Everything you need to know about your Etosha National Park Safari
One of Africa’s greatest safari destinations, the 22 000-square kilometre wilderness of Etosha National Park is a top highlight for many travellers to Namibia. Made up of grasslands and woodland savanna and dominated by a giant salt pan, Etosha is home to 114 species of mammals, including four of the Big Five and the world’s largest concentration of black rhino.
Our recommended tour
Namibian Etosha Self-Drive Adventure
Drive yourself through the majestic landscapes of Namibia en-route to Etosha and spend your days searching for, and finding the wildlife that Etosha is known for…

Highlights of Etosha National Park

When to visit Etosha?
- January
Average temperatures hit a sticky 34°C. It’s rainy season: incredibly for a place one thinks of as arid, this can mean mud in patches! A 4x4 will be useful and comfortable, but it is a lot more costly, and the majority of Etosha’s roads remain accessible in an ordinary city car …
Park authorities also tend to temporarily close roads that will be a problem. The weather is simply unpredictable: there can be clear sunny skies, but Etosha can also be overcast for days at a time, with the chance of some quite heavy rain. As such, potentially not the best time for photography, although there may be dramatic skies and sunsets thanks to thunderstorms. The beginning of January is still peak local holiday travel time, so the park will be packed. Things quieten down drastically later; by month-end some private lodges can even feel a bit echoey! All the more attention for those lucky few. If the rains have been good, there will be water in the pan itself, and Fisher’s Pan near Namutoni could have turned pink with flamingos, which breed here in good years. Those charismatic big guys, the elephant and rhino, will have gone walkabout toward the east, i.e. moved from the waterholes to thicker bush. As the park roads tend to link waterholes, this can make sightings less accessible. - February
The peak of the rainy season. Vegetation will be as lush as it gets in Etosha for the next month or two – which makes game viewing more challenging …
If the rains have been good, there will be water in the pan itself (and migrant waterbirds); Fisher’s Pan near Namutoni could have turned pink with flamingos. All the details mentioned for January still apply in terms of the desirability of a 4x4, thunderstorms and potentially, patches of dodgy weather. Elephant and rhino will be more elusive, feeding in thicker bush while they have the chance to be further from the waterholes. Heavy showers can cause dry riverbeds to suddenly flow, although it’s usually over in a matter of hours rather than days. The park has lower visitor numbers, which some find a great boon, but experts actually tend to tell first-time visitors in search of big-game drama that this isn’t the best time for Etosha. That said, this is a fenced park (although bigger than the US state of New Jersey), and the animals move around within it: they are there; one just needs more time to get lucky. The Namutoni area (and the east in general) can be more productive. - March
There still a chance of rain and the bush is thick and green and grasses tall… all very lovely, but it does make spotting animals that little bit more difficult! …
Not many people around, but as per February, not as much big game either, or not lolling around the waterholes waiting to be photographed. Our travel experts say this is a time for more seasoned travellers, rather than those with just one chance to tick Etosha off their bucket list. The game, however, is there, but as always, it’s a bit of a lottery as Tripadvisor notice boards can relate. People have reported superb sightings in March. - April
Still nice and quiet in beautiful Etosha, although there will be a spike in tourists around Easter, when rest camps will fill up …
The seasons are changing, evenings and early mornings may be cooling down by the end of the month. A less predictable ‘shoulder season’ month, but often very good for Etosha. The herds should have started to move back towards the central areas by the end of the month, but this is still not prime game-viewing-at-waterholes season; driving around will be needed. - May
The land is drying out and long, warm sunny days will start turning the bush a million shades of brown. Average high temperatures are a delicious 29° Centigrade, with lows of 11°C …
As things dry out, waterholes become the place to be once again, making it possible to pull up near one and see all sorts of action. By the end of this month, elephants are likely to be heading back to the central /southern areas of the park. It is still not prime holiday time for locals or international, so tourist numbers are low to moderate. A wonderful time to visit the south and east areas. - June
Good sunny weather this month, with highs of 27°C and lows a surprisingly chilly 6°C. The dry season starts in earnest …
