One of Africa's best game reserves, Etosha National Park protects a vast shallow bowl of silvery sand the size of Holland – and its surrounding bush. During the dry season, tens of thousands of animals converge to drink at the waterholes beside this pan. For most of the year, these are ideal places just to sit quietly, observing and photographing game from the comfort of your car. Follow the rhythm of the animals: rise at dawn to watch them feed in the cool morning; relax during the midday heat; and venture out again in the late afternoon.

Etosha was designed for visitors to drive themselves around; that's how most people visit here, helped by the park's good roads and signposts. If you prefer to be guided around by a professional guide, then it's usually better to stay in one of the private camps.

Camps inside Etosha National Park

There are four camps inside the park, all run by the government-owned Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR). Three are newly renovated 'restcamps'; the fourth is a brand new, shiny 'private camp'. All were extensively renovated in 2007; their rooms and facilities are now generally well designed and well equipped. However, service and catering standards are taking longer to improve; visitors should be aware of this and moderate their expectations!

Namutoni Camp

Namutoni is the most picturesque of the camps, built around an improbable beautiful Beau Geste-style fort at the eastern side of the park. Its waterhole normally has fewer visiting animals than the waterholes at the other restcamps, but great concentrations of water birds can be expected. (Read more about Namutoni Camp…)

Okaukuejo Camp

In the west of the accessible area of Etosha, north of Andersson's Gate, Okaukuejo is the largest camp and the centre for the park's rangers and researchers. Its floodlit waterhole has the most amazing game, including black rhino and elephant. It's a good place to sit back after dinner with a bottle of wine, watching nocturnal visitors and their interactions. (Read more about Okaukuejo Camp…)

Halali Camp

Halali is probably our favourite, set between Okaukuejo and Namutoni. It's the smallest and the quietest of the three, and stands beside one of the few hills in Etosha. The evening sightings at the waterhole aren't so predictable, but it's set away from the camp in a quiet spot with a more peaceful ambience, and wildlife sightings can be excellent. (Read more bout Halali Camp…)

Onkoshi Camp

Onkoshi is the first new camp in Etosha since Halali opened in 1967. It has 15 chalets, built on elevated wooden decks which overlook Etosha's great saltpan from the Stinkwater Peninsula – it's the only camp with such views! Game activities include 4WD drives (day and night), guided walks, and moonlight walks on the pan. (Read more about Onkoshi Camp…)

Private camps west of Etosha

There's a choice of places to stay around Etosha National Park; private camps on Etosha's western side include:

Hobatere Lodge

Although located in eastern Damaraland, Hobatere feels more like an Etosha lodge in many ways – their game density and environment are very similar. Hobatere has 12 comfortable cottages, set within manicured gardens, as well as a rustic tree house in the bush for more adventurous visitors. (Read more about Hobatere Lodge…)

Kavita Lion Lodge

Kavita Lion Lodge is a private game ranch south-west of Etosha, and its owners are closely involved in lion conservation. Eight bungalows overlook a flood-lit waterhole, and activities include guided nature trails, game drives and visits to the environmental education centre, with its sanctuary for rescued lions. (Read more about Kavita Lion Lodge…)

Private camps east of Etosha

Just to the east side of the park are several private lodges which are convenient bases from which to visit the park, and many offer more luxury than the park's original restcamps. These include:

Mushara Lodge and Villa Mushara

8km from Etosha's eastern gate, Mushara Lodge has a large pool and 13 spacious en-suite chalets. Nearby, Villa Mushara has two large and luxurious villas, each with an outside shower, private plunge pool and large terrace. (Read more about Mushara Lodge…)

Mushara Outpost

Since opening in 2008, the stylish Mushara Outpost is already proving a good option. It's a bushcamp with eight canvas-and-glass tents, built on raised decks, plus a refreshing pool and a stunning converted 'farmhouse'. (Read more about Mushara Outpost…)

Mushara Bush Camp

Mushara Bush Camp is the latest addition to the Mushara Collection – affordable and family-friendly. It has 16 airy tents, built form local limestone, canvas and wood, with small private verandas overlooking the bush. (Read more about Mushara Bush Camp…)

Etosha Aoba Lodge

25 minutes' drive from Von Lindequist Gate, Etosha Aoba Lodge is small, intimate and very friendly. A delightful base to explore the park, it has 10 beautiful rondavels dotted around Tamboti forest. There's game around, endless birds, and a small hide to observe the action. (Read more about Etosha Aoba Lodge…)

Onguma Bush Camp

Set in Onguma Game Reserve on the eastern side of Etosha, Onguma Bush Camp has 6 rustic en-suite bungalows, one family room, and an open lapa area, where dinner is served around a camp fire. (Read more about Onguma Bush Camp…)

Onguma Tented Camp

Overlooking a waterhole, Onguma Tented Camp uses an innovative triple layered tent design, combined with stone and thatch, for its seven large, stylish tents. It's a very chic camp with good service and food to match. (Read more about Onguma Tented Camp…)

Onguma Plains Camp

Build in grand style, like the fort at Namutoni, the ultra-luxurious Onguma Plains Camp – The Fort has 13 luxury suites, set apart from one another to ensure total privacy. There's also a pool, and various viewing decks overlook the waterhole below. (Read more about Onguma Plains Camp…)

