Everything you have to know about Etosha National Park
Everything you have to know about Etosha National Park
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Etosha National Park is one of those places we will never forget. Driving in your own car and seeing all those beautiful animals without being in a big group of people makes this National Park so special for us. We never expected to see so many animals in the West of Etosha. We waited at one waterhole and actually, two herds of animals with more than 50 animals came to the waterhole. We found ourselves in a complete Serengeti surrounded by elephants, zebras, 1 rhino, 3 giraffes, antelopes and Orix at the same time!
1. Grocery shopping in Kamanjab
The night before we entered the Etosha National Park at the Western gate, we stayed at Kaoko Bush Lodge in Kamanjab. Coming from Opuwo, we arrived a little too late at the Galton Gate. It was too late to drive to the nearest Olifantsrus Camp in the West of the park. Therefore we had enough time to buy some groceries in Kamanjab and to get some cash for the entrance fee. We drove to Galton Gate at 6:40 am and needed around 45 minutes from Kamanjab.
2. From Galton Gate (West) to Okaukuejo (South)
Our favorite part of the National Park was definitely the calmer and less known West of Etosha. We were completely alone at the waterholes and we saw a lot more animals than in the South of the NP. But keep in mind that it totally can change depending on the season you visit the Etosha NP. There are 4 different Gates to enter the park (South, East, West
Entering the National Park at Galton Gate
We wrote that all the gates open at sunrise, meaning 7:05 am in April. On the website, you can find a list of sunrise and sunset times. However, the gate
Our favorite Waterholes in the West:
We rated them with stars, from one star “good” to five stars “best”.
1. Renostervlei : ***
We saw two big giraffes drinking at the waterhole.
2. Rateldraf: ****
It’s our second favorite waterhole. There is a beautiful windmill. At first, we only saw a few zebras and Orix and we almost drove to the next waterhole. But on our way back, we saw 3 lions walking to the waterhole so we waited for them. We were so lucky: The 3 lions were drinking at the waterhole and laying down in the shadows, while 2 rhinos, 1 jackal, 1 giraffe, 20 zebras and a lot of Orix were visiting the waterhole. We didn’t know that all these animals can be together in one place. All the animals observed the lions from the distance and it was clear who was the highest animal in the hierarchy. We stayed 2 hours watching the scenery.
3. Duikerdrink: **
There were a lot of zebras and Orix.
4.
Our favorite waterhole and the most intense experience in Etosha National Park. Around 1 pm we arrived there and we were surprised by so many animals! Two big herds of elephants with more than 50 animals ran to the waterhole. The little baby elephants were playing in the water and it was the most fantastic experience to see the social interaction between these beautiful creatures!
5. Olifantsrus: ****
The perfect place for a little break! You are not allowed to step out of the car at the waterholes, but there are some break areas from time to time. Olifantsrus is actually a wonderful camp but until
6. Sonderkop: ****
We saw one giraffe and some elephants drinking at the waterhole. On our way back, we almost overlooked the three lions laying directly next to the road. The lions were 3 meters away from us – a really intense feeling!
7. Ozonjuitji m’ Bari: ****
At 5 pm there were actually crowds of animals blocking the road to the waterhole. 😉 A lot of animals said hello to us! Have you ever seen so many animals in one place?
Staying at Olifantrus Camp
We highly recommend to stay here for the night if you have a car with a rooftop tent! The camp is pretty new and the perfect place to stay! You can watch the animals at the waterhole in the evening and next morning. The camp is a lot smaller and not as crowded as Okaukuejo Camp or Halali Camp.
Okaukuejo Camp
After the last waterhole Ozonjuitji m’ Bari, we drove through
We didn’t like the big crowded holiday park feeling at this camp as well as the unjustified high prices. But the waterhole directly at the camp was amazing! All the people went there in the night to watch the illuminated elephants, zebras, hyena and rhinos drinking at the waterhole. It was amazing to hear the sounds of the animals so closely!
3. From Okaukuejo to Halali
The next day we explored the waterholes between Okaukuejo Camp and Halali Camp. We didn’t see the number of animals we saw in the greener West of the Park. I think it really depends on the month you
Our favorite waterholes in the South:
1. Nebrowni: ***
Three Lions with their babies were laying near the waterhole in the distance!
2. Gemsbokvlante, Olifantsbad
We saw a lot of zebras and Orix! We heard that you can see a lot of animals and even a wild cat at these waterholes!