Most of the park is considered to have good game viewing potential and visitor numbers are moderate. It’s the beginning of high season, and by the end of the month, pretty busy. The waterholes will be delivering the goods: lovely tableaux of species can gather at one hole. The elephant will be back at the waterholes, barging in as and when they please. - July
Full sunshine is the default weather forecast, with average highs of 27°C and lows of 6°C (it can and does occasionally hit 0°C) …
We’re now in peak season, and waterholes will be well attended by both big game and tourists! This means the central part of the park is optimum turf, and game viewing wherever there is a water source is extremely rewarding. Booking in advance is essential. - August
Peak season in terms of weather, international tourist numbers and waterhole action. August seldom sees a drop of rain, and average temperatures are rising: highs are 31° and lows 11° …
It will be busy enough in the park for those allergic to crowds to consider staying in a lodge on a private reserve outside the park borders, or look to the less-visited Western side of the park. Acacia nebrownii trees flower by the hundred in August and September, each tree bearing “hundreds of thousands of yellow flowers that give off a lovely scent,” says wildlife photographer Mario Fazekas. - September
Still prime dry season game viewing time …
Days are hot. Average highs are around 35°C, although a warm jacket may still be welcome on early morning game drives and when the sun goes down, believe it or not. It’s still peak season for Etosha for the first part of the month, and there will be traffic and some congestion at prime waterholes, which will be seeing all the big game action. The central section of the park will be buzzing. Not the African experience you imagined? Consider a lodge in a neighbouring private reserve and dip into the park itself as required. - October
One of the hottest months of the year, with high temperatures averaging 37°C …
You’ll be able to tell it’s really warm when you see the tiny dik-dik breathing rapidly: it has an enlarged internal nasal area with lots of blood vessels and ‘nasal panting’ helps cool it down (elephants flap their enormous ears to do the same thing). Happily, humans have iced drinks! Visitor numbers tend to be high to moderate this month (it quietens down). As with August and September, herds are plentiful in the central areas. If pressed for time, this is the place to go and one need not visit the eastern or western sides. There should be some showers this month, but it’s not guaranteed. - November
One of the hottest months of the year, when average temperatures spike: it’s 35° to over 40°. November is the real start of the annual rainy season …
Once showers have drenched the thirsty land, vegetation springs to life – giving herbivores the chance to move into new areas to feed and become less dependent on the waterholes. November is somewhat of a ‘shoulder’ season though and visitors will see animals, fear not. This is the month that sees most cloud cover (fully overcast days), yet that averages only five to six days. Much of the rainy season is partly cloudy, with rain in the afternoons as opposed to set-in rain. - December
The rains should have arrived, and the game will be moving east to browse in the Namutoni area and further north, beyond the road network. …
The central waterholes quieten down and will no longer be visited much by elephant; rhino, too, may take some seeking out. Baby animals are born and shiver into action, able to walk in no time, but vulnerable for the first few days after birth. Visitor numbers soar in mid to late December as local holidays kick in. Book way in advance if you hope to travel at this time, for all accommodations inside and outside the park. Large family parties will be setting up camp in the park with everything including a kitchen sink and buzzing about in search of predators; if the crowds will intrude on the experience, choose another time. Average temperatures have cooled a bit with rains, but still average 35°. Intra-African and Palearctic migrant bird species should be here, an enormous plus for birders.


Imagine a landscape so unearthly it was used as a set in classic science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. A place where bone-white elephants shiver into view through mirages cast by heat and light. Here, giraffe tower over bleached grasslands that hide lion and cheetah; great herds of springbok and gnu stir up dust like mist. In the dry season, the vast salt pan that takes up almost 25% of this 22,935 km2 national park is an empty expanse of cracked white mud, visible from space.
Water is the centre of this universe, and Etosha revolves around its galaxy of waterholes. This is a place where, rather than driving in search of game, one can pull up at a quiet pan and watch as creatures great and small come to share a drink. Clouds of red-billed quelea swirl overhead like omens and there is the sense that anything, anything at all, could happen.

