The game viewing in Etosha National Park is excellent, the best time being from May to September - the cooler months in Namibia. Visitors to Etosha Game Reserve can expect to see many buck species, elephant, giraffe, rhino and lions. More fortunate visitors will see leopard and cheetah.
Etosha National Park is one of Southern Africa's finest and most important Game Reserves. Etosha Game park was declared a National Park in 1907 and covering an area of 22 270 square km, it is home to 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and, surprisingly, one species of fish. The Etosha Park is one of the first places on any itinerary designed for a holiday in Namibia.
Etosha, meaning "Great White Place", is dominated by a massive mineral pan. The pan is part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed around 1000 million years ago. The Etosha Pan covers around 25% of the National Park. The pan was originally a lake fed by the Kunene River. However the course of the river changed thousands of years ago and the lake dried up. The pan now is a large dusty depression of salt and dusty clay which fills only if the rains are heavy and even then only holds water for a short time. This temporary water in the Etosha Pan attracts thousands of wading birds including impressive flocks of flamingos. The perennial springs along the edges of the Etosha Pan draw large concentrations of wildlife and birds.
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Tailor-made Etosha National Park
holidays
Best of Namibia Wing - 6 nights
From £3,170.00 per person sharing which includes the scheduled charter flights as below, but not international flights to and from Windhoek
Elusive Desert Wildlife
8 night / 9 day - Combination Wilderness Safaris Vintage camp, Discoverer Camp, lodge overnight and serviced dome tent. Adventurer camping in private concession areas and campsites.
Rivers of Kaokoland
9 nights/10 days - The dry river systems of the arid Namibian north-west are vital oases for elephant and other desert-adapted wildlife. These hidden life supports form the basis of an innovative travel route.
Spirit of the Namib
10 night / 11 day - Combination Wilderness Safaris Vintage camp, Discoverer Camp, lodge overnight and serviced dome tent camping in private concession areas and campsites.
The Great Namibian Journey
12 nights /13 days - This journey encompasses Namibia as a whole: a land of stunning landscapes, endless skies, barren deserts, rugged mountains and spectacular wildlife. Explore the dunes of Sossusvlei and the awesome space of the Namib Desert.
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Etosha National Park
Accommodation
Luxury
Hotels
Ongava Lodge Ongava Game Lodge is situated along the boundary of Etosha National Park in the privately owned Ongava Game Reserve. Ongava is your ideal place from which to base your activities when visiting Etosha.>>
Quality
Hotels
Mushara Lodge Mushara Lodge is situated 8km from Etosha National Park's Eastern Gate, making it an ideal locaton for visitors to the Park. >>
Ongava Tented Camp Tented Camp offers five, twin traditional tents with comfortable accommodation.>>
Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp Okonjima Bush Camp is separately run from the Main Camp and is located at the edge of a wilderness area, 3km from the Main Camp. >>
Value
Hotels
Etosha Aoba Lodge Located just 20 minutes from Etosha, this award-winning intimate lodge is within the 7000 hectare Fischer's Pan Private Game Reserve and was one of Namibia's first purpose built lodges. >>
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More
about Etosha National Park
There is a network of roads linking the three campsites and subsidiary roads lead to various waterholes. When it was originally proclaimed at the turn of the century the Etosha Park 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. There are three rest camps operated by Namibia Wildlife Resorts in Etosha Park; Namutoni, Halali and Okaukuejo. All three camps have floodlit waterholes which allow for excellent night game viewing. The waterhole at Okaukuejo is famous for Rhino and Elephant, while the newer waterhole at Halali is fast attracting more wildlife.
There are many private lodges and hotels around Etosha Park , many of these offer private game drives either on their own game reserves or in the Etosha Game Reserve itself. A San legend about the formation of the Etosha Pan tells of how a village was raided and everyone but the women slaughtered. One woman was so upset about the death of her family she cried until her tears formed a massive lake. When the lake dried up nothing was left apart from a huge white pan.
The main entrance to the park is called the "Andersson Gate" situated near Okaukuejo in the south. The eastern entrance is called the "Von Lindequist Gate" and is near Namutoni. The new "Nehale lya Mpingana Gate" gate, (King Nehale Gate) was opened at the beginning of 2003 in the north-east. Unlike many other African game reserves, Etosha does not have its own guided safaris. For those wanting a guided experience the options are either staying at one of the private lodges around the park which offer daily game drives, joining a scheduled guided safari to Etosha (usually starting in Windhoek), or custom making a private guided safari through the park.
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Many thanks and credit to the following
photographers whose images have been used in this site: Michael Poliza, Colin
Bell, Dana Allen, David Ross, Nick Melidonas and Wilderness Safaris.
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