Etosha means ‘Great white place’. It is located in North Western Namibia.
It was proclaimed a game reserve in March 1907 by the then Governor of German South West Africa. It was elevated to National Park status in 1967. It spans an area of 22270 square kilometers and the giant Etosha Pan makes up 23% of the area. This saltpan briefly fills up in the summertime attracting big swarms of flamingo and pelican.
It consist of one of the biggest population of black rhino in the world and is also home to the ‘ghost’ elephant that refers to the white colour the elephants have from dust baths in the white sands around the pan. There are five government owned lodges inside the park and numerous private lodges outside the park. It caters for all sorts of budgets.
There are numerous natural springs and fountains and also man-made borehole waterholes. There are also floodlit waterholes for a unique nighttime game viewing experience. Animals congregate at the waterholes and one can find a big variety and amount of animals around these waterholes. There are 340 species of birds in Etosha and a third is migratory. There are 35 different raptors and 8 kinds of owl.
The best time to visit Etosha is in the dry winter months. This is when the animals congregate around the water holes and the grass is short for a better game viewing experience.