Unlike the rest of our beleaguered planet, there are more large mammals in this part of Namibia than there are people (Namibia squeaks into the top five least-populated regions on earth). A considerable number stroll around the startling expanses of Etosha, including the densest population of endangered black rhinoceros in the world. This is justifiably a top safari destination all year round, despite the fact that it is fenced and massively popular and an experience rather different to the great wildernesses of Botswana and Kenya. In dry season Etosha is a stark, shimmering vision of a place. Over 80 waterholes and pans (natural and man-made) are punched into the dry surroundings and the park’s road network leads from one to another like beads on a string. Most are to the south of massive Etosha Pan, and stretch from the busier East and Central section to the dolomite hills and mopane woodlands of the West, only opened to the public in 2011.

In summer, the rains come and Etosha undergoes a spectacular transformation. If heavy enough, water fills the pan with a shallow layer of precious liquid that attracts masses of waterbirds, including Barbie-pink flamingos. Vegetation springs to life and the plains fill with spindly-legged baby antelope and wildebeest calves. This annual makeover adds to the changeable nature of the park, which draws repeat visitors for its reliable animal sightings.

Etosha was proclaimed over 110 years ago, and the original park accommodations and road network were designed for self-driving visitors. That said, there are other ways to explore: either by staying outside its boundaries and driving in, or with guided safaris. There are three “classic” camps that generations of visitors have visited with chalets and camping sites; in a way these are like busy mini-villages, complete with fuel stations and shops. These have been bolstered with two more contemporary and semi-exclusive “eco-camps”, and one site that caters to campers only. All (bar Okoshi) have a waterhole besides them, floodlit for guests to observe nocturnal activity. For those averse to crowds and unwilling to deal with the park staff (it has a reputation for being somewhat indifferent), there is a selection of accommodations scattered outside the park boundaries. These range from rustic enclaves to luxurious suites in choice locations on private reserves.

Etosha at a glance:
- 22,935km2 of dreamy, endless space.
- Landscapes like nowhere else: white clay pans, blue water, and shape-shifting mirages.
- Four of the big five (there are no buffalo).
- 114 mammal species plus over 400 bird species have been recorded here.
- Waterhole central: scarce water draws the game like magnets in dry season.
Etosha National Park Wildlife
African elephants that have become accustomed to the relentless cycles of drought in Etosha and map its water sources in their memories. From just 26 in 1954, their numbers have swelled to over 2,500. It was in Etosha that a study proved that elephant can communicate using infrasonic sounds; they literally ‘bounce’ these off a thermal inversion layer in the atmosphere. This allows “conversations” they can hear for 100km further than normal.

Springbok
A particularly beautiful and bountiful antelope with distinctive colouring, horns that outline a heart shape and immaculate white tummies, despite the dust. They “pronk”: bounce with all four feet alternatively on and off the ground, for what seems to be pure joy.
Black rhino
Shy, grumpy, prehistoric beasts with poor eyesight – and such presence they’ll take your breath away. Browsers, not grazers: if you see a rhino mowing grassland, it will be a southern white.

Oryx, called “gemsbok”
Pronounced correctly, with a harsh and rolling ‘g’, the word sounds nothing like the perfect angles and subtle patterns this lovely antelope displays. It has spectacular spear-like horns that even lion treat with respect.

Damara dik-dik
A pint-sized antelope, often no taller than a big coffee-table book, with a squeaky cry and a zig-zagging escape tactic.

What type of traveller are you?
Solo Travel in Etosha
Namibia is a marvellous country for solo travellers, safe, accustomed to tourist needs and with excellent transport and communications infrastructure. This takes care of a lot of the anxiety about travelling to Etosha for many. One can easily take to the open road alone in a hire vehicle, and proceed to explore the park – but not all wish to. Besides the fact that striking out into a foreign country on one’s own can be intimidating, the distances are impressive, and driving for some is tiring. Even self-driving in the park itself – the primary activity – can be exhausting if one is always behind the wheel.
Okonjima Omboroko Campsite If being a solo driver is not a concern, those not after too much luxury might like to know that Etosha rest camps are often busy and the potential to meet others. The floodlit waterholes at the main camps are also ways to enjoy wildlife sightings with others, and one can book guided drives where shared animal sightings can be enjoyed. Solo travellers will enjoy all regions of the park – just remember that eco-camps Dolomite, in the west, and Onkoshi, in the east are the quietest, if priciest options. All roads to Etosha’s gates are tarred, but travellers planning on going further to Damaraland, or north via the western side of the park, will have to tackle some dirt.
