Stripes in Etosha

Etosha is one of the most interesting national parks I have visited so far. The name itself means “The great white pan” after huge mineral pan that dominates the park. Etosha NP is huge – it is even bigger than my home country Slovenia.  For a visit of the park I would recommend you t least three nights in the park to cover the most interesting areas. Even if you do self driving it is not difficult to navigate and spot animals. The best scenario would be driving from one waterhole to another and then another… Waterholes usually attract a lot of wildlife and even if at the moment you get there there is no animals it is worth to stop. If you stop the car engine and just enjoy the quietness and wait for a while, animals will come.

There are not many lodges inside the park, but most of them have a camping site as well. Good idea is to stay at the lodge/camp that has a waterhole which is lit at night. It is great thing to take a couple of beers (Tafel Lager is my favourite), sit in a quiet and observe the animals. It is not uncommon to spot elephants, rhinos or even lions soon after the sunset. A true spectacle!

Waterholes are like theatre in nature. We were enjoying the quiet moments with just a few wading birds around this waterhole. Then the warthog came to get some refreshment. Then the impalas. Soon after them an elegant giraffe payed a visit. A group of zebras was following. And for a grand finale, a magnificent Kudu bull!

Zebras in a morning light.

Most of the zebras had muddy legs. It looks like they were wading across the white pan, that was still not completely dry since the last rains.

I just like the haircut of the zebras!

Funny but unlike the zebras I’ve seen in East Africa these in Etosha were not completely white.

We have encountered a big number of different animals in Etosha. but the most memorable for me were zebras. Funny, zebras are one of the most common animals in the park, they are everywhere. Most of the people are thrilled when they see them for a first time, but later on the enthusiasm fades away.  But for me it was really a great experience when we were watching them graze in a beautiful morning light. There were hundreds of them passing by our car and nobody spoke.

This little fellow was one of the last zebras we’ve seen before we left the park. I will come back to this beautiful place for sure! Someday.

If you liked this post, please read the others from Namibia as well!

Related posts

• Cape Cross seal colony (5)
• Yala national park safari (10)
• Walvis bay – Mola Mola safari (4)
• Tanjung Puting National Park (8)
• Our red-haired cousins (8)