Etosha National Park, Namibia

Etosha Saltpans and dense herds of plains game and predators

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Etosha National Park is one of the finest game parks in Southern Africa. It lies in the north of Namibia and covers 22,000 km2, enclosing a vast saltpan that becomes an immense, shallow lake in rainy periods, attracting great numbers of flamingos and other water birds. During the dry season in Etosha, the open plains beside the pan are home to tens of thousands of animals with large herds of springbok, gemsbok, zebra, wildebeest, elephant and, of course, the predators which follow - particularly cheetah and lion. The diminutive Damara dik-dik is one of the rarer but delightful sightings.

Etosha National Park is relatively unusual in that you can explore the park at your leisure using a rental car or opt to stay at one of the private game lodges on the edge of Etosha and join their guided game drives. If you choose to drive yourself, park your car at one of the waterholes and watch the game come to drink through the day. This is particularly rewarding for keen photographers.

Most popular during the dry season from May to mid October, Etosha National Park gets very booked up so we recommend booking early. There’s a range of options to suit different budgets. The three rest camps inside the Etosha National Park have been extensively renovated and upgraded and offer a good, simple quality of accommodation, each with its own active waterhole for evening game viewing. The chalets are all self-catering though there is a restaurant at each restcamp. We prefer a number of the private lodges just outside the gates, such as Ongava, Onguma and Mushara. Some offer game-viewing on their own reserves as well as in Etosha. Here you can take guided game drives into Etosha, night drives on their own reserve and bush walks, activities which are not available if you stay in the park itself.

In the eastern and central part of Etosha National Park it is mostly flat and so with practice it is easy to spot a variety of plains game. Most commonly seen are the elephant, Damara dik-dik, giraffe and large herds of Burchell's zebra. Etosha is also known for its good numbers of lion. If there have been good rains, the Etosha pans may attract flamingos from the coastal areas, teal and various wading birds. Raptors such as the bateleur eagle, pale chanting goshawk and red-necked falcon are fairly common.