Certain solo travellers to Etosha will appreciate handing over all responsibilities and booking in at an all-inclusive lodge outside the park. Meals and game drives will be on offer when needed, leaving travellers free to admire the landscapes, relax in patches, and concentrate on what they can see through binoculars and cameras. Wake-up calls will help you up make dawn-patrol game drives, and cold drinks and meals will magically appear as and when needed. Many self-drive to their lodge accommodations, and then happily park for the duration. In this case, thanks to Namibia’s long empty roads, it’s a good idea to let your lodge know when you hope to arrive. Note that some areas en route will not have mobile phone connectivity.
Those soloists who are chasing passions such as birding and wildlife photography can investigate specialised tours that cater to the particular needs such guests have.
Credit: andBeyond Solo travellers do have the disadvantage of not being able to share rates. Most accommodations will charge a single supplement, and it can be steep. Ask about specials and low season rates as these make certain establishments more affordable.
Some lodges also attract more honeymooners and couples who stare at each other with an intensity others lavish on the wildlife! A Discover Africa consultant will know which lodges and camps are more likely to welcome singles, provide communal dinners and meals, and offer private dining should you wish to retreat. As accommodations around Etosha cater to self-drivers and independent travellers as well as fully-inclusive guests, there can be less mixing of guests than at remote safari lodges in other countries. Some seat self-driving solos at individual tables; singles booked on fully-inclusive trips are more likely to eat as a group with other guests. If this important to you, do ask your travel expert for advice.
A guaranteed, ready-made “group” can be found – by taking a small-group guided tour. These range in quality and comfort levels, but there are some excellent operators with fine guides – the kind who can identify a small bird on the wing and know what medicinal uses a plant has. Most have set departures and itineraries, and will include Etosha as part of a trip that takes in a range of Namibian highlights. These can work out quite reasonably as they include most meals, park fees, accommodation and of course, that invaluable peace of mind. Groups of no more than seven are desirable. Whether lodges, luxury tented camps or actual “real” rough-and-ready camping, there should be an option to suit all budgets. Single supplements for your own tent or room are likely.
For those with seriously deep pockets, there is also the option of a private guided trip, which can be customised to focus on regions of primary interest.
- Travel tips
- Self-drivers should travel with plenty of drinking water in case of breakdowns. Tap water can be drunk in Etosha unless otherwise stated.
- Low-season rates may provide solo travellers with a better deal.
- Travel tips
Honeymoon in Etosha
There’s a reason so many couples choose a safari for those extra special occasions. So much about the experience sighs with romance: deep, dark night skies washed in starlight, the impossibly relaxing smell of sun-warmed savanna, rain on dry earth, or vegetation crushed by passing herds. Most importantly, it’s an escape to a place where the rhythms of life swirl around one. Ancient laws and cycles are observed; contemporary life takes a back seat and patterns of attraction and birth and death take centre stage. It’s proven that time in nature boosts health and happiness, and the Great White Place is nature on steroids. Add some contemporary luxury to all that delicious wildness – of the kind that can be found in a superior lodge – and the scene is set for romance.
Taleni Etosha Village Couples celebrating in style will be well-catered to on private reserves outside Etosha. Often within easy driving distance of one of Etosha’s main gates, there are some extremely attractive lodges, villas and tented camps tucked into wildlife-rich surrounds or with sweeping views. For a safari of this kind, its likely one would opt for a fully-inclusive stay that will take care of all meals and activities such as game drives, let alone more menial tasks. Fly-ins, for those after the superlative experience, will offer views of the immensity of Namibia’s empty spaces. Lodge accommodations can be booked whether you are self-driving or doing a private tour, although there may be extra costs for the guide’s bed. We would recommend choosing accommodations based on the size of the camp (smaller is usually more intimate and cosy), and the presence of a floodlit waterhole if remotely possible: there is nothing like holding one’s breath, hand in hand as a leopard slinks to the water’s edge. Additional activities like rhino tracking, guided walks and hides are options couples may leap at experiencing together. If visiting in summer, a private plunge pool may be desirable, and some may like the idea of perks like outdoor showers. In winters, fireplaces in a lodge’s communal areas or a fire pit are nice-to-haves for atmosphere. Service in such accommodations really should be good and genuine – if not absolutely top notch. Compared to the classic restcamps within Etosha, however, it will shine.