3. Homob, Sueda, Salvadora and Charitsaub: **
We were told that Homob is a good place to see wildcats. Sueda offers a beautiful view of the extremely big salt pan in the middle of the National Park but there were a lot of people. Charitsaub has a beautiful tree and I am pretty sure I saw a pawprint on the ground and a lion under the tree. Do you see the lion
4. Rietfontein: ****
15 elephants surprised us with their cute little baby elephants at the waterhole!
Halali Camp
We liked Halali Camp a lot more than the hyped Okaukuejo camp. It was less crowded and the st
4. From Halali to Namutoni
Although we didn’t stay in Namutoni Camp we did a round tour to see some of the waterholes between Halali and Namutoni in the East. We found so many young animals in April/May.
Favorite waterholes between Halali and Namutoni
1. Rhino Drive **
We saw so much elephant or rhino poop on the way but we didn’t see
2 Goas: ***
This waterhole has two different viewing areas from different sites. We really liked this waterhole! We saw at least 5 giraffes and on our way back a few young giraffes.
3 Kalkheuwel:***
One rhino and a lot of zebras enjoyed the waterhole. And we found another animal:
4
Leaving at Anderson Gate
We left the Etosha National Park at the Andersson Gate in the South. They controlled the rear section of our car and we gave our signature. Then we drove to our next destination Spitzkoppe.
5. Questions
Reservations for NWR campsites in the National Park?
We highly recommend booking your campsites/rooms in advance, especially in the main season. In April, Halali Camp had a lot of campsites left, but Olifantsrus and Okaukuejo were almost fully booked. From July to Oktober I think it’s even worse. We didn’t book in advance, so we checked the availability of each campsite again and again on this website: https://www.nwr.com.na. We had to book a more expensive room at Okaukuejo Camp.
Our favorite campsite was Olifantsrus Camp in the West. Halali Camp in the South/East was more crowded but has a fantastic waterhole. We didn’t like Okaukuejo a lot because there were way too many people, but it might be a good starting point. We also heard good things about the luxury Dolomite Camp in the West of the National Park, but it offers only rooms!
How long should we stay in Etosha National Park?
We spend there two nights and it was enough time for us to explore most of the park. Families might plan a few more nights because it’s also a little bit exhausting to stay in the car all the time. We entered the park in the West at sunrise and drove all the way to Okaukuejo Camp. After staying there for the first night we explored the waterholes between Okaukuejo and Halali the next morning. Around noon we explored the waterholes between Halali and Namutoni. We stayed our second night at Halali Camp and the next morning we left at the Anderson Gate. The next time we would stay at the beautiful Olifantsrus Camp in the West!
Can I get out of the car? Can I drive everywhere on my own?
You can drive all the intended roads on your own in your rental car and you will get a map with all the waterholes. We highly recommend to rent a car, it’s so much fun! Although most people drive on their own, we saw a few guided tours with many noisy people squeezed on a Safari Jeep. But they seemed to be in a rush all the time, I guess it’s a different experience.
At all time, you are not allowed to leave
When is the best time to see animals?
We always started the day with sunrise, but in April there weren’t many animals at the waterholes in the morning. I guess they are late risers :D. From 10 am we saw the first animals and in the afternoon a lot of elephants, giraffes, and rhinos gathered around the waterholes. Maybe they are more thirsty after a warm day in the sun. We highly recommend waiting at a few selected waterholes. At first, you might see nothing and two minutes later there are 3 lions, elephants and giraffes coming ;). That happened to us twice! It’s not about seeing every waterhole!!
Other important things?
You aren’t allowed to bring any egg or meat in the National Park. At the bigger camps like
You don’t need to buy a permit for the Etosha National Park in advance. You can buy it directly at each of the four gates: Galton Gate (West), Anderson Gate (South), Von Lindequist Gate (East) or King Nehale Gate (North). Keep in mind you can only pay with cash! You can enter and leave at every gate, therefore it’s recommended to drive a one-way tour.
The barriers at the camps open at sunrise and close at sunset. The four Gates around the National Park close earlier so that you are able to reach a camp in the daylight! You can find the exact times on this website: https://www.etoshanationalpark.org/times-fees.
You are thinking about exporing the Etosha National Park? Well, do it! It was one of the best experiences we had!!
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