Onguma Tree Top Camp

Raised up on stilts, as its name suggests, and overlooking a waterhole, Onguma Tree Top Camp is small and very special; with just four thatched, canvas-walled rooms, and a small central main area, it has a real bush-camp feel. (Read more about Onguma Tree Top Camp…)

Kempinski Mokuti Lodge

Set in its own small reserve on the eastern side of the park, the renovated and re-branded Kempinski Mokuti Lodge is the area's largest lodge, with 131 rooms. Each room is equipped with the conveniences of a modern hotel, including air-con, satellite TV, and fridge. (Read more about Mokuti Lodge…)

Private Camps south of Etosha

On the south side of Etosha, a handful of safari lodges, many sited on their own wildlife reserves, act as bases for trips into Etosha, including:

Ongava Tented Camp

Ongava Reserve adjoins Etosha, and here Ongava Tented Camp has a swimming pool, as well as eight large and comfortable tents, each with an en-suite bathroom, built beside a good floodlit waterhole. (Read more about Ongava Tented Camp…)

Ongava Lodge

On a hill, the more substantial Ongava Lodge has 14 large, air-conditioned stone chalets, each with a private veranda overlooking the plains below; this was the original 'luxury lodge' outside Etosha. The guiding and Ongava's own game are generally excellent. (Read more about Ongava Lodge…)

Little Ongava

Little Ongava is exceptionally luxurious; it has just three suites, complete with a private plunge pool. Activities include full day excursions and game drives into Etosha National Park, as well as tracking white rhino on foot on the Ongava Reserve. (Read more about Little Ongava…)

Andersson's Camp

For a simple but comfortable base from which to self-drive into Etosha National Park, consider Andersson's Camp. It has 20 tented rooms, raised on wooden decks, and set around an old, rebuilt farmstead. (Read more about Anderssons Camp…)

Epacha Game Lodge & Spa

West of Ongava, in Epacha Reserve, Epacha Game Lodge and Spa has 18 smart chalets. It offers an endless choice of pampering spa treatments, clay-pigeon shooting, horse-riding and quad-biking. (Read more about Epacha Game Lodge & Spa…)

Eagle Tented Lodge & Spa

Set in Epacha Reserve, Eagle Tented Lodge & Spa has eight luxurious canvas tents, each with a raised wooden balcony, private splash pool or outside bath. Main facilities include two restaurants, two bars and a well-equipped spa. (Read more about Eagle Tented Camp…)

Etosha Safari Camp

The convenient Etosha Safari Lodge stands amidst mopane woodland, about 10km south of Andersson's Gate. It has 50 simple twin-bedded chalets, all with en-suite bathrooms and small private verandas. (Read more about Etosha Safar Camp…)

Etosha Safari Lodge

Etosha Safari Lodge is set atop a small hill overlooking the bush, close to Etosha Safari Camp. It has 55 smart, cottage-style bungalows and three swimming pools. Activities centre around game drives into Etosha, either guided or on you own. (Read more about Etosha Safari Lodge…)

Taleni Etosha Village

Only 4km from Etosha's southern entrance, Taleni Etosha Village's 40 self-catering shaded tents make a good base. Each features twin beds, a sleeper couch (which is free for children under 12!) and an open-air shower. A restaurant and a small utility store are also on site. (Read more about Taleni Etosha Village…)

Etosha Gateway Lodge

Formerly known as 'Toshari Lodge', Etosha Gateway Lodge is a simple and laid-back alternative when the camps inside the park are full. It has 35 rooms and three camping sites, and is ideally situated for self-drivers to explore Etosha and its wildlife. (Read more about Etosha Gateway…)

Etosha Garden Hotel

Located in the small town of Outjo, Etosha Garden Hotel is an affordable and great-value place, with friendly service, good food, and only 21 guest rooms. Many attractions, including Etosha, are fairly easy to reach, and Outjo is a delightful place to explore. (Read more about Etosha Garden Hotel…)

Namatubis Guest Farm

15km north of Outjo, and a 35 minutes' drive from Etosha National Park, Namatubis Guest Farm makes a comfortable and reasonably priced stopover option for self-drivers. It has well-appointed rooms, a restaurant and a sun deck with pool. (Read more about Namatubis Guest Farm…)

Naua Naua Lodge

Also close to Etosha, Naua Naua Lodge has three thatched bungalows, each with two double rooms and one single room, perfect for families. Main facilities include a lapa area, a refreshing pool and pool deck, as well as a floodlit waterhole. (Read more about Naua Naua Lodge…)

Small group safaris to Etosha with Wild about Africa

If you consider joining a small group of like-minded travellers on a simple camping adventure or luxury camping safari in Etosha, or if you're interested in an exclusive and private safari holiday, see Wild about Africa's ideas for small group safaris to Etosha National Park.

Etosha's wildlife

Much of Etosha's landscape is very open, with huge vistas over the pan, so with patience game can be easy to spot. Most of Africa's big-game species are found here, often in large numbers; these include lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, black and white rhino, giraffe, zebra (Burchell's and Hartmann's mountain) and many other antelope. Etosha has over 300 species of birds, and a high concentration of lion.


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