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Etosha is situated three hours from Windhoek in the central north of Namibia and is one of the most important game reserves in Southern Africa. It was once the biggest natural park in the world but has been reduced in size to its current 9000 square miles as part of a tribal resettlement scheme. The vast, dried up white calcrete pan (seasonal lake) was once the biggest lake in the world, until climate changes dried up the feeder channels and the vegetation changed from lush jungle to savannah grassland, acacia and mopane woodland.
The park’s vast expanse of dazzling white pans change colour from orange through pink and purple to inky, deep blue and glow and shimmer in the early morning and late afternoon light. Despite being in a semi-arid area, Etosha is home to over 340 bird, 110 reptile and 100 mammal species, including many elephant and black rhino (one of the biggest populations in Africa) and huge numbers of wildebeest and zebra. The area also boasts some of the rarer antelope species such as black faced impala, Damara dik dik, suni and roan antelope. As a result, lion, cheetah and leopard are common predators and are easier to spot in this environment than other parks.
