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Published: April 21st 2013
And somehow trying not to be eaten by a hungry lion in the process or disturb the large group of elephants passing along our car… Welcome to Etosha national park, a jewel when it comes to wildlife diversity and abundance set in a middle of a quite atypical landscape. 20’000 sq km in the center of which lies an immense salt desert, the Etosha pan, that gives the name to the park “the great white place of dry water”. Around it, grassland, woodland and bush home to so many species that you quickly stop counting and simply enjoy the easiness with which you can spot them.
Map on hand ready to explore! Driving in the wild…
The first day in the reserve was filled with anticipation, read about Etosha, chatted the night before with some South African who had just came back from a drive and we simply couldn’t wait to cross the Anderson gate.
Our first sight was actually a springbuck, ok there is over 28’000 of them in the park, but we didn’t know it then, so we parked the car and simply enjoy it! Wasn’t a very clear shot, blame it on the surrounding
yes this is the road...
Etosha National Park, Namibia bushes, but definitely brought a large smile on our faces. As we drove further, a few more passed by, followed by a lonely fox looking for small prey. After 17km on a well maintained tarmac road, you reach Okaukuejo, one of the main camps in the park and this is where the real safari starts from.
Literally, we bought the entrance ticket, drove pass the camp gate and there was a giraffe less than two meters from the road that decided to go for spring and crossed right in front of our car.
Wow…didn’t know that giraffe can sprint (ok they are definitely not fast but so tall that seeing them in movement like this is quite a sight!)
Self drive within a reserve was actually a first for me, and Etosha is an amazing place to do so. Signs point you to each water hole or view point and in between two of these, you simply have to open your eyes, life is unfolding around you!
Wildebeest grazing, giraffes by the dozens leisurely eating small bush trees, large groups of Hartmann’s zebras, kudu, springbuck, impala moving around crossing right in front of your car and
Giraffe strolling around
Etosha National Park, Namibia the sight of colorful birds are some of the highlights of our first day in Etosha. No big 5 yet, but a somehow off road experience as the heavy rain the day before turned the mud path into small lakes, adding a mirror effect to the landscape. The downside of it, animals and especially the big five, do not need to head to the water hole so to spot them, you better open your eyes!
No luck the first day but we got to see simply some many other species that it didn’t really matter.
After 12 hours spent driving around the reserve it is absolutely dead tired that we came back to the camp. Tonight, barbecue time, and yet one more first for me… on the menu, zebra, springbuck and impala! Wasn’t quite expecting it but zebra is actually delicious, never going to look at one the same way!
Day 2 – on for the big ones!
Early morning wake up, once more but the level of anticipation for the breakfast and then the morning self drive does pull you out of the bed!
Today, back to the reserve for a half
Impala after the rain...
Etosha National Park, Namibia day of self drive followed in the afternoon by a guided half day drive with a tracker.
Morning one… yet once more lots of the common species that are roaming around the reserve (see above), 3 elephants having lunch amidst the bush and a far off sight of lion amidst the grass land (ok to be fully honest, I didn’t believe it was a lion until I actually got to use binoculars, that’s how far the lion was!)
Afternoon, now that was something! Perched higher up in one of these safari converted land cruiser, no need to watch out for mud holes, and it is coffee on hand that we headed once more to the reserve.
Tracking wildlife is partially about luck, and that afternoon we got really lucky: over thirty elephants including a full herd that literally escorted us on the road for more than half an hour (or should I say we followed them as we could not technically by pass them)
Just when I was starting to think, mmm a cheetah or a lion would be "the cherry on top of the cake", the back wheel started to make a funny sound…The driver
didn’t seem very at ease with it, but we were on a tiny mud path surrounded by dense bush and baby elephants around so he continued to drive.
Once the elephants were behind us, he continued further despite the broken wheel sound which was by then getting more intense. We could sense that he was getting a bit nervous and for a reason…300+ lions rooming in the reserve and a few cheetah and leopard would discourage anyone from stepping out of the vehicle…
At some stage, there were simply no other options, so we stopped and kept watch in case a hungry lion would decide to go for our guide as mid afternoon snack. The wheel plate was broken but in addition to being a good tracker, our guide seemed to be as well good mechanic so in a short time he managed to do a quick fix, good enough to reach the gate just before 7PM! Guess we were both relieved not to sight more lions; that would have to wait for our next safari!
Next: heading further north toward Angola to visit the Himba tribe native land
Practical info: "camping" time !
Etosha National Park, Namibia How to get there? Best advice for Namibia, get your own car! Rentals are affordable and outside of the capital city / Windhoek you cannot really rely on public transport. Etosha, except if you come with a tour, is not reachable without your own vehicle. The road is excellent, and from Windhoek, it took us about 6H with breaks.
Where to stay? Two options really, either you decide to stay inside the park but then expect no peace and quiet during the day (tours coming in and out) and a slightly higher price range or pick one of the numerous camp located a few kilometers from the main gate (Anderson). We opted for the second option, based on excellent comments the camp had on the net, and were not disappointed. The camp is called Etosha village, and each individual unit (canvas suite with part of the facilities semi outdoor) is set in the middle of nature. Feels like camping but the luxury version! Food wise…you simply do not want to miss the breakfast or dinner there, simply delicious.
What to bring with you? Outside of the usual things you will take with
Small disagreement..
Etosha National Park, Namibia you for a safari trip (don’t forget the binocular), you definitely want to pack a few warmer clothes for the evening (gets a bit chilly) and stop by for some food shopping in Windhoek or the closest city Outjo. Once there, they have a small grocery store but only with basics, lucky us we had stocked up fresh fruits and goodies for home made picnic. Each unit in Etosha has its own small kitchenette.
Park Fee & opening time: for non Namibian/ South African, the rate is 80 NAD (approx 9 USD) per day and per person, to which you need to add another 10 NAD per vehicle. The gate opens at 7.00am and closes at 7PM sharp, and you definitely do not want to be stuck there at night.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Great information
As always you are out there exploring. Loved the photo of changing the tire. Glad there were not any lurking lions at that time. Sounds like you can do it for a reasonable price. I really like this shot. [photo=7481015]