The Etosha National Park is in the north-west of Namibia and was declared a national park in 1907. The park is 8,600 square miles, surrounding the Etosha Pan. The Etosha Pan is a large salt pan filling almost a quarter of the park. The landscape in the park is very varied, there is suitable terrain for lions, cheetahs and leopards. It is one of the best national parks in the world for viewing wildlife with several watering holes spread out across the park.
The area in the north of Namibia surrounding the Etosha National Park is inhabited by the Ovambo people. They now live in the surrounding villages of the park.
The Etosha has 340 species of birds as well as 114 species of mammals including the endangered black rhino. The Etosha National Park is open all year round and offers a variety of tours for guests as well as allowing self-drive vehicles in the park. The best time for game viewing is between May and December.
There are plenty of lodges outside the camp, however if you wanted to stay inside the park, Okaukuejo is the place to go. Famous for its floodlit water hole, here you can see the rhino, elephants and lions drinking at night.
The Etosha is a brilliant place to start your safari journey, it can be combined with Damaraland and the Kalahari or the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
