Etosha National Park The jewel in the crown of Namibia’s national parks

The great white place which is known locally as Etosha National Park. The white place referred to here is the white salt pan that covers a huge area in Etosha. At 2.2 million hectares, Etosha is big. Not only is it large, but it provides a home for thousands of animals and birds. The entire area is in a pristine state, which means that although there are administrators in the form of wardens and rangers, the area is not interfered with much.

Etosha is the “holy grail” of Namibia’s national parks. It is the most visited park by both locals and foreign tourists. To accommodate visitors, three rest camps are located within the Park. Okaukeujo (pronounced “Okakwayo”) is the flagship of these. Luxury bungalows, chalets and campsites offer different types of accommodation. A swimming pool, restaurant and shop complete the picture. The main attraction in Okaukeujo is the illuminated watering hole. When night falls, the lights come on and visitors enjoy a magnificent spectacle. Games of all shapes and sizes visit the watering hole throughout the night and provide live television for visitors. Since the game is used to light, it doesn’t bother them at all.

Namutoni and Halali are the other two rest camps in Etosha. As with most things in life, these camps have their own personality. Halali is rugged and the smallest of the three courses. Namutoni with its historical fort is more history oriented.

With a large number of watering holes located in the park, hunting is widespread. Visitors can easily reach these water holes as all of them are connected with a good road system. You don’t need a 4×4 vehicle as such, as smaller sedans can reach most water holes. The watering holes can be visited at any time during the day, but the best times will be just after sunrise and just before sunset. Make sure you are close to your destination as the sun sets as the camps close their gates at sunset. This is done to ensure the safety of visitors inside.

Etosha is known for its huge herds of plains zebra, blue wildebeest and antelope. Giraffe, Oryx, Red Hartebeest and Eland are some of the largest antelope present in Etosha. You can also see most predators, including lions, leopards and cheetahs. Smaller predators can be seen at night in the different waterholes in the camps.

Big game such as Elephant and Black Rhino are seen daily so there is something for everyone. Etosha is truly a wonderful experience, and definitely one of the “must do” things when in Namibia.