An Experience to be Savoured – Etosha

Africa is well known for it’s Safari parks, with the Masai Mara, Kruger and Serengeti being the most famous and therefore iconic.

There are a huge amount of lesser known National Parks throughout the continent, one of those is Etosha National Park in Northern Namibia. We had not heard of it previously, but as many of us know the lesser known gems are sometimes the best.

Before we even entered the park we were greeted by a huge herd of elephants, that appeared from the undergrowth. Although we have witnessed these majestic creatures many times in the past, every encounter is something special to be savoured.

Our camp for the next two days was inside the park, segregated from the wilderness by a mere electric fence, something we’d imagine a herd of elephants would make light work of. We pitched our tents and were immediately whisked away for a safari drive where the open plain desert was filled with an amass of wildlife.

The usual symphony of Impala, Kudu, Giraffes and Wildebeest made their regular appearances. However many you see – it is still a privilege.

The brilliance of this camp site was that it sat directly opposite a man made watering hole and had a auditorium viewing platform. Therefore even when you weren’t out on the road you could still watch the wildlife from the comfort of the camp. It wasn’t always populated, but when it was it was incredible! You never knew what animal would be present. We occasionally lay there for a couple of hours and would witness the greats…

• A mother elephant and her baby, teaching how to cool off with the trunk and water.
• A couple of giraffes bending down for a drink
• A huge herd of zebras (literally hundreds)
• A lone jackal, jumping the fence and strolling right past us
• A solo rhino in the middle of the night

Etosha gave us everything we wanted from the experience, although compact in size it delivered on every account. The final account was that of the most iconic African creature – the lion. It seems there is a stigma around the Safari parks that Lions are everywhere, the truth is they are just as elusive as many other African predators. Witnessing them in any shape or form is a huge privilege.

It’s not a true African safari is you get to see everything the first time! It takes time, it takes patience and tenacity.

Africa itself makes its own memories! Etosha is a true example of this and a marvel of the African world…

#africa #africansafari #safari #wanderlust

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