Namibia Highlights Part 1: Etosha

One of the great joys of being a PCV is having the opportunity to travel, both in-country and to neighboring states. While there are countless amazing places to visit in South Africa, Namibia is a country that I have always wanted to see. (Truth be told, I was hoping to be placed in Namibia when I applied to be a volunteer.) But that was not to be, so planning a trip during my winter school holiday would have to do. This same break also turned out to be the only time that my sister Christine would be able to come and visit me, so it worked out that I would have an easy-going traveling companion for the adventure. Because of both time and money, we had to limit our visit to three places in about ten days, and while I would have loved to stay longer and see more, I think we made great choices and saw several true highlights of the country.

Friendly giraffe.

After flying to Windhoek from Joburg and spending a day sight-seeing there (which is about all you really need), we headed north to Etosha National Park for three days and two nights of game drives and camping. On the way, we made a short stop in the very small town of Okahandja to visit the wood-carving and craft stalls that sell traditional Namibian souvenirs. We were not necessarily in a buying mood, so we took some time to browse, but left empty-handed. Because the journey from Windhoek is rather lengthy, when we arrived in the park, we didn’t have much time to drive around and see animals that evening. But on the short trip we made to our campsite at Halali, we saw springbok, zebras, elephants, giraffes, and a rather stressed-out rhino. 

Grazing springbok.

After setting up our tent and having something to eat, it was completely dark – making it the perfect time to head down the flood-lit water hole, a true highlight of the campgrounds in Etosha. To our amazement, there were half a dozen rhinos gathered around, sipping water and nibbling the dry brush. Of course, I failed to have my camera, and didn’t realize until a little later how rare of a treat this was. Ah well, I guess it means I’ll have to go back someday :-)

My sister and I at the Etosha Pan.

The next morning we woke up early and headed to the Etosha Pan to see the vast expanse of whiteness. It had sort of an eerie feel to it as you looked onto the horizon and really saw nothing but dry, salty earth.

After our visit to the pan, we didn’t need to drive too much further before we spotted a herd of elephants, babies included. Shortly after that, we spied a cheetah sitting under a lone acacia tree, scanning the horizon for something to eat. After about ten minutes, the cheetah was on the move, and we realized that there were three cubs trailing behind her. We were only able to see the cubs with a pair of binoculars, but it was fun to watch them bounce along behind their mother. Across the plain, springbok, zebras, wildebeest, and oryx were plentiful for viewing, both for us and for the lions! One was seen crouching beneath the brush, poised to strike at any moment. But as the lioness had more patience than we did, we carried on to our next campsite, Namutoni, before her hunt got any more interesting.

Elephant family.

Cheetah in the distance.

The plain of Etosha National Park.

Zebra family.

After setting up camp and resting for a bit, we went out again in the last afternoon, cameras in hand. We were not disappointed. The elephants, springbok, zebras, and giraffes were plentiful and feeling particularly photogenic as they seemed to be poised at the side of the road for us to photograph. The birding also started to heat up as we spotted several unusual species found only in Southern Africa. As we headed back to the campsite we were fortunate enough to see a young male lion on the move. He met up with several lionesses relaxing in the grass, perhaps having just finished a meal. And before we arrived back at camp we were treated to a beautiful African sunset, complete with giraffes.

Lion on the move.

Lilac-breasted Roller.

Yellow-billed Hornbill.

Great sunset.

Lions relaxing in the sun.

Our last morning in the park was reserved for a drive to see the dik-dik, the smallest antelope in the world (I think.) On the way, we were stunned to see a male and female lion lounging just a few meters from the side of the road, in no hurry to go anywhere. After taking a few (hundred) photos, we were on our way to the special area of Etosha were the dik-diks tend to be found. Although they are small, they are apparently rather social, as they were easy to spot trotting along in the bush. It was a fun surprise to see something so unique.

Dik-dik.

And then we were on our way back to Windhoek! Although it was short, I think our Etosha visit was perfect – and I have the picture to prove it!