It was in Tsumeb that we broke the journey from Tsumkwe to Etosha National Park. The gravel road had taken its toll on both the car (the problem with the wheel nut) and Dad, so it was a welcome relief to get to the Backpackers.


This was my father’s first backpacker experience and he adapted remarkably well . Actually it initially looked like we would be the only people staying until two French guys arrived and a little later, the four Germans who we had met watching the Brazil game in Tsumkwe turned up. Immediately we all banded together and trouped through town to the local pub for the second semi final. It was a fun night if somewhat late night.


The next day we managed to get to our chosen campsite in Etosha relatively early. I had booked a campsite at the Onguma Reserve, a huge private reserve that borders Etosha with three lodges and a “deluxe campsite”. In this case the deluxe prefix did not disappoint. Originally, I had tried to book sites at the government run campgrounds inside the national parks, however these were blocked booked months in advance and full. Nevertheless the Onguma Reserve had some excellent reviews online. After a 9 km journey through the reserve to the fenced campsite, we were both a little dubious. But this was a real paradise with each site secluded amongst tall trees . A grass covered tent area (with no sand) was nice in itself but this was next to a private kitchen, with a tiled enclosed bathroom to the right and a private tiled toilet to the left. Plenty of power sockets and shade. WOW! and all for less than a tenner. The main lodge area was exclusively for the campers with lovely food, wifi, a waterhole opposite and small shop. It was all managed by Pieter and a resident guide, Nicklaus. We immediately felt at home and extended our stay.


Etosha National Park was the third big safari I had planned for on this trip in Southern Africa. The national park itself is quite different to the other two we had visited as it is dominated by a vast salt pan. This ensures this is a very dry environment, even though we were visiting just after the rainy season. Many people en route had told us that Etosha is characterised by its varied and many waterholes which offer excellent viewing of the wildlife to those who are prepared to sit and wait . This therefore became our strategy to visit the recommended waterholes and in some cases to sit and wait in the car for the animals. Coffee flask and sacks were prepared.


Etosha is close to 23,000 square kilometres and is the largest national park in Africa. It also has good populations of many animals, but unfortunately not of Wild Dogs. Etosha actually means ‘great white place’ in the local lingo and we were about to get bathed in the great white dust. Luckily though at Onguma, we were sheltered from this dust.


The next four days we operated out of Onguma and entered through the eastern gate. We went on two guided trips with Nicklaus and two self guided trips. With Nicklaus we had the benefit of his liaising with the other three Onguma guides during each trip and this ensured that if any of the four cars spotted cats, Nicklaus would get a radio message . This enabled us to see lions and cheetahs close up. Two lions very close, for a very long period of time. With us on our own it was somewhat hit and miss. Pieter in the lodge was happy to give us plenty of pointers and was insistent that we try Goas despite the two hour drive to it. I had been recommended this one before, but now this waterhole took on a new significance. It certainly did not disappoint as at Goas we saw over 100 elephants at one time (quite amazing) playing, bathing etc and then later some giraffes fighting (a very rare occurrence). We also saw huge herds of zebras, wildebeest, springbok, impala, oryx and kudu, at this waterhole and others we had been recommended. In the evening, as the sun went down we had more of a chance to watch the predators and in our own car we also managed to spot two blackjacked jackal and a spotted hyena. On our second excursion with Nicklaus we also saw eland antelope, a solitary lion with a kill he had been protecting for over five days (smelly) and many giraffes, plus a cheetah with his kill. All said and done it was amazing experience seeing all these cats, the hundred plus elephants and the fighting giraffes.


On the fourth day we moved from the excellent Onguma Campsite over to the Etosha Safari Camp at the Anderson’s Gate in the very south of the park. Here we stayed (again outside the park) in a Gondwana Lodge (Dad’s a member so he got a discount). This was ultra friendly and very comfortable and it was nice being back in a bed again. Here we planned to do some guided trips and some on our own, but as it happened we decided to do everything on our own. By now, we had a checklist of animals we only wanted to see and we did not want to stop for every antelope or elephant as the Etosha Safari Camp guides were doing.


This turned out to be good again as we certainly saw many interesting things such as herds of herbivores. Highlights included another hyena, two bat-eared fox, a rare Africa wild cat, some more lions, cheetahs with a kill plus a banded mongoose, ground squirrels and some red hartebeest antelope. The guides at the lodge were impressed.


This success rate involved many kilometres travelling on the dirty dusty roads of Etosha. As the car had no air-con since the fire and my father needed the windows open in 31C heat, the car resembled Etosha after 5 days. By then the great white dust obscured the dashboard and all our belongings resembling a thin layer of snow inside the car. It was hard going at times but so rewarding when we saw things. Etosha was fabulous and such a contrast from the Delta and Savuti. We ended up seeing those huge herds and more lions here than anywhere else. The only downers were no more leopards, just the solitary one at Savuti and no wild dogs. Better luck next time.


The Etosha safari Lodge was also welcome, with a nice cottage overlooking the National Park on a ridge. The lodge was crammed with German tourists on package safari holidays, so everyone was up at 5.30am for breakfast and going to bed early. Like Onguma, the food was outstanding and here the chef produced some excellent buffets. At Onguma where I had an amazing Kudu steak (a memorable meal), it was more ala carte.


As we left Etosha I was a little sad knowing that this was to be my final African Safari. The big four I had planned in Savuti, the Okavango Delta & Panhandle, Etosha and Madagascar had certainly surpassed expectations and now I had to wait for the next wild experience in the Amazon in four weeks time.