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This is the first conservation area that Namibia ever had, originating from 1907 by the German government that was ruling in Namibia then. By the early 20th century the park became the largest conservation area of its kind in the world, having had some 80 000 square kilometres worth of land added to it. For political and socio-economic reasons the parks size was gradually diminished to its current size of 22 912 square kilometres. The last time the park was made smaller was in the 1975. Although the park has been reduced in size it still remains as one of the largest game reserves in Africa.

Etosha has reasonably wide variety of different habitats; saline desert, which is predominantly the Etosha pan - some 5000km2. During the rainy season this vast area can be seen full of water and at this time [Jan - Feb - March] people visiting the area have rare opportunity to photograph and witness the other wise dry lake bed .The savannah and woodlands areas occupy the rest of the park and offer magnificent array of different springs and waterholes where animals gather to drink.

There are 114 different mammal species in Etosha, of which there are the highly endangered black rhino (Diceros bicornis), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and black faced impala (Aepyceros melampus petersi) that can be spotted whilst in the park. Naturally the cheetah is the hardest to spot and one should not expect to see it easily. The black rhino population in Etosha is currently estimated to be around 700 individuals and thus it is the largest such population of this highly endangered species in the world. Other large mammals that can be spotted in the park are giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), African elephant (Loxodonta africana), lion (Panthera leo) and the leopard (Panthera pardus) to new but few.

There occurs some 340 different bird species of which about one third is migratory. You may spot the larger one out of the distance such as the Ostrich (Struthio camelus), Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) and the Greater and Lesser Flamingoes (Phoenicopterus roseus and Phoenicopterus minor). There are some 35 raptors found in Etosha including the commonly seen vultures.

Etosha wildlife is wholly dependent on the waterholes and springs during the dry seasons, which begins at the end of May and lasts until November. These provide a much needed lifeline to all of the animals but even more importantly from wholly tourist point of view; they provide an incredible view point for visitors. Photographing animals around waterholes is easy and very rewarding, please find out more about photographic safaris from here. During the wet and ‘green’ season there are plenty of water around and it is a significantly harder to spot animals through the lush vegetation. However the green season in Etosha provides beautiful setting for game drives and when an animal is spotted the reward from finding a subject to look at or to photograph is much more prominent. There are great waterholes located in each of the three rest camps in Etosha; Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni. These waterholes are flood lit and viewing can be done round o’clock. As visitors are allowed to be on foot within these rest camps, the viewing of animals becomes that little bit more personal.

A good practise in Etosha is to visit the rest camp receptions to inquire visitor sightings as well as talking to the park rangers about the latest game movements. Be prepared to do a lot of driving as this hugely vast area is totally wild and not a zoo. The best times to spot wildlife is early morning [Etosha gates open around 7 a.m.] so the advice is to be first out. Similarly during the last hours of the afternoon and early evening you may spot more wide selection of species including predators [Etosha gates close around 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.].

Be sure to purchase a map of Etosha as this will make your daily driving plans much easier and bear in mind that the distance between the south gate and subsequently Okaukuejo rest camp and Namutoni in the east is some 147 km. With plenty to see and speed limit of 60km one should reserve enough time see plenty without spending the whole day ‘driving’. One should reserve a minimum of two days to stay in or around the park, but for the more nature interested individuals three to 4 days is more adequate. When arriving to Etosha and if you are staying at the rest camps as a guest [camping or rooms], you should most definitely book yourself on a night game drive as this is the only opportunity to get inside the park after night fall. This may well be one of the most exiting excursions you’ll ever do in African National Parks!!

Etosha is situated some 4 - 5 hour drive north of Windhoek and a similar distance from the coastal town of Swakopmund.

Etosha restcamps offer very good to luxury standard accommodation and they also have very good camping facilities. If you should wish to include camping in your trip then Etosha is definitely one of the locations to do so!!

Daily park fees are some NAM$90 [=90 rand] and are to be paid daily at the rest camps or entrance to the park.

This post will be updated soon and more is to follow on Etosha specifics as well as the wildlife that can be found in the park.

Thanks for reading.

What ever you way you wish to conduct your travel; fast, slow, luxury or camping and whether your interests lie in nature, landscapes, adventure, photography, culture or even cuisine then Namibia is the right choice in Africa, as it has it all! Namibia is often referred as Africa in one country, its abundance of wildlife, rich diversity of geological phenomena, distinct regions of desert, savanna, Atlantic Ocean coast and the riverine wetlands will provide a experience in one trip that is hard to rival.

The main ‘pillars’ of Namibias’ destinations lie in an array of its natural assets. The empty wide open spaces of coast and desert, which can be found at the Skeleton Coast, magnificent desert landscapes in Sperrgebiet and Namib-Naukluft Park. The latter including the ‘crown jewl’ of monumental Sossusvlei sand Dunes - the highest and most beautiful in the world.