Most private reserves offer sundowners: drinks of your choice in an exquisite setting or at a remarkable animal sighting. One Tripadvisor reviewer recalls watching a crash of enormous rhino, drink in hand, as the sun eased itself below Etosha’s big horizon. It was, unsurprisingly, a highlight.
There is also a plethora of down-to-earth, more reasonable accommodations outside the park if the private reserves are beyond reach or one is after a more rustic experience.
A mobile safari can also whisk you from place to place in expert hands, and if higher end, is likely to be lodge-based as opposed to camping-based.
The most romantic options in Etosha itself are undoubtedly the smaller, more contemporary “luxury eco-camps” of Dolomite in the west and Onkoshi in the east, although they won’t offer the enormous volumes and space of private suites, nor fine dining. They are, however, both marvellously situated, with shimmering views and all the joys of being in the park with (at Onkoshi) white-mud clad elephants wandering by like ghosts at dusk. And one can abdicate driving responsibility and book guided drives.
For those to whom romance means proximity to the wild and the sounds of the bush filtered through canvas, the busy camping sites in the classic restcamps will probably not be top of your list. Even Olifantsrus, although 130km from Okaukuejo and with just 10 sites, can get busy (day visitors can visit). Unlike Botswana, private tours that offer wild camping in exclusive, unfenced areas are not allowed in Etosha itself – all private tours will accommodate couples in the official restcamps. If you’re not really suited to roughing it in a sea of other tents and caravans, perhaps the best option is to splurge a little and seek out a permanent tented camps on a private reserve. Private camping outside the reserve is also a possibility.
By the way: overland tours offer adventure for couples who want to see the highlights of a region on a tight budget. But as the groups are relatively big, chores must be done and the itinerary is static with very long periods on the road.
- Travel tips
- Mosquitos aren’t romantic. If you’re camping independently, consider taking a net.
- Take warmer clothes for drives and chilly evenings; winter in Namibia does actually have winter – temperatures plummet when the sun goes down.
- Private dining (in your room) is usually an option at the better lodges, as are individual tables in communal dining areas.
- Couples know each other best. Some may find large animals in close proximity frightening as well as thrilling. If an expert guide will help alleviate nerves, choose a guided tour.
- Travel tips
Family Holiday in Etosha
There are families who have visited Etosha for generations, sometimes in family groups that range from pint-sized grandkids to grandads. Instilling a love for the park experience – exciting drives, mammal lists, tents, and searching biscuit-coloured grassland for biscuit-coloured lions – is a delight and a privilege, no matter the budget. A safari is an enormously exciting experience for most children, who will delight in watching creatures previously only seen in books and on TV walk and trumpet in front of them.
There are some caveats – although many families will chose to ignore them; families are as different from each other as insects and mammals! Generally speaking, however, experts tend to suggest taking older children on safaris: eight-to-ten years old and up is perfect. Distances in Namibia are impressive, standard game drives far too long for wriggly tots, and it gets properly hot, which will wilt the sweetest-natured kid. Also empty landscapes, no matter how beautiful, tend to leave children unmoved.
Choosing accommodations suitable for the family will of course be paramount. The Namibia Wildlife Resorts classic camps will be full of families and smaller kids are bound to meet others splashing in the pools. Some guided tours too, will book accommodation in these camps. The camps are relaxed and casual and self-driving allows parents to cater to their children’s tolerance levels. Guided activities for small children, however, will be limited.
Family accommodations in more luxurious establishments outside the park is available – but suitable rooms, especially in the more upmarket establishments, can be limited at busy times. Book in advance. Self-driving, private tours and fly-in safaris are all options. Some lodges will not take young children, and families may have to book a private vehicle (smaller children will not be allowed on group game drives). Most lodges limit guided walks and such activities to older children too: check before booking. Parents able to choose all the creature comforts they desire may want to ensure that their rooms or family chalets have two bathrooms – extremely useful for the early morning crush before game drives or activities. A swimming pool is a great boon for children of all ages, and will often absorb all the extra time one has on safari with two drives a day.
