Photographing Wildlife at Etosha National Park (Part 1)

This article shares my experience photographing Namibia’s Etosha National Park. It is a practical guide focusing on the park itself and how to take wildlife photos in locations like this, particularly in a self-guided manner.

I’ve divided this article into two parts. Part One concerns the park itself, the best times to visit, and why Etosha is worth visiting. The second is about gear and photography tips.

What is Etosha?

Etosha is a national park in northwestern Namibia and one of the largest national parks in Africa. It is about 22,300 square kilometers, which is enormous in scale. For reference, the most extensive and prominent park in my home country of Italy, Gran Paradiso National Park, is 710 square kilometers. Even compared to parks in the USA, Etosha would be one of the biggest – for example, Yellowstone is about 9,000 square kilometers in size.

Etosha National Park is home to hundreds of species of mammals, birds, and reptiles, including several threatened and endangered species, such as the black rhinoceros.

It has a savanna desert climate. In winter, the mean nighttime lows are around 10°C (50°F), while on summer days, temperatures often hover around 40°C (104°F). As it is a desert, there is a significant variation between day and night. Rain almost never falls in the winter.

Etosha’s history is long. It was proclaimed a game reserve in 1907. In 1958, the Republic of South Africa, managing Namibia then, decided to preserve the area. In 1967, it was awarded the status of a national park. It was named after the large Etosha pan – a salt lake almost entirely within the park, which is mostly dry across the dry season. Actually, with an area of 4,760 sq km (1,840 sq mi), the Etosha pan covers 23% of the total area of the national park.

Namibia as a whole is a truly magical place to visit, too, thanks to its people, landscapes, and wildlife. A fun detail: with a bit over three people per square kilometer, it has the second lowest population density in the world, surpassed only by Mongolia. It is mind-blowing to me that Italy has a density of 196 inhabitants per square kilometer by comparison!

When to Go and How Long to Stay

During winter (ranging from June to September because Namibia is in the southern hemisphere) is usually the best time to visit the park. During this time, the lake of the Etosha Pan dries up and turns into an arid, endless white expanse. The park can be dusty due to the white clay in the Pan.

This is also the time of year when most visitors come to the park (plus the months of May and October), as the climate is mild. Most of all, due to the dry season, the wildlife concentrates around the waterholes during these months, and the surrounding areas overflow with springbok and zebra.

Considering the environment’s arid look, the abundance of different animals in Etosha National Park is somewhat unexpected. The areas with thicker vegetation are home to elephants, endangered black rhino, and even leopards. Lions are camouflaged in the pale golden color of the grasslands, while giraffes rise high above most of the dry vegetation. Even if not abundant by any means, you can spot some cheetah, too.

Because of the low level of vegetation, and the animals congregating around the waterholes, it is relatively easy to spot the abundant wildlife. But the park is vast, and there are many things to see. Of course, you also need time and hopefully good light to take photos! For those reasons, I advise staying at least 4-5 full days. I want to stay there for months, but this topic is different :)

One other useful point to share is that no therapy or vaccine for malaria or other diseases was needed when I stayed there, and I didn’t see any mosquitoes. Please check the current situation while planning your trip and discuss it with your doctor.

Where to Stay

There are a lot of viable accommodations outside and inside the park. I advise you to stay inside the park, which is well equipped with restaurants, shops, swimming pools, and petrol stations in the camps. The three main camps (Okaukuejo, Halali, and Namutoni) offer various types of accommodation, from camping to chalets overlooking floodlit waterholes. Deeper in the park are situated the more exclusive Dolomite and Onkoshi camps.

I spent a long time in and around Okaukuejo and Halali and visited Namutoni twice. While the lodge is charming, I wouldn’t spend too long in Namutoni next time, since the area around it wasn’t as suitable for wildlife photography.

Generally speaking, the watering holes around the lodges are not ideal for taking good photos. They are interesting to watch after eating dinner, or very early in the morning before the gates open, but nothing to spend quality time at.

Meanwhile, the area starting west of Okaukuejo – and between Okaukuejo and Halali – was the most interesting, with many water holes. Some of them have habitual animals frequenting them, such as herd of elephants or pride of lions.

Using Your Car

As often in Africa, the best way to get around is by car. A huge bonus: You can drive your vehicle in the Etosha National Park. I was excited and thrilled when I first heard of this!

It is an essential ingredient for a wildlife photographer and adventurer like me, because it enables you to manage your time when taking photos or waiting for the action you want to see. Or just resting and enjoying the scenery! You can tailor any day to your liking.

Indeed, this doesn’t happen if you join jeep safari tours from the camps. While you can still join a photo tour and get a safari tailored for photographers, trust me, it is not the same.

But it is also a big responsibility.

The good news is that the roads in the park are gravel and in excellent condition in winter. Nevertheless, a four-wheel drive is advisable, even if the park says a sedan could be enough. (During the wet season, the situation changes dramatically, and not all roads are usable, even with a jeep. But as mentioned before, I don’t recommend going in summer.)

When you’re driving your own vehicle in Etosha, you must understand and respect the park’s rules. This means staying on the authorized road, respecting the speed limits, and avoiding any disturbance to animals that are crossing or near the road. Elephants and rhinos could be susceptible if you make noise or go too near them. Along with all that, pay attention to the park’s timetables and strictly respect them. Lodge gates open at dawn and close at dusk; nobody can be outside the gates after they close.

You also cannot exit from your vehicle if you’re outside a few specific areas – such as the lodge perimeter or compounds with toilets – for any reason. This is a fundamental rule because predators could be anywhere, even behind the bush you thought you could use as a hide. You can be two meters from a leopard without noticing!

I hope you found this essay about Etosha National Park enjoyable. The second part will be about how to take rewarding photos there. If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below.