Equally important and breathtaking are the various and extremely well managed national wildlife parks, such as Etosha National Park, Caprivi Game reserves, Waterberg Plateau Park and many more. You can find more information soon from a general ‘parks’ post, that will be updated in the coming days. In Namibia you can spot all of the African Big Five; African Elephant, Rhino [Both Black and White], Buffalo, Lion and Leopard. Generally you will find all but Buffalo in Etosha, however for Buffalo you have to visit the riverine wetlands of Caprivi.

Close encounters with the big cats! That is what most people hope for when travelling to Africa. In Namibia you have a very good chance to witness the three biggest cats Lion, Leopard and Cheetah. Healthy lion populations occupy numerous Etosha areas, where as Leopards and Cheetahs are best found at the two conservation establishments of Cheetah Conservation Foundation and AfriCat Foundation. Out of the two AfriCat foundation is better equipped in receiving tourists with their very good standard accommodation. In fact AfriCat foundation which is situated in Okonjima has had guests such as Brad Pitt and Angelica Jolie and Wesley Snipes. It is safe to say that if these people have found it comfortable, then most of us will….

The wildlife is not just reserved to desert and savannah fauna, but the Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Skeleton Coast areas are teemed with marine and avi-fauna. There are numerous operators in the Swakopmund and Walvis Bay areas who arrange daily ’sea safaris’ to see the marine side of things. There are large colonies of Seals at Walvibay and Cape Cross seal colony, dolphins that can be found at Walvis Bay, the Mola Mola sun fish, birds and occasionally Humpback whales! This naturally includes a dimension to the general wildlife viewing that is hard to find anywhere else in the world. On one day you may see dolphins, seals and even whales and the following day you can be face to face with a large male lion - [naturally from the comfort of your tour vehicle....]. Also one often forgets the Namibia also has very rich and magnificent  riverine areas in the north east of the country. The Caprivi Strip and Kavango river areas are superb spots to add to your tour for variety. Some visitors to Namibia, who clearly have enough time on their hands, visit the main attractions of Namibia and then will end their tour by crossing over to Botswana and the Chobe National Park, which is also only 2 hour drive away from the Victoria Falls. So clearly the country has earned its descriptive word “The Land of Contrasts”.

Travelling in Namibia can be done on self drive basis, small, medium and large coach tours as well as by the unique and wonderful fly-in safari method. All have their positives and negatives, however which ever way you wish to travel the outcome is often the same - You’ll fall in love with the country and want to come back for more.

Namibia is one of the countries that will take a magical hold on you if you visit there. I have come across people who are visiting the country for 15th time…. That has to say something about the quality of travel there.

Getting to Namibia is easy. There will be more specific post on the various routes to Namibia, but in the main the three main hubs for access are Johannesburg in South Africa, Frankfurt in Germany and London in the United Kingdom. Air Namibia operates daily direct flights from Europe, and if you are either residing in Europe or can easily travel to either London Gatwick for Frankfurt then that is the easiest way to fly there.

Many Americans and Canadians use the South African Airways flight that makes a landing in Niger and finally arriving in Johannesburg. From Johannesburg there are a number of daily flights to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.

This post really is aimed to ‘appetice’ your interest in this wonderful country so if you want find out more, then please peruse the other articles. As this site is still under construction you may not find the answer just now, however bookmark us and in the future you are certain to find more answers and ideas.

Thanks for reading.

-tomas-

Thanks for stopping by. We have taken a decission to dramatically change the outlook and functioning of this site. In the past safaris in Namibia has been a static html site, however from now on we will produce content and more importantly relevant content information and tips for travelling in Namibia on a safari.

As you may guess we are involved in making safaris, however we only produce very few trips to Namibia, infact at the moment only one. The site therefore is not emphasised on what we offer as products, but trying to provide impartial information on different aspects of travel in Namibia.

There will be numerous post in the very near future, however at this time we are forced to concentrate doing the ‘back office’ work for our site. We should be properly set up by the beginning of April.

This sites content is produced mainly by Tomas Lonnberg, who is a tour operator of 15 years and holds a special interest and love for Namibia as a travel destination. Also he is avid photographer and thus the one tour that we are going to do is Photographic expedition to Namibia. More from that in the near future.

As we have created plenty of great personal relation ships with our counter parts in Namibia [safari and tour operators] we are actively going to pester them to provide information about the routes, sites and other destination related tips and ‘tricks’.

For now please bookmark our page and if you are interested in visiting Namibia, please pay a visit after April. We should begin to have plenty of information by that time.

Thanks for readin and welcome.