Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park is ranked as one of the largest and finest game reserves in Africa. The 20 000 sq km park is an enormous region of game-rich savannah and salt pan. Also known as the "Great White Place", Etosha is characterised by the Etosha Pan, the largest saltpan in Africa.

Surrounding the pans is a variety of grass and woodlands amongst which live a wonderful variety of animals and birds, insects and reptiles. There are a number of springs and waterholes in the park that provide excellent game viewing and photographic opportunities.

In years of good rainfall, several tributaries of the Kunene River drain into the ever-dry Etosha Pan, causing partial flooding and attracting thousands of flamingos and other wading birds. The water, however, can be as much as two times saltier than sea water and is therefore generally not suitable for animal consumption.

Etosha National Park is Namibia's prime wildlife destination with good game viewing year-round. Guests can visit a number of springs and pans in search of lion, leopard, elephant, giraffe, the endemic black-faced impala and black rhino, as well as plains game such as wildebeest, zebra and springbok.

During the rainy season from December to January, many elephants migrate north to Angola and west to Kaokoland and only return again beginning in March. Large populations of zebra, wildebeest, springbok and gemsbok migrate into Etosha westward from the Namutoni area around October-November.

The bird life is prolific in Etosha National Park, with over 325 species recorded, particularly on the Etosha Pan during the rainy summer season from mid-January to March; however, a large range of birdlife may be seen in the park year-round. Kites, pelicans, Greater and Lesser flamingos, and marabou storks migrate seasonally.