etosha National Park

Always a pleasure to visit

Etosha National Park is one of Southern Africa’s best wildlife reserves. As with many such parks, what you see depends on patience and luck. However, in Etosha you will always see something interesting regardless of the season. There are many accessible waterholes where animals congregate in the dry winter season, although there is still plenty to see at other times of the year. We have visited Etosha twice, in late April/early May, and during our visit this year (2016) we were rewarded with the sight of eight elephants who walked right past us and a few minutes later we saw three cheetahs out in the open. All of this was a short drive from Namutoni Camp. The other good point about Etosha is that it is very large so it doesn’t feel crowded. The only downside, and it’s not a major issue, is that the camps inside the park are a bit tired and need an injection of money and better management. Despite that it is still a highly recommended place to visit.

At the waterholes in particular we had some great animal viewing.

We very much enjoyed our time in Etosha National Park. The park was easy to get around in, and the people we met were kind and courteous. Animal viewing was terrific. Although we didn't see the numbers of animals we've seen elsewhere in Africa, the dry climate and associated waterholes made for some great, concentrated sightings, with some unique poses. We highly recommend this park as an animal viewing destination.

This is one of the greatest and largest national parks in Africa.

Incredible Animal Encounters In A Wild and Wonderful Country

In April of this year my 76 year old mother and I vacationed in Namibia for three weeks. I chose Namibia because I am a hobbyist photographer and wanted to visit the Namib desert and the Himba tribal lands. Mom came along because she wanted to see African wildlife in their natural habitat.

April was a wonderful time to visit Etosha, because there were many baby animals out and about (we saw baby lion, zebra, giraffe, elephant, warthog, wildebeest, kudu, hartebeest, springbok, impala). The grasses and vegetation were still green, but just turning into gold (the "blonde" season for Namibia) so the beauty of the landscape and the vistas was truly breathtaking at every turn. If you'd like to see some of the photographs, please feel free to visit this site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jillscoby/

Once in a lifetime

So there you are, one day watching David Attenborough on your TV, the other day getting into the wild yourself, and what an experience it is. I traveled with my girlfriend around Namibia with the help of an accommodated tour, and of course that the main stop would be Etosha. I think winter is the high season, but we did not feel the crowd, the over touristic scene, everything was just good scenery, good weather and a good time. In two days of safari we easily spotted all the must see animals, expect the illusive leopard. Our guide just had an eye for it, he actually told us that when he was young he would hunt with his family riding the pick up in the dark, so pretty much nothing would escape his boosted eyesight, he would always be the first to spot everything! We didn't opt for the camping, instead we stayed in lodges, both would be a great option I think. Facilities often had swimming pools, great food, everything. I can only recommend Namibia as a country to visit. Although I've never done any other safari, I got the impression by researching and discussing with friends that this is the place to go nowadays, every condition for your wild trip with one of the best prices, in one of the safest places on Africa.

The Lion King scene ... without the lion

Have you seen the Lion King animated movie?
Well, in Etosha you have a feeling you are in that movie, right on the scene.
The sheer vastness of the place and number of animals is amazing. Meaning also that after a few days, a simple oryx is not enough for you to pause, now you are only for the lion. But (fortunately) he did not know that and decided to stay in distance ...

Self-drive makes Etosha not just another (giant) zoo, but rather a self-organized adventure.
'Chasing' animals in a car around the park and waterholes is one thing. However, standing still and observing animals from the camp is entirely different (and much more rewarding) experience.
I would recommend anyone to take the time and spend the night in one of the camps in Etosha. I was not the only one amazed. At sunset and sundown, you could see 50+ people gathered at the fence, watching a couple of animals doing their daily routine. All this without any noise, except for the clicking of cameras (some with 600 mm zoom).

I stayed in Etosha for 3 nights (2 in Okaukuejo, 1 in Namutoni) and can say the following:
o Okaukuejo - a definite must, always full of all sorts of animals and with great position to see the sunset; very busy, so staff did not really try to be friendly
o Halali (did not stayed for the night) looked more pristine, but smaller and without the big animals (when I was there)
o Nakamutoni - friendly staff, but otherwise a dissapointment due to facilities not maintained and pratically no animals (no real waterhole).
Apparently there are now 2 camps also in the western part of Etosha (previously closed for tourists), but have not tried those.

In order to explore Etosha, you do not need a local guide, GPS or a map (available at camps) is enough.
However, there are organized safari trips at night that might be worth trying (you are not allowed to go outside the camp at night on your own).

Etosha did not disappoint

We stayed in the park for 14 nights and visited all camps. Each camp has it's own highlights, for instance the waterholes in Okaukuejo and Halali or the silence of Onkoshi. There were plenty of sightings every day. Elephants, lions, a leopard, a honey badger, giraffes and other game. We had organized everything on our own and used a rental car for the trip. It's not necessary to hire a guide, just drive from waterhole to waterhole and you will find animals.

A wildlife paradise

First and foremost, the types of wildlife I saw in Etosha Park were greatly varied. To list, there were many zebras, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, kudu, springbok, steenbok, wildebeest, red hartebeest, oryx, and ostriches. As it was wintertime, there was a scarcity of water around the park, so it was easy to see lots of animals gathered at the watering holes. I was told that there are also many leopards and lions in the park, but as I only spent two days there, I did not have enough time to see them.

I stayed at Halali camp, which was at the center of the park. It was at a good location with a waterhole nearby, but the rooms, especially the bathroom facilities, were old. I heard from others that there are better accommodations near the entrances of the park.

The park offers "game drives" twice a day, for 3 hours, for 500 Namibian dollars. These are very convenient, and you can make reservations for them upon arrival.

Wild life as a best; jiraffes, zebras, wildbeasts and antilopes . Only place to see rhinos

Hotels are not prepared for kind services, specially in the restaurants.
The Park is a large one with more than 74 holes, manmade and naturals, where are the best places to see wildlife.
It was my first Safari, but I am looking to compare this one, with information in the web with Kruger National Park in South Africa and the Serengetti y Gorongoro in Safari of Kenya and Tanzania. All have its peculiar enchantments. If you are looking to obtain a real african experience in the wilderness, this is one of the places

Outstanding Experience

Etosha National Park is quite a unique place - we got to see a lot of animals in their natural habitat. One morning when we left very early (6ish) from one of the camps we even saw a leopard perched on a tree, enjoying the scenic view (or maybe eyeing a kudu ...). We can really recommend staying several days in the camps, as there are water holes at each camp and animals do really show up at those. We even saw two rhinos at a waterhole at night (around 9pm) so patience really pays off.