The Etosha national park was one of our main reasons for travelling to Namibia. We had seen fantastic photos of the wildlife there and had high expectations. They were easily surpassed by the actual experience!
The shot above shows the Andersson gate, one of four entrances into the park. In addition to the various lodges outside the boundaries of Etosha, there are several rest camps within the park itself. While neither the food nor the accommodation is great at these camps, they all have waterholes nearby where you can watch the animals without having to get into a vehicle. The two photos below were taken at the waterhole of the Okaukuejo Camp, the largest of them.
These waterholes also have flood lighting, so you can continue watching the wildlife after sunset. This shot of a rhino was taken at the Halali Camp late in the evening.
You can go on a variety of organised game drives, but it is also possible to take your own vehicle – which is what we did. The shops at the rest camps sell decent maps showing in particular the locations of all the waterholes in the park. All you need to do is drive to one of them, position your vehicle appropriately, and then wait for the wildlife to appear. Very often you will find that the animals have got there before you. Quite frequently you also come across good photo opportunities as you are driving along.
I do not think the shots below require much commentary beyond that, so I am simply presenting them as a photo gallery.
We spent a total of 4 days (3 full days plus two half days) at Etosha, before heading back to Windhoek and our return flight to the UK. It was not nearly enough time!
I really enjoyed this series, Professor! Namibia was on my bucket list but you’ve pushed it up near the top! Happy New Year to you and your family!
Excellent photo’s !