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| Namibia: What to see | |||
| Etosha National Park | |||
>see photographs Best known for Known as "the place of dry water" Etosha National Park is one of the best game reserves in the world and offers a truly unique wildlife experience. It is known to be Namibia's best Park not only for the volumes of wildlife and bird life, but also for the good infrastructure of the Park. All the roads are passable in two wheel drive vehicles and the idea is that one drives oneself around, or hold out at the various waterholes to see the animals come to drink. The Park is also one of the last remaining natural wild sanctuaries of the extremely endangered black rhino. Etosha's elephants are thought to be the tallest in Africa, and the black-faced impala is endemic to this area. Location Etosha National Park lies 500 km north of Windhoek. Size Etosha National Park covers an area of 22,270 square kilometres, and Etosha Pan itself covers 25% of this. When it was originally proclaimed at the turn of the century it consisted of an area of 100,000 square kilometres. This was the largest reserve on earth but in the 1960's political pressure resulted in the Park being reduced to its current size. Wildlife There are 114 animal species in this Park, and 110 species of reptile. Four of the Big Five mammals that one can see here are: Black and White rhino, elephant, lion and leopard. The other species found here include bat eared fox, cheetah, both Burchell's and Hartmann's zebra, the endemic black-faced impala, blue wildebeest, the endemic Damara dik-dik, eland, gemsbok, giraffe, kudu, red hartebeest, springbok and yellow-tailed mongoose. Nearly 400 bird species have been recorded including eagles, hawks, other raptors, black korhaans, ostrich, blue cranes, flamingos, incredible clouds of quelea and flocks of doves and Namaqua sandgrouse. Environment The Park includes a massive salt pan called Etosha Pan that is 130 kilometres long and 50 km wide at the widest point- this was originally a lake that was fed by the Kunene River but the lake dried up thousands of years ago when the river took a new course. The pan now is a large dusty depression of salt and dusty clay and at 5,000 square kilometres covers almost a quarter of the Park. The pan fills only if the rains are heavy and only holds water for a brief period. This temporary shallow water in the Etosha Pan attracts thousands of wading birds including impressive flocks of flamingos. There are perennial springs around the edges of the Etosha Pan being the only source of water in the winter these draw large concentrations of wildlife and birds. Vegetation The western side of the Park has mainly scrubby savannah, and mixed woodland of tamboti and terminalia, while in the east are wild fig, marula and thorn trees and Makalani palms. In the Haunted Forest are strangely contorted moringa trees while the pan is fringed with small shrubs and mopane trees. Climate and when to go The winter in Etosha is also the dry season and runs from May to September. Although the temperatures can be cool at night this is considered the best time of year to visit since the wildlife is never very far away from the waterholes. In summer from October to April the temperatures can get as high as 44 C (over 100 F). When considering exactly when to visit one should also take into account the Namibian and South African school holidays since at this time the rest camps within the Park are at their most busy. SA school holidays mainly cover months of December, January, early April and July so these are good months to avoid. Activities Game viewing and bird watching are the two major activities available at Etosha National Park. The Park has over 700km of game-watching roads with adequately spaced toilet facilities and viewing platforms. When game viewing one has to decide whether to drive around the pan and the Park looking for the different species, or to sit at a waterhole and wait for the wildlife to come and drink. Walking in the Park is prohibited but the pans at all three main camps of Namutoni, Halali and Okaukuejo are floodlit and at night black rhino and elephant are often seen coming in to drink. Accommodation A superb variety of exclusive and personalised lodges are on offer on the borders of Etosha National Park. Game drives are carried out daily into the Park while by night and at other times night drives and guided walks can be undertaken on the lodges own private concession, activities not allowed in the Park itself. Such camps include: Ongava Lodge and Ongava Tented Camp, and Mokuti and Mushara Lodge. There are three National Parks rest camps within the Park and they offer the following facilities: Okaukuejo is the most popular of all the camps and also the National Parks administrative head quarters. Accommodation is in either 2, 3 or 4 bed roomed bungalows. The camp has a shop, restaurant, bar, kiosk, petrol station, swimming pool, and floodlit waterhole. Halali is the least busy of the rest camps and is centrally situated in the Park. It has the most scenic and secluded waterhole. Accommodation is in either 2 or 4 bed tents, or 2 or 4 bed bungalows. The amenities include a shop, restaurant, bar, kiosk, petrol station and swimming pool. Namutoni is also home to the Namutoni Fort erected during German colonial times and is on the eastern side of the pan close to the Von Lindequist Gate. There are mobile homes and flats. The camp also has a shop, restaurant, bar, kiosk, petrol station, swimming pool and floodlit waterhole. If interested in bookings for the National Parks camps above, please contact us. How to get there By road The Von Lindequist Gate is on the east side of the Park and is 98 kilometres from Tsumeb - the Namutoni Rest Camp is near this gate. The entrance to the south of the Park is the Anderson Gate and this is 102 km from Outjo. The nearest National Parks camp on this side is Okaukuejo Rest Camp. By air the nearest commercial airport is at Tsumeb and regular domestic flights service this airport. Smaller charter aircraft can also land here. |
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