Etosha Holidays

To the Ovambo people, Etosha is known as The Great White Place, a land dominated by Africa’s largest salt pan.

For much of the year, the chalky surface coats visitors in a cloud of white dust but when rainy season arrives, the lake temporarily returns, forming a vast glassy lagoon that attracts a swarm of migratory birds, including straw-legged, shrimp-hued flamingo flocks that come to gorge on algae. Safari seekers are drawn to Etosha for its spring-fed waterholes that draw a kaleidoscope of African wildlife, the most coveted being the park’s population of endangered black rhinos.

In Etosha's dry season, herds of striped zebra and dainty impalas mingle around the waterholes with towering giraffes and bathing elephants, while banana-beaked hornbills circle overhead and predators hunt. You can spend hours watching the drama unfold from your 4x4. Many lodges are set on former farmland surrounding the national park that have been converted into conservation-driven nature reserves. Two of the best, Ongava and Onguma, have teeming waterholes where you can continue the wildlife-watching bonanza over sundowners.

To experience the wonders of Namibia’s oldest conservation area, let our Africa specialists arrange a luxury stay in Etosha, complete with guided safaris.

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Etosha Hotels

Our recommendations for the best places to stay in Etosha

Okaukuejo Camp

Etosha's oldest camp, close to the famous Etosha Pan

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Explore Etosha, the jewel in Namibia’s safari crown

If you’re craving a safari, there’s no better place in Namibia than Etosha National Park. The country’s oldest conservation area is home to 114 species of mammals and 350 bird species. What’s really special about Etosha though is its spring-fed waterholes, which draw animals from far and wide, especially during the dry season from June to November.

Etosha is good for a self-drive adventure, guided tour or the individual lodges also offer full and half-day safaris with their guides, who’ll know all the best waterholes and wildlife-watching destinations in the park. Perhaps take a break from behind the wheel or your guided tour vehicle and enjoy a ride in an open-sided 4×4, perfect for photographing animals and Etosha’s vast landscapes. Your guide will help you spot everything from giraffes and elephants to big cats and rhinos, as well as plains game like zebra, oryx and the rare black-faced impala.

There’s more to Etosha than just its diverse wildlife; the baobab-studded plains are covered with over 20 types of vegetation. Then there’s the Etosha salt pan, which is Africa’s largest and visible from space. In fact, the local Ovambo people refer to Etosha as the Great White Place after this geological marvel – traversing the pan is like travelling across the surface of the moon, with clouds of white dust flying up in your wake. While the dry season might be best for waterhole sightings, during the wet season the pans flood, creating mirrored lagoons that attract migratory birds, including flocks of flamingos – it’s quite a picture.

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