Etosha National Park, 'great white place of dry water', is a
vast area of shimmering mirages and saline desert, savannah and
scrubby woodlands situated 270 miles (435km) north of Windhoek. Its
unique landscape is characterised by an immense flat white salt
pan, a shallow depression that is dry for the greater part of the
year, but fed by moisture from perennial springs on the fringes.
The pan covers about 25 percent of the park.
Once a vast lake, the pan was fed by the Kunene River, which
changed its course thousands of years ago, leaving a dry hollow of
salt and cracked clay, which only fills up for a short while after
heavy rain. The temporary water supply attracts thousands of water
birds, including flocks of pink flamingos, during the rainy season,
but the best time for viewing animals in Etosha is the cool, dry
season, between May and September.
The salinity and rich mineral content of the pan attracts a huge
diversity of animal and bird life to the park making it an
excellent place for game viewing, with the expanse of the white
desert an extraordinary backdrop. Etosha has a network of roads
linking its three rest camps - Namutoni, Halali and Okaukuejo - all
of which have floodlit waterholes allowing for superb night game
viewing. Visitors can expect to see many species of antelope,
wildebeest, zebra, lion, giraffe, and Africa's tallest elephants.
Several of the animal species are endangered, including the black
rhino. There are also opportunities to see leopard and cheetah
around the many waterholes scattered throughout the park.
