Etosha National Park in Namibia is one of the largest game reserves in the world. This vast area of bush, savannah and salt pan is also one of the world’s best wildlife-viewing sites. The Etosha Pan is a 5,000 sq km depression visible from space, and the surrounding bush. In the dry season, the silvery-white salt pan is a place of shimmering mirages; in years of heavy rainfall, the pan becomes a lake, attracting huge flocks of flamingos. In the dry season, thousands of animals congregate at the waterholes around the pan including various antelope, giraffe, zebra, elephant, cheetah and leopard. Etosha has a high concentration of lion, one of the largest remaining populations of black rhino and 340 bird species. ‘Specials’ include Hartlaub's francolin, Rüppell's parrot and White-tailed shrike.
There is a good selection of accommodation in and around the national park, all of which works well as a base for an Etosha holiday. You can choose to stay at one of the lodges which border the park such as Ongava or Mushara , or stay at one of the rest camps within it. The three rest camps in Etosha – Okaukuejo, Namutoni and Halali – have been extensively upgraded.
