Etosha National Park

Etosha is Namibia's flagship wildlife park and it has a world-class reputation. There is a wide assortment of game here, but because of park regulations it is not as easily seen as in other parks I have visited.

Regulations prohibit entry to the park before sunrise and all vehicles must be out of the park before sunset. Thus, night game drives are impossible (as are bush walks). Because most predators don't become active until the sun begins to set, your chances of seeing these animals are greatly reduced. In addition, except at designated areas (mostly water holes), vehicles are not permitted to leave the roads, which is a necessary rule to protect the fragile ecology but means that unless game is close to the road, you won't get good views of it.

Etosha does, however, offer a lighted waterhole at Okaukuejo, one of several places where visitors can stay overnight in the park. It was a fascinating place to sit and watch as a wide variety of animals took their turns coming to drink. (Unfortunately, I did not have the right equipment for night photography).

Etosha is famous for its waterholes that attract animals from miles around during the day, including springbok, oryx (gemsbok), kudu, eland, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and elephants. Also pictured in the slide show above are some birds of prey and a highly-venomous puff adder. For more information about the park, see the separate Game Parks page.

Other Namibia pages: Namibia: Introduction, Herero People, Himba People, Namibia Landscapes & Flora and Skeleton Coast & Kunene Region.