Etosha was definitely the cherry on the cake of our trip to Namibia.
🦓 Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park is one of the oldest and most famous national parks in Africa. Located in northern Namibia, it is famous for its extraordinary diversity of wildlife , the iconic Etosha Pan salt lake , and the unique opportunity to explore it on your own – a self-drive safari .
To keep everything safe, it is crucial that you follow the rules :
– you are not allowed to get out of the vehicle , except in marked places (i.e. where there are campsites and rest stops),
– no driving after dark (campsite gates close at sunset and open at sunrise),
– do not approach animals , even if they seem “used to them”.
It was an amazing experience for all of us. We spent 4 days there.
💰 The entrance fee cost us about €50 for all four of us.
🏕 Three nights in campsites total: €215 .
🗺️ How big is the park?
Etosha measures approximately 22,270 km² and is larger than Slovenia (Slovenia = 20,271 km²),
So it is a huge area where nature reigns.
🧭 Brief historical overview
– In 1907 , the area was declared a hunting reserve by the then German governor von Lindequist.
– Originally, the park was even larger – more than 100,000 km² , but it was later reduced to its current size.
– In 1967 , it was officially declared a national park , with the aim of protecting animals and their natural habitat.
Etosha is one of the few areas in Africa where you can safely and independently explore the wilderness, without the need for organized tours or a guide - but still under strict rules.
🌫️ Etosha pan – the heart of the park
The name "Etosha" means "great white city" in the Ovambo language - which is a very fitting description of the park's central feature: the vast white salt flats.
Etosha Pan is a dry lake, 120 km long and up to 50 km wide.
It is completely dry most of the year, only rarely, during heavy rains, does it fill with water and become a magnet for flamingos and other birds . But when it is dry – the dazzling white dust gives the landscape an almost otherworldly appearance.
Camp 1: Okaukuejo – giraffes and the first rhino
We entered Etosha through Anderson's Gate and first stopped at Okaukuejo Camp, then went on a drive almost until sunset.
On the first day we saw a crowd of springboks and zebras grazing carefree in the bushes. In the distance – a rhino . A small dot on the horizon, but for us the first "big wow" moment. And we saw marabou storks sitting in the trees.
We bought a map of the park in the shop inside the camp and it also had a list of names and photos of birds and mammals , which we then excitedly picked out. It was fun to look for, recognize and name the animals.
Camp 2: Halali – giraffes and elephant family
The next day we drove through the central part of the park and towards the end of the day we spotted an incredible number of giraffes – elegant, tall, slow. Beautiful.
At one watering hole in the middle of the day, we observed a family of elephants who calmly, almost cinematically, approached, began to drink, cool off, and wash themselves.
The highlight of the day – two black rhinos , at the same time, each on its own side, one very close to us.
The third one awaited us at the water basin of the Halali camp.
All campsites have a lighted water collection point where you can sit in the evening (in silence, of course!) and hope for a lion to come by (unfortunately, we didn't see one).
Camp 3: Namutoni – Elephant Invasion
The Namutoni campsite is set up around an old German fort.
Each campsite is fenced (because of the animals), has basic infrastructure in the Yugoslav style : toilets, showers, shop, gas station. Everything you need. We expected to be packed , but there was plenty of space for everyone. You only spend the night there anyway. At dawn you are up and ready for a new day of observing and searching for animals, which lasts until evening.
The last day was… epic. A great farewell to Etosha.
Just when we thought we had seen everything, elephants started coming out of the bushes one by one .
One, two, three… fifteen! Maybe more. They were walking towards the water from all directions. Small, huge, with and without cubs.
They thrilled and scared us at the same time.
Etosha teaches you patience
We were in the car practically the whole day. Every now and then we stopped at toilets and rest stops (fenced and safe areas inside Etosha), where we went to pee and eat something... Otherwise we waited and hoped that something would appear by the water or maybe cross the road. The roads inside Etosha are macadam, some very potholes and in poor condition so the ride is slow. We drove from one water hole to another.
Watching animals live like this, walking freely, and realizing that the space is theirs and that we humans are just guests was incredible!
🐘 What animals can you see in Etosha?
Etosha is home to more than:
– 100 species of mammals ,
– 340 species of birds ,
– 110 species of reptiles ,
– 16 species of amphibians ,
– and countless species of insects.
Here is a list of animals you can find in Etosha, those marked with a green check mark we have also seen:
✔️ African elephant
The largest land mammal – adult males can weigh up to 6,000 kg and measure up to 4 meters in height. Gestation lasts about 22 months, and the young stay with their mother for several years. They are herbivores, eating up to 150 kg of vegetation per day.
✔️ black rhino
Etosha is one of the last refuges of this endangered species.
✔️ giraffe
Tallest land animal – up to 6 m tall, males weigh up to 1,200 kg. They have long necks with the same number of vertebrae as humans (7). They are leaf-eating, feeding mostly on acacias.
✔️ zebras
They are very social animals. Cubs walk within minutes of birth. They are herbivores and often travel in groups with their cubs.
✔️ Mr.
They weigh up to 250 kg and grow up to 1.5 m tall at the shoulder. They are migratory animals, known for their mass migrations in East Africa, but are also found in large numbers in Namibia. They feed on grass and give birth to one calf per year. In real life, they are not as ugly as you might think after reading Five Pretenders.
✔️ with springbok
They are abundant throughout Namibia. They are especially abundant in Etosha. Springbok is a small antelope, about 75 cm tall, weighing up to 50 kg. Known for its “pronking” – vertical leaps into the air, which confuses predators. They are herbivores, adapted to dry conditions.
✔️ and mpala
A medium-sized antelope, up to 90 cm tall and weighing up to 60 kg. Females and young live in groups, males are often territorial. They are extremely fast.
✔️ oryx
A large desert antelope, weighing up to 240 kg and with long, straight horns (also in females). It can survive without water for several days – it gets its liquid from plants. It has one young, which quickly stands on its feet.
✔️ black-backed jackal
They weigh up to 10 kg and are omnivorous - they eat smaller animals, fruit and also carrion. They give birth to young in dens, usually 3-6 per litter. They are very adaptable and common in savannahs and semi-deserts.
✔️ steppe squirrel
It weighs about 1 kg and measures up to 45 cm including its tail. It is active during the day, gathers and stores food, and uses its tail as shade. It lives in burrows in groups and feeds mainly on plant food. There are also many of them in the campsite and they are extremely friendly.
✔️ warthog
✔️ baboon
❌ lion
❌ leopard
❌ cheetah
❌ hyena
❌ hedgehog
❌ anteater
All those marked with a red cross are those that are present in Etosha but we did not encounter. And there are many other mammals that I did not include in this list.
🐦 Birds :
✔️ Arabic
It feeds on carrion and waste, has a bare head for hygiene while feeding. It nests in colonies in trees.
✔️ ostrich
The largest bird species – up to 2.7 m tall, weighing up to 150 kg. They do not fly, but can run up to 70 km/h. Females lay eggs in a communal nest, each egg weighing up to 1.5 kg. They hatch 24 eggs per year. Females are gray-brown, males are black.
✔️ guinea fowl
It weighs about 1.5 kg, grows up to 60 cm. It lives in the tropics, feeds on insects, seeds and tubers. Very vocal and sociable, often crossing the road in groups.
❌ flamingos
✔️ storks, ibises, herons... and other birds I can't name...
Next: a visit to the Ghaub reserve and an encounter with white rhinos.
But that – in the next post.
