Home TravelAfrica Beautiful Etosha National Park in Namibia – Africa Dream Trip part 2

Beautiful Etosha National Park in Namibia – Africa Dream Trip part 2

by Elisa Flitter Fever
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With 22,000 hectares, Etosha National Park is one of the largest wildlife reserves in Africa. Elephants, lions, rhinos, zebras and kudus are just a few of the many wild animals that can be seen in Etosha NP. Etosha is located in the northern part of Namibia, about 120km south of the border with Angola. This is the Lion King for real. Etosha NP is an absolute must-see in Namibia!

Rhino at sunset Etosha National park Namibia
Rhino at sunset

This article on Etosha NP is the second part of our Africa Dream Trip through South Africa and Namibia. Read all articles in this blog series.

Five camps at Etosha NP

Etosha NP has tree large camps with waterholes and an airstrip:

  • Okaukeujo
  • Halali
  • Namutoni

Other smaller camps in Etosha NP are Dolomite and Onkoshi.

Kudus and zebras at Etosha NP waterhole
Kudus and zebras at Etosha NP waterhole
Halali waterhole with my friend Anja on the left and some animals on the background
Halali waterhole with my travel buddy Anja

Etosha National Park is home to four of the Big Five. The buffalo does not live in Etosha NP.

Okaukeujo Camp

We stayed in a charming chalet inside the park, just a few steps away from the big waterhole of Okaukeujo Camp. This means we could spot the wildlife whenever we liked, day and night, any time the various animals come to the waterhole to drink some water. Totally worth it!

We felt super lucky when a small group of three elephants came to the waterhole during our first day there. Zebras, rhinos, giraffes, kudus, wildebeests, springboks, impalas, gemsboks, etc. all followed this fascinating scenery right in front of us, like a BBC nature documentary on TV! God, how beautiful!

Okaukeujo Camp gate at Etosha National Park namibia
Okaukeujo Camp gate at Etosha National Park
Strike a pose with elephant at Okaukeujo waterhole in Etosha National Park
Strike a pose with elephant at Okaukeujo waterhole

Dik-Dik

On our way through the park we spotted many different kinds of wild animals. One night we saw a mother rhino with her baby, plus a group of female lions. We also spotted a super cute Dik-Dik, a unique kind of antelope that lives in and around Etosha NP. Dik-Diks have one partner in their entire life and they stay in one place their whole life.

According to an old bushmen story they do that because once they stumbled over a pile of elephant shit, which made them so mad they decided to deficate in one spot forever, so that the elephants would stumble over their pile of shit one day. šŸ˜€ 

What are you looking at elephant dick Etosha
What are you looking at?!
Damara Dik-Dik in Etosha National Park Namibia
Dik-Dik @ Etosha NP

Restaurants of Etosha NP serve zebra, kudu and springbok on your plate! They simply don’t have chicken or beef here.

Sprokieswoud

Also worth a visit in Etosha is the Sprokieswoud a.k.a. Moringa Forest, which is full of the interesting so-called ‘sprokiesbomen’ (fairy-tale trees, Moringa Ovalifolia), family of the well-known baobab trees of Madagascar. The San believe that the sprokiesboom trees were thrown from heaven and landed upside down on earth.

Etosha vs. Kruger

The reason why we decided to go to Etosha NP in Namibia and skip the more famous Kruger NP in South Africa instead, was first of all a time based decision, but was also based on stories from friends and family.

Most round trips through Southern Africa via travel agencies include Kruger NP and the so-called ‘Garden Route’, from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. We heard too many stories from others about safari jeep traffic jams in Kruger (too busy), and many small touristy villages on the Garden Route full of salesmen and artists who more or less jump on every single new bus or car passing by… And even robberies.

Personally we prefer the ‘off the beaten track’, to see the authentic side of a country. Etosha has fully met our expectations, I would recommend everyone to go once in their lifetime. Who knows we can go to Kruger NP one day as well, to check if those stories are true or not?!

Wildlife at Okaukeujo waterhole Etosha NP sunset
Wildlife at sunset – Okaukeujo waterhole
Giraffe at sunset Etosha
Giraffe at sunset Etosha

Where to stay in Etosha

Staying inside the National Park is more pricey, especially in high season. These accommodations can only be booked via the National Park itself. It is wonderful to stay inside the park, especially a waterhole chalet like the one we stayed in! Availability is limited though. So what’s the alternative?

Via booking.com there are lots of other options close to the gates of Etosha NP. Sometimes also close to a waterhole, which always attracts wild animals like giraffes and zebras. Check Okutala Etosha Lodge for example or search accommodation via below map.

Booking.com

How to get to Etosha & around

To Etosha itself, only very small airplanes fly as the airstrips near the larger camps and waterholes are short. These are usually private planes.

Most likely you will fly to Windhoek international airport (WDH). To find suitable flights, check availability and prices, you can use Skyscanner. I would highly recommend you to book flights in time as the availability is limited and prices rise.

Springbokkies Etosha
Springbokkies @ Etosha
Jackal Etosha NP
Jackal spotted

Rental car

A rental car is the most common and convenient way to get around Namibia. The ride from Windhoek Airport to Okaukeujo Camp in Etosha NP takes app. 5-6 hours (app. 500 km) by car. We split this part of the route in two days, with a night in Outjo in between, see Africa Dream Trip part 1. No 4×4 is needed to drive to/around Etosha NP.

Personally, when it concerns renting a car, I would recommend Sunny Cars, an all-inclusive, worry free rental concept with affordable, fair prices, great service and no unpleasant surprises upon pick up or drop off. I am a big fan and use them all the time! In most countries the 2nd driver, free cancellation up to 4 hours in advance and all-risk insurance are standard included. Ideal, I use them all the time!

Lion crossing the road at Etosha Pan
Lion crossing the road at Etosha Pan
Giraffe seen from the car
Giraffe in the distance – seen from the car

Etosha Tour

Alternatively you can take a multi-day tour with a guide that will drive you around. Very comfortable and informative as the guide for sure will share his/her expertise about Etosha NP and he/she knows all the right spots!

Map Namibia

This map includes places and spots mentioned in this article (and more). This one is ‘smartphone friendly’; you can easily use it via the Google Maps app. Click the icon at the top left to open the menu and see the categories. To adapt the map to your own preferences and interests, (de)select a category. Via Google Drive you can copy the map to your own My Google Maps account.

Please find more detailed Etosha NP maps here.

Himbas

After Etosha NP we continued our round trip through Namibia, heading northwest to Kamanjab to see the Himba tribe. You can read all about it in the third article in this blog series: Gorgeous Namibia – Africa Dream Trip part 3.

Himba lady and myself in Namibia
Himba lady and myself in Namibia
Otjikandero Himba Orphan Village in Namibia
Otjikandero Himba Orphan Village in Namibia

Have you ever been to Etosha NP? Do you think it is better than Kruger NP in South Africa or not? Please feel free to leave a comment or question below.

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Last Updated on 02/26/2024 by Elisa Flitter Fever

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