Upmarket lodges that cater for children may also provide a games room, short safe walks to look at plants and insects, private game drive vehicles (unfortunately rather expensive), and hides (great for leg-stretching and whispers). Rates for children will differ, from “under-threes free”, to full rates for kids of 12 and up.
Families who are not self-driving can also find guided tours to suit their needs, complete with an informed guide – bliss for those who want to switch the planning side of the brain off. These can be all-inclusive and cater to different budgets, from camping to exclusive, fly-in options. Expect set departure dates for most, excluding the most upmarket. Try and be paired with another family; the children can play together. Lower cost camping tours sometimes do not include activities: check, as it can be very disappointing to be within a stone’s throw of a dream activity, only to find it is unaffordable.
As Wanderlust notes, first-time safari goers with kids tend to be most concerned about health and safety. Etosha is considered very low risk for malaria in winter months, although repellent is always a must, as are long-trousers, socks and sleeves at dawn and dusk. In the rainy season, there is a malaria risk, although this is still considered medium to low. Many who are not travelling on to another malaria area or north to the Caprivi Strip (now called the Zambezi) choose not to take prophylactics, but consult a doctor. Of the medication available, etoshanationalpark.org suggests Malarone. If concerned about both the medication and the mozzies, pick a date at the height of the dry season and pack repellent.
All regions of Etosha are suitable for family travel, so the choice of accommodations will decide things. The western region of the park has fewest options to choose from, both inside and outside the park and the game is not as dense.
- Travel Tips
- Get the children some binoculars, and teach them how to use them before coming on safari. It’s a skill that adds huge value to the experience, particularly for nascent twitchers.
- Get a species list from the camp shops for children to tick off or make your own: most love a treasure hunt for animals.
- At the NWR classic camps, children under six stay free; children from six to 12 sharing with an adult pay 50%. Onkoshi does not accept children under six. Dolomite does, but is unfenced and has walkways threading between rocks; not an ideal playground.
- Namotoni and Okuakuejo have small museums and there are interpretive exhibits up at some camps. Children will also love looking at sightings books where available – other visitors note what they have seen and where, leaving tantalising information that can help decide what waterhole to visit next.
- Waterholes make Etosha special in winter: the animals come not only two by two, but at times by the hundred. Much easier for families than endlessly scanning grass and scrub for elusive critters.
- As tempting as it is for children to run around barefoot when it’s hot, hardy sandals or closed shoes are recommended, especially when camping. This will avoid punctures (thorns) and stings (scorpions at worst).
- Parents should be able to buy most essentials supplies at supermarkets in large towns. The sun may be more of a threat than any bug. Smear the kids with high-factor lotion and make them wear a hat.
- Wifi is available at large camps; vouchers can be purchased at the camp shops. Teens will find this information essential.
- Plastic bags are banned in Etosha.
- Travel Tips

Budget Safari in Etosha
Namibia is one of Africa’s easiest safari destinations to visit. Self-catering is possible (although be sure to book accommodations that have a kitchen with crockery and pots), shops are well-supplied, and long ribbons of tarmac unfold across its lunar landscapes. Self-driving is the standard for many visitors, and indeed the road-trip aspects are part of the attraction. It is rare to find a country as sparsely populated as Namibia, and the endless empty vistas can be stark but lovely.
Self-driving guests can visit Etosha, one of the world’s top safari destinations, on a shoestring. The classic camps in Etosha National Park offered campsites at N$300 to N$350 per person at the time of writing. Self-drive visitors will be right in the thick of the action, although seclusion will have to be sacrificed. Still, Etosha’s enormous open vistas make it difficult to feel crowded when out on drives, and the NWR resorts allow total self-sufficiency. Olifantsrus may be best placed for camping with fewer people, but there will still be company. Alternatively, if NWR rates seem high, even cheaper camping sites and rooms can be found outside the park.
