Etosha National Park - Namibia

One of south western Africa's finest and most important Game Reserves. Declared a National Park in 1907 and covering an area of 22,270 square km, it is home to 114 species of mammal, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and, surprisingly, only one species of fish.

Etosha takes its name from, and is dominated by, a massive mineral pan that stretches about 120 km from east to west and at its widest point is about 70 km across. The total pan area covers 5000 square km. Etosha means "Great White Place" in the Herero language and in the heat of the day the surface of the pan is dazzlingly white.

Etosha pan is part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed around 1000 million years ago. Due to volcanic pressures and earth movements over millions of years, pressure developed from the north and south causing a depression in part of the basin. This depression gradually filled with water, forming a large inland lake. The pan has at various times been fed by different rivers. Some still occasionally flow into the pan, some have naturally diverted their course and others have disappeared altogether. Today, Etosha rarely has water. It is supplied mostly by rain and in times of good rain, some areas do flood, but the evaporation rate is so high that any water soon disappears.

There are three rest camps in Etosha National Park. Namutoni, Halali and Okaukuejo. Each has a perimeter fence. This makes it safe to walk around at any time of the day or night. The camps are well maintained and have excellent facilities. There are open air bars and the clean swimming pools with grass and shade trees are very welcome in the long hot afternoons. The campsite ablution blocks are clean and provided with hot showers, flush toilets, toilet paper, mirrors and basins with hot and cold running water. There are also power points for electric shavers (although it is recommended to bring along a wet shaving kit as a back up). In the campsites there are shady trees, drinking water taps, fire places and power points. There are small shops selling basic foodstuffs, beer, wine, spirits and cigarettes, and various souvenirs are available. Public telephones are provided at all the camps and in Okaukuejo there is also a post office.

One of the main highlights of Etosha are the camp waterholes. These are situated at all three camps, are open 24 hours a day and are within easy walking distance from the campsites. They give you a unique chance to view wild animals at close quarters, without any danger or the need for the protection of a car. Situated on the very edge of the camp area and securely fenced, these waterholes provide a valuable water supply for the game, particularly in the dry season. With a comfortable seating area and floodlights at night, they are a unique way to experience the African wilds and are one of the reasons that Etosha is such a highly rated park in Southern Africa.

Namutoni is on the eastern side of the park and is the first port of call for some of our Safaris.

The camp is situated on the site of Fort Namutoni, an old German outpost from colonial days. The fort has been fully restored and there is a small museum inside that gives an interesting account of its history. There is also a viewing platform in one of the old turrets which is a great place to watch the sunset.

The game viewing here is excellent with lots of well situated waterholes and several different types of terrain and habitat within easy reach of the camp. Wildlife such as giraffe, springbok, zebra, impala and kudu is abundant here and there are good chances of seeing lion, loepard, elephant and other big animals. We camp under shady trees and take early morning and late afternoon drives into the park. During the afternoons we relax in the campsite. The swimming pool is very welcoming during the heat of the day and there are good chances of seeing game at the camp waterhole.

Halali is the camp in the centre of Etosha. The name is taken from a trumpet or bugle call and a "Halali" was sounded to mark the end of the hunt. The camp was so named to signify the permanent end of the hunting of wild animals in Etosha and to celebrate the protection that a National Park offers to wildlife.

Halali is the ideal place to relax after an animal viewing drive. Again there is the chance to swim and to visit the camp waterhole. The Halali area has a different terrain to Namutoni. Here we are looking for black rhino, red hartebeest and cheetah.

Okaukuejo, situated on the western side of the park, this site is newly renovated and portrayed as the flagship of the Etosha camps. Okaukuejo is home to the main Etosha research centre. Scientsts from all over the world come here to conduct their research. We often see study animals wearing radio collars on our drives in the Okaukuejo area.

The camp waterhole here is well situated for sunset and if we are lucky with the animals, there are some stunning photo opportunities at this time of day. The Okaukuejo waterhole is famous and has been described as "one of the best game viewing opportunities in Southern Africa". There are very good chances of seeing black rhino, elephant and lion, but also all the other species occuring in Etosha. It is not unusual for the viewing to be so good, that people end up staying all night at the waterhole.

Climate

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