Etosha, meaning ‘place of dry water’, enclosing game rich savannah and a huge salt pan of 22,000km². Productive waterholes fringe the edges of the pan sustaining a high density of large mammals from elephant and lion, as well as hippos and rhino to vast herds of springbok, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe and gemsbok. Usually a shimmering white horizon, come the rains the pan fills with water, stimulating the growth of blue-green algae attracting thousands of beautiful pink flamingoes to waft in.
With excellent roads, Etosha is a perfect self drive venue where a wait at the edge of a waterhole will be well rewarded as game approaches through the shimmering haze. If you prefer to have a guided safari, there are superb lodges in Etosha to provide this service.
Bordering Etosha is the wonderful Ongava Private Game Reserve with large concentrations of wildlife, known for successful reintroductions of white and black rhino and spectacular luxury camps. Take a look at our itineraries that incorporate these fabulous locations to celebrate the special occasion in your life.
Okaukeujo Waterhole is right next to the Okaukeujo rest camp. It is floodlit and draws the shy black Okaukuejo rhino almost every night as well as numerous elephants, especially between June and December.
Private reserves such as Ongava are located on the fringes of Etosha National Park, where lodges offer day and night-time guided game viewing, bush walks and tracking wildlife on foot.
After the heavy rains Etosha’s huge salt pans transform into a beautiful lake, attracting large flocks of balletic pink flamingos.
Water is an important ingredient for survival and most animals will drink daily. So naturally, the best places to spot game is near sources of water. All the major waterholes in Etosha have areas for visitors to park their vehicles and watch the animals come down to drink and some of them are floodlit for 24-hour game viewing.
The huge saltpan and grassy plains of Etosha are home to the Big 5, as well as plains game of giraffe and springbok, including more unusual species like the black faced impala.
On guided 4 x 4 game drives, guests experience fascinating perspectives of wildlife in Etosha. Up-to-date information is received on game movement and therefore guests have a high success rate for spotting game.
Etosha is perfect for a self-drive safari with camps located inside the park. Sitting by a waterhole can be the most rewarding method of game viewing, as sooner or later the wildlife congregates there.
Okaukeujo Waterhole is right next to the Okaukeujo rest camp. It is floodlit and draws the shy black Okaukuejo rhino almost every night as well as numerous elephants, especially between June and December.
Private reserves such as Ongava are located on the fringes of Etosha National Park, where lodges offer day and night-time guided game viewing, bush walks and tracking wildlife on foot.
After the heavy rains Etosha’s huge salt pans transform into a beautiful lake, attracting large flocks of balletic pink flamingos.
Water is an important ingredient for survival and most animals will drink daily. So naturally, the best places to spot game is near sources of water. All the major waterholes in Etosha have areas for visitors to park their vehicles and watch the animals come down to drink and some of them are floodlit for 24-hour game viewing.
The huge saltpan and grassy plains of Etosha are home to the Big 5, as well as plains game of giraffe and springbok, including more unusual species like the black faced impala.
On guided 4 x 4 game drives, guests experience fascinating perspectives of wildlife in Etosha. Up-to-date information is received on game movement and therefore guests have a high success rate for spotting game.
Etosha is perfect for a self-drive safari with camps located inside the park. Sitting by a waterhole can be the most rewarding method of game viewing, as sooner or later the wildlife congregates there.
Anderssons Luxury Camp offers the closest access to the most productive area of Etosha National Park. Eight Camp suites are designed as a direct extension of the landscape ...
Read MoreMushara Bush Camp is situated within the privately owned Mushara Reserve, a mere 10 kilometers from the Von Lindequist gate of the world famous Etosha National Park. The Bush ...
Read MoreMushara Outpost accommodates 16 guests in eight luxury custom-made tent-like wood and canvas structures which are nestled on the banks of an ancient dry riverbed, known as ...
Read MoreOngava Lodge is situated along the southern boundary of Etosha National Park and within the privately owned 30,000 hectare Ongava Game Reserve. This well established Lodge ...
Read MoreOngava Tented Camp nestles in mopane woodland at the foot of a low hill on the private 30,000 Ha Ongava Game Reserve, overlooking a waterhole and bordering the Etosha National ...
Read MoreOnguma Tented Camp offers elegant safari chic located on the private 34,000 Ha Onguma Reserve east of Etosha National Park. Seven well appointed large and luxurious en-suite ...
Read MoreEtosha National Park lies in the vast arid space of Northern Namibia and is one of Southern Africa’s best loved wildlife sanctuaries. It offers excellent game viewing in one of Africa’s most accessible self drive venues. Zebra and springbok are scattered across the endless horizon, while the many waterholes attract endangered black rhinoceros, lion, elephant and large numbers of antelope.
Etosha, meaning ‘place of dry water’, it encloses a huge, flat calcrete depression (or pan) of about 5 000km². The ‘Pan’ provides a great, parched, silver-white backdrop of shimmering mirages to an area of semi-arid savannah grassland and thorn scrub. The pan itself contains water only after very good rains and sometimes for only a few days each year, but is enough to stimulate the growth of a blue-green algae which lures thousands of flamingos.
On the southern boundary of Etosha National Park and forming a buffer to the Park lies Ongava Game Reserve, a 30,000-hectare private reserve. It is a haven to large concentrations of wildlife: notably lion, wildebeest, springbok, gemsbok, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, red hartebeest, giraffe, eland and the largest population of the endemic black-faced impala outside of Etosha. The Reserve is also known for the successful reintroduction of white and black rhino. Birdlife is prolific with 340 species seen,amongst them ten of Namibia’s 14 endemic bird species including White-tailed Shrike, Short-toed Rock Thrush, Hartlaub’s Francolin, Rüppell’s Parrot and raptors in abundance. Ongava also provides easy access to the prime game viewing areas of western Etosha, Namibia’s premier wildlife destination.
Every single month is worth a journey to Namibia. Most visitors prefer to travel during the months May to October. It hardly ever rains and the visitor can enjoy the uninterrupted sunshine, except at the foggy coast. The climate is moderate and during the day it does not get extremely hot. Nevertheless it can get very cold in the evenings.
January, February, March
These mid Summer months tend to be the wettest and hottest. This is the time when rainfall is expected. Temperatures can be 30-35degC peaking to over 40degC in the desert. This can make travel a little uncomfortable. Torrential downpours can occur in the mountains causing flash floods in the valleys. Once the rains start wildlife viewing in Etosha can be poor because of animal dispersals.
April, May
These are often lovely months in Namibia. Increasingly dry, with a real freshness in the air, and greenery in the landscape; at this time the air is clear and largely free from dust, allowing superb photography. Game viewing is getting better and travel gets easier as roads that may have been damaged during rainfall are repaired.
June, July, August
This is Namibia’s winter. Nights can become cold, incredibly dropping to below zero giving frosts in Etosha and the mountain regions. With the drying conditions the wildlife in the north starts heading towards the permanent water, so making for better wildlife viewing. It is peak season for game viewing with visitor numbers increasing.
September, October
Temperatures are rising and game-viewing in most areas is at its best, although there’s often a lot of dust around and the high temperatures are starting to take their toll on the vegetation
November, December
November can be a variable month for weather. Some years the hot dry weather continues and other times by early November rain clouds can be forming. If rains do occur this can be quite a dramatic experience.
December temperatures are high averaging 30 degC, some days may be humid with localized thunderstorms usually in the afternoon especially in the center and east of the country. Desert regions remain dry.
Climate Data – Etosha
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