Various tour operators also take advantage of Etosha’s easy accessibility and offer self-drive tours: guests are sent an itinerary with bookings, hop in rental car on arrival, and just follow instructions. Armed with GPS directions, visitors then park at a reserve or lodge outside the park and enjoy all-inclusive experiences. This tends to work out less expensive than a dedicated vehicle and guide.
For those allergic to maps and finding their way in lonely landscapes, the cheapest tour option is an overland tour, although this does not suit everyone and tends to attract hardy youngsters who don’t mind the unrelenting company and Spartan comforts. We’d recommend opting for a budget safari tour with as small a group as possible. The most reasonable of these tend to depart on set dates and take in key Namibian (and sometimes Botswanan) attractions. Many budget tours stay in accommodations in Etosha National Park – including campsites. Others will book guests in at accommodations outside the park. The advantage here is that these will have been vetted, and reasonable two to three star accommodations picked.
For those who have the option of picking when to travel, more affordable rates and specials can be found in low season outside Etosha (which ups rates annually). Savings are not, however, as pronounced as in some safari destinations, but may help to include a very special lodge for a night. Expect about 10% to 25% off, with possible extra specials for longer stays.
- Travel Tips
- You can visit Etosha in a small car – as small as a Kia Picanto! You will, however, be closer to the ground and green season rains (January to March) will render some park roads unsuitable for small vehicles. Park authorities tend to close off the worst culprits.
- NWR basic chalets cost from around N$1,400 to N$1,700 per person sharing in 2019 (double rooms are cheaper); breakfast is included. Prices escalate annually in July. Halali camp’s rates are lower; from around N$1,000 pps. While most chalets have a fridge and braai stand, not all have kitchens.
- Book in good time. Local holiday times really affect availability.
- It’s possible to stay outside the park at bed and breakfast, or dinner bed and breakfast rates, and buy lunch at an Etosha restcamp restaurant. Otherwise, pack snacks and picnics.
- If not on a fully inclusive rate at the better lodges, be aware that extra activities can add up fast. For those who like more down-time and less buzzing about, however, non-inclusive rates will aid affordability.
Try our Safari Cost Calculator- Travel Tips
Affordable Etosha Safari
International currency goes far in Namibia, and safaris here – even fully inclusive options outside the park with expert guides – can be considerably more reasonable than elsewhere in the region. The Namibia Wildlife Resorts options inside Etosha are affordable but not particularly cheap for what one gets: one pays for the privilege of being in the park. The best of the NWR options – for views, fewer people and the chance to be the first to etch tyre tracks over any big cat spoor on the roads – are Dolomite and Onkoshi, both rated for their spectacular locations. (Onkoshi is also good in green season as elephants tend to move east during this time, but some find it isolated and it doesn’t have a waterhole). The service and food at these camps receives fewer rave reviews, but is generally adequate and friendly. These eco-camps are not dramatically more expensive than the traditional “classic” NWR camps, yet are considerably more intimate and less busy. Guided drives will add up, however. Then again, the classic camps have their own charm for those immune to more people – plus conveniences such as fuel stations and shops and (in a few family chalets) full self-catering facilities. Just remember that all NWR camps are extremely popular in high season.
Self-driving can certainly help keep costs down – one can then book into accommodations outside the park that match the budget. If one is the type of guest who enjoys two activities a day as opposed to lounging around a lodge deck, opt for fully inclusive rates at the more upmarket lodges to prevent costs escalating due to activity and meal costs. As meals, drives, guides and most drinks are included, these options allow one to pack the credit card away until you leave. These lovely lodges also tend to drop their rates somewhat in low season (January to April/May). Savings are not, however, as pronounced as in some safari destinations, but may help to make a few night’s stay possible. Expect about 10% to 25% off.
Guided tours catering to various budgets are also an option – but not really deluxe camping safaris as wild camping is not permitted in Etosha. More upmarket tours won’t stick a tent village up in, say Namutoni’s campsite, but will book one in at lodges and tented camps outside the park according to budget. Tours are wonderful for peace of mind plus expert animal spotting (surprisingly difficult for first timers!). Groups, which are made up of a number of couples and solos and sometimes families who will leave on set departure dates, can become firm friends and are likely to eat and adventure together, with the guide joining the group for meals. Just opt for a smaller group wherever possible, with the best guide one can afford to maximise the experience. Many small group tours like this take in a number of key highlights in the region, such as Damaraland and the Skeleton Coast, as well as Etosha. If one’s goal is to spend more time in Etosha itself, there are more focused tours out there. Alternatively, there are tailor-made tours for families, private groups or couples – but these can be considerably more pricey.
