Etosha is one of the best places 
to view wildlife in Namibia and if you stay in the campgrounds inside the parks, you can take advantage of the lit water holes in the evening. Being that we visited in the dry season and water sources were scarce in the park, the waterholes near the campgrounds offered amazing animal sightings. Unlike game drives, which usually take place in the early mornings and late afternoons when the temperatures are cooler, and the animals are more active, the water holes, particularly in the Okaukuejo campground had good viewing throughout the day.
Day 1:
After 17 days of camping, we were thrilled to finally be in our first big game park, Etosha National Park. Over the last two weeks, Derek and I had been preparing the boys for the safari, making sure they remembered two key things.
- 1) The animals are wild and roam where they like. It is not a zoo and you’re not guaranteed to see animals on game drives, and you’re not guaranteed to see your favourite animal at all. We shared the experience we had during our first safari. We had amazing sightings throughout our trip, but we never saw a rhino. It’s like kindergarten, “You get what you get, and you don’t get upset.”
- The second important thing we wanted them to remember was to stay calm. It is of course thrilling to have an animal sighting but screaming and waving your arms can frighten the animal and they may either run away or run toward you. The latter being very dangerous.
With that being said, once in Etosha, we quickly set up camp and wandered over to the famous Okaukuejo waterhole. To our complete shock and amazement, as we approached, we saw a single black rhino sipping water. Derek and I couldn’t believe it. So excited by the sighting, Derek and I broke all the rules we had just reviewed and started whispering loudly “Rhino! Rhino!” Waving at the boys to come closer, taking selfies, and pretty much losing all credibility in the eyes of our kids. The boys teased us about it for the rest of the trip.
Now even more excited, we headed out on our first game drive to an area where lions had been seen earlier in the day. The two male lions were set far off the road, resting in the shade under a tree. They were difficult to see without binoculars or a zoom lens, but it still counts!
Later in the evening as the sun was setting, we returned to the water hole. The hype we heard about the floodlit pools did not disappoint, standing in the pale dusk light was an elephant cooling off. The first elephant for the boys.
Once the stars came out and the floodlights lit up, the real show began. Within minutes, a lioness and her cub cautiously approached the waterhole as six giraffes advanced from the opposite direction. The giraffes hung back and stood guard, protecting an infant of their own while the lion took her time drinking. Then off in the distance, we could hear the crunching of rocks as a lone rhino approached and then a few minutes later, more crunching and another rhino emerged. The lioness seemed spooked by the larger animal and quickly moved to leave.
Watching the animals interact was fascinating. We witnessed an intense moment as the protective lioness and rhino slowly past each other and as the herd of giraffes timidly moved closer to the water, maintaining a formation around the smallest member of the family, still on guard of the nearby predator.
Night Pictures?
Jackson and Mason were mesmerized, quietly watching the animals for hours. Witnessing the boys observe these amazing creatures for the first time, through their eyes, the way we did 15 years ago, filled my heart. This was why we came here. To share our love of animals and adventure with them.
Day 2:
The next morning, Mason poked me awake before sunrise, eager to get back to the watering hole for prime viewing. Jackson was equally enthusiastic, not needing a second nudge to wake up either. The four of us sat in the semi-darkness provided by the floodlights enjoying the stars and watching as the sun came up over the horizon. A few minutes later, we were rewarded with another black rhino sighting, this time a mom and baby. Their sweet faces teased us as they slowly munched on the grass and sipped the cool water. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but rhinos just might be mine.
After breakfast, we packed up camp and set off for our next campground, Halali. The campsites within the park are close together, between 1 and 2 hours if you drive straight through on the main roads. But many, including us, took the opportunity to use the drive between campsites as a game drive, taking our time and turning onto smaller side roads that took us deeper into the park.
The roads in the park were dry and easy to navigate except for the occasional animal roadblock.
En route, we had a couple of close encounters with an elephant and then with a family of giraffes munching tree branches and leaves on the side of the road.
In the evening, we made our way over to the watering hole in Halali where we saw four spotted hyenas, with their limp-like walk and hunched shoulders, stalking toward the pond. We were unsure at first, but soon realized they were fishing for frogs.
Night hyena pictures
Day 3:
The scene at the watering hole the next morning stunned us all. A storm of small birds, as Jackson called it, moved like a black cloud, back and forth between the trees and the pond. Flocking in unison, the tiny birds scattered and then camouflaged as one when they reached the trees. In moments, the once green leaves turned to a dusty brown, giving the appearance of decay. Several hawks circled above and dove toward the unsuspecting victims who couldn’t keep up.
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We were eager to start our final game drive in Etosha when we discovered another flat tire on our way out. But, with a service station around the corner, the tire was fixed, and we were on our way in no time.
Today we saw several herds along the road including springbok, greater kudu, zebra, and wildebeests, but our best sighting of the day was two elephants sipping and cooling off in a small waterhole. It was entertaining to watch the different ways that elephants can use their trunks. From picking up small leaves to tearing off branches, sucking up sips of water, and spraying themselves down like a hose. Our presence seemed to unsettle the larger bull, and he eventually decided to retreat, crossing the road right in front of the truck, but not before stopping to stare us down as he passed. I held my breath, not knowing which way this interaction was going to go. After a few moments, he gracefully walked away in silence, leaving us in awe.
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We experienced a warm welcome from a family of mongooses when we arrived at Namutoni campsite. Dozens of banded mongooses swarmed us, hiding under the trucks, then scurried around the camp digging for bugs in the sand. They were friendly, never approaching us, and could be easily scared away with a loud clap. Soon after, they seemed to lose interest, and we never saw them again.
Unfortunately, the waterhole at Namutoni was disappointing. The pond was set so far back from the viewing area that it was difficult to make out what animals were there without binoculars.
Conclusion
The smaller size of the park allows close encounters with animals. Compared to the vast terrain of Etosha where animals were often so far off in the distance, all you could make out was a silhouette,. The waterholes is why you go.
