Etosha National Park
The Etosha National Park is one of the major sanctuaries for wildlife in Africa and was proclaimed a game reserve by German Governor von Lindequist in 1907. The heart of the park is the Etosha Pan, meaning 'place of dry water', an extensive, flat depression of about 5 000 sq km. This great, white expanse is a place of shimmering mirages, and seeing large herds of game in this setting makes Etosha a unique experience in Africa.
Expert game management and the protection of the unspoilt environment, makes the Etosha one of the greatest and most important game parks on the sub-continent. Due to the carefully controlled size of the restcamps, visitors experience the feeling of being truly in the wilds.
There are 144 mammal species in the park, which covers an area of 22 270 sq km. This includes elephant, giraffe, blue wildebeest and black rhino. Among the predators are lion, cheetah, leopard and several species of wild cat. Hyena and jackal are the scavengers. There are various species of antelope ranging from the majestic eland to the smallest antelope, the shy little Damara dik-dik. The most striking of the antelope species is the gemsbok, with its dramatic black and white markings, which also appears on the Namibian coat of arms. Birdlife is prolific and some 340 species have been identified, including Namibia's national bird, the vividly coloured crimson-breasted shrike.
A highlight of the park is the flood-lit waterhole at the Okaukuejo rest-camp where elephant and other game come down to drink at night. The Namutoni rest-camp has a Beau Geste charm and this historic fortress is now a national monument. The third camp, Halali, is a fine modern camp shaded by mopani trees and derives its name from the German tradition of blowing a hunting bugle to signify the end of the hunt. A flood-lit waterhole, the Moringa, was established at Halali during the course of 1992.
There are several other attractions in the northern region that can be visited en route to Etosha. A few kilometers from the small town of Otavi along a gravel road is the Khorab memorialwhich marks the place where the German troops surrendered to the South African forces on 9 July 1915. The Hoba meteorite which was discovered in the 1920's can be viewed on the farm Hoba which is some 19 km from the town of Grootfontein. The largest known meteorite in the world, it has an approximate mass of 54 000 kg and it is estimated that it fell to earth some 80 000 years ago. The mining town of Tsumeb is en route to Etosha, where more than 184 different minerals ( including a variety of secondary minerals ) have been extracted, ten of these occurring nowhere else in the world. North-east of the town, a distance of 24 km is Lake Otjikoto which is up to 76 m deep. It contains several species of fish including two rare, mouth-breeding species. Its sister lake Guinas, some 15 km away, has a depth of about 132 m.
An unspoilt wilderness atmosphere can be experienced in the far north, where rugged game-viewing and camping expeditions can be undertaken.
Northern Reserves
The Kaudum Game Reserve in Kavango is set in a true wilderness area. There are two small camps, Sikereti and Kaudum with a few huts and camp-sites each. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are required (two per group). Various species of antelope, blue wildebeest, as well as elephant, lion, cheetah and leopard occur in this area. The Popa Falls rest-camp on the banks of the Okavango River offers good tigerfishing and accommodation consists of huts and campsites. Visitors are warned to be careful as crocodiles and hippos abound in the main stream of the river. Some 12 km to the south, is the Mahango Game Reserve which caters only for day visitors with four-wheel-drive vehicles. Elephants, buffalo and lechwe are quite common here. This game reserve links up with the Caprivi Game Reserve across the river. Entrances to this reserve are Bagani in the west and Kongola in the east.
Caprivi
East Caprivi bordered by the Kwando, Linyanti, Chobe and Zambesi rivers is a region of swamps and flood plains. There are several safari lodges in the area and activities include fishing, hiking, game-viewing safaris or a river trip in a traditional mokoro. There are also game-viewing drives in the Mamili and Mudumu National Parks.
A river trip with a difference is a cruise on the opulent custom-built Zambesi Queen, a 142-foot riverboat which departs from the Zambesi Lodge and which offers a unique game-viewing experience. Trips to the neighbouring Chobe National Park in Botswana and the famous Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe are less than an hour's flight away from Katima Mulilo in the Eastern Caprivi. At the Caprivi Art Centre in the town, distinctive pottery, wood carvings and basketry from the region can be bought.
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