Less pricey accommodations are also available outside the park, but are often further from park gates or on smaller reserves with no representatives of the Big Five. To make up for this, one is likely to find extremely comfortable rooms and extras like spa treatments – and good value for money. Where some tend to fall down is food – both the quality and price. If you know you have a sensitive palate, perhaps check menus and other guest reviews before booking or ask for expert advice from a Discover Africa consultant.
- Travel Tips
- Go on a night drive if you are staying in Etosha. Rates are N$750 a person but the chance to see secretive night creatures like civets and aardwolf is not to be missed. Wrap up warm if it’s during winter! - The NWR eco-camps’ most reasonable bush chalets cost from N$1,820 to N$2,540 per person sharing. They accommodate two. Deluxe chalets are also available.
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Luxury Holiday in Etosha
Even high-end guests sometimes choose self-drive safaris in Namibia, all the better to watch the flat landscapes unfurl to the growl of a motor. This is a country made for road trips. For those to whom time is the most precious thing, however, flying will be preferable. Small charter flights are available, and the top lodges will have (or share) airstrips. There is of course the added bonus of seeing the enormity of Namibia from the air; even the capital Windhoek is a mere blip of humanity quickly swallowed by red, white and khaki expanses of nothingness. With luck, you’ll see the 4,730km2 Etosha Pan from the air, shivering white upon the plains like a luminescent jellyfish.
Etosha Safari Lodge Although justifiably billed as a top safari experience, Etosha might not tick all the boxes for first time safari goers. Its differences are its charms: the eerie stark pans in winter, the arid landscape with animals that have adapted to its cycles of rain and drought, and the ability to see to the horizon much of the time. It is a unique biome and deserves its accolades, but it is a busy place with ample tourists of all kinds; enormous, but fenced in; wild, but studded with the manmade waterholes that allow life to exist. Visitors who accept these contradictions will appreciate it most. Even if staying outside the park, do take trips into Etosha itself for the amazing landscapes; worth the bother of a bit of extra company. Those who want to explore the vistas through a lens may wish to look into a specialised, guided photographic safari, and expert birding safaris are highly recommended for avid twitchers. Photographers will prefer the ghostly hues of winter; birders will endure high temperatures in summer to see wetland birds and migrants.
Unless drawn to the in-park amenities, finer accommodations will be found outside the park. The best are very good, although the most famous names in the Botswana and East Africa safari world are not represented. While any grumps tend to be about food or service, most guests appear to come away more than content with game sightings and lodgings. It’s advised to pick a large reserve with representatives of the Big Five to keep you company: one or two of these reserves have excellent conservation reputations and will offer exciting activities such as rhino tracking and guided walks, plus sunset and night drives. Sightings may not be as bountiful as in Etosha itself (which all lodges offer game drives to), but there will be the bonus of exclusivity: no unwanted, loud companions arriving just as the lions you’ve seen are slinking onto their bellies for a hunt. Guides are generally very good, and will do their best to find the more antisocial but desirable beasts.
Specialised, tailor-made private guided tours to the area, with guests booked in at appropriate lodgings for as much time as suits them, are the other alternative. Other mobile, guided small group tours are advertised, and some are deluxe, but be aware that there is no wild camping allowed in Etosha National Park itself, so nightjar cries through (quality) canvas are harder to come by. Your best bet for a romantic, tent-and-lantern experience is likely to be a fine, permanent tented camp in an adjoining large private reserve.
- Travel tips
- Try and book at a reserve with as many Big Five species as possible for that extra thrill.
- Rates seldom approach the highs seen at Botswana’s top lodges, so the most luxurious lodges available should seem reasonable. Booking ahead where possible is recommended to avoid disappointment.
- Both fly-in and mobile safaris often have baggage limitations of 20kg, to be packed in soft suitcases that can be squashed into tiny planes.
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