This time around we decided to visit Etosha a bit earlier in the year, arriving early July. We took an extra long detour to Namibia this time. We first traveled down to Travalia (Three Sisters) to meet up with Melanie’s sister. Our Ridgeback, Emma, was spoiled a bit and became a Capetonian for 7 weeks until such time that we could go down to fetch her again. No kennels for her this time.
This year, we decided to only book at Okaukuejo and Namutoni camps. The western part of the park was already suffering with serious shortage of grass while the eastern parts had markedly more rain earlier and better grass cover. We can only hope for early, heavy rains for Etosha this year.
As normal, Etosha always delivered. However, the costs of camping and for anything you buy inside the park proved to be very expensive, such as N$100 for a bag of wood!! Camping costs and other fees turned out at around R1250 per night for the two of us.
To visit Etosha in July was a good decision, although the behaviour of the European visitors on the roads proved to be a hand full. They speed all the time. We are used to bad roads in some National Parks, but some of the roads around Okaukuejo were just not drivable at all. Therefore, slow speed game drives were just not possible.
As in most other Nature Reserves in Africa, Etosha is becoming too busy with overlanders crowding camps and ablution facilities. The answer may be to visit the Park out of season, even if the sightings and photographic experience is not that great.
