Wild and desolate

Etosha National Park rivals some of the very best game viewing areas in Africa. The animals concentrate here like nowhere else on the continent, leaving visitors completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume and variety of species in one single safari scene. The landscape itself is also completely unique; a huge salt-pan so large that it can be seen from space: it is no wonder Etosha is such a popular destination for safari-goers.

What makes the Etosha National Park so extraordinary?

Singular safari landscape

The desert landscape of Etosha National Park makes it unique as far as safari destinations go. It is a barren, harsh land and was formerly an ancient volcanic lake which dried up millions of years ago. As well as giving the safari experience here an indescribable atmosphere, this lunar landscape is bursting with life, and as this life congregates at water sources amidst the barren desert backdrop, otherworldly scenes are born and Etosha really comes into its own.

Out of this world wildlife viewing

Due to the surrounding dry, harsh environment which is quintessentially Namibia, you can often find extraordinary scenes of elephant, zebra and all varieties of antelope congregating side-by-side at a small waterhole at any one time. Nowhere else in Africa do you get quite such distinct waterhole microcosms, in contrast to barren landscapes and so the sheer variety and wealth of species which can be seen on a single Etosha game drive (especially in the dry season) is astonishing.

You can tick off pretty much everything in Etosha: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, giraffe, wildebeest, cheetah, hyena, mountain and plains zebra, springbok, kudu, gemsbok and eland. Among the smaller species you will find jackal, bat-eared fox, warthog, honey badger and ground squirrel. You will see more vehicles here than in other parks in Africa, but this can be avoided by staying in one of the private concessions on the outer rim of the national park.

Explore Namibia

Namibia certainly does not do anything in halves. The skies are starrier, animals’ stranger and the landscapes more dramatic than anywhere else in Africa. An arid and never-ending land of sand dune horizons, pink sunsets and desert adapted animals sets Namibia apart as a one of a kind African adventure destination and certainly not the safari “norm”.