Where to stay in Etosha National Park: camps and gate lodges

De bästa sevärdheterna i Etosha National Park

1. 1

   Etosha Pan

   The great salt and clay pan is dry for most of the year, a pale expanse where heat haze creates mirages along the horizon. After very good rains shallow water spreads across parts of it and attracts waterbirds. Viewpoints on its southern edge give the widest panoramas, and the pan itself is never driven across.

2. 

   2.Okaukuejo waterhole

   The most famous floodlit waterhole in the park lies just beyond the fence of Okaukuejo camp, with seating a short walk from the rooms. Elephants, lions and black rhinos come to drink after dark, and a quiet evening there can produce some of the best sightings in southern Africa.

3. 

   3.Fort Namutoni

   A white-walled fort built by German colonial forces in the 1890s, destroyed in 1904 and later rebuilt. It stands beside the Namutoni rest camp on the eastern side of the park and is a fine place to stroll at the end of the day. The camp's King Nehale waterhole can be watched from nearby.

4. 4

   Fischer's Pan

   A shallow pan in the east of the park near Namutoni that holds water after good rains. In wet years it attracts flamingos, pelicans and many other waterbirds, which makes this one of the best areas in the park for birdwatching.

5. 5

   Dolomite Camp

   A remote camp in the west of the park, set on top of a rocky hill with wide views over the plains. The surrounding area has several waterholes where rhinos are sometimes seen, and it is much quieter than the central camps.

6. 6

   Olifantsrus

   A camp in the far west that offers a viewing facility beside a waterhole, which is a calmer alternative to the busier central camps. It suits visitors who want to sit and watch wildlife in peace.

Var du ska bo i Etosha National Park

• Okaukuejo

  The main camp near the southern entrance, with the park's most famous floodlit waterhole, a pool and good facilities. It suits first-time visitors and anyone who wants the best chance of night-time sightings of rhinos and elephants.

• Halali

  A smaller, quieter camp in the middle of the park among dolomite hills and mopane woodland, with a floodlit waterhole. It suits visitors who want a restful stop between the east and the west of the park.

• Namutoni

  The eastern camp beside the old fort, close to Fischer's Pan and the King Nehale waterhole. It suits birdwatchers and visitors arriving from Tsumeb or the north.

• Onguma

  A private reserve beyond the eastern edge of the park with its own wildlife and lodges. It suits travellers who want more comfort and a quieter setting, with the park's eastern gate a short drive away.

Bästa tiden att besöka Etosha National Park

The dry season, from roughly May to October, is the most reliable time for wildlife: skies are clear, days are warm and animals gather around the permanent waterholes. Nights in June, July and August can be very cold and close to freezing, so pack warm clothes. The rainy season, from November to April, is hot and brings brief heavy storms, green landscapes, newborn animals and migrant birds, but wildlife spreads out and is harder to find. If the pan holds water after good rains, flamingos may appear.

Så tar du dig runt i Etosha National Park

You need a vehicle to explore Etosha, whether your own, hired or part of a tour, because visitors may not walk away from their cars except inside the fenced camps and at a few marked stopping places. Roads are well-graded gravel, so four-wheel drive is not essential, and the speed limit is 60 kilometres an hour to limit dust. Crossing from east to west takes most of a day. Fuel is sold at the main camps and just outside the gates. Gates open at sunrise and close at sunset, so plan each day to be back in camp in good time.

Mat och dryck i Etosha National Park

Food inside the park comes mainly from the restaurants and shops in the rest camps, which have a limited choice and set mealtimes, so many visitors stock up in towns such as Outjo or Tsumeb before entering. A cool box with fruit, bread, cold meats and plenty of drinking water is a good idea for long drives. Namibian cooking has German and southern African roots: look for game steaks such as oryx or kudu, sausages, biltong (dried, salted meat) and braai, the barbecue that ends many a day. Local beers follow the German purity law.

Frågor om att besöka Etosha National Park