The Etosha Pan is a vast, bare, open expanse of shimmering green and white that covers around 4,800km², almost a quarter of the beautiful Etosha National Park. At 130 km’s long and up to 50km’s wide in places, it is comfortably the largest salt pan in Africa and is the park’s most distinctive and dramatic feature, visible even from space. The pan was originally a lake but over time the earth’s climate forced the rivers that once fed the lake to change course and flow into the Atlantic Ocean. If one were to try find where the lake once lay today, only the dry baked alkaline clay marks would give you a clue.
The park is malaria free, accessible in a regular sedan car and the rest camps provide a range of accommodation as well as restaurants, viewing decks, shops and petrol stations. Luxurious camps in Etosha’s remote areas have now added top end accommodation to the park’s offerings.
Etosha is one of Southern Africa’s most popular wildlife parks and caters its camps to all kinds of safari lovers. The concentration of big game around the waterholes makes game viewing incredibly rewarding. In fact, you won’t have to leave the rest camp to see lion, elephant, rhino and any number of antelope and zebra quenching their thirst. We have a selection of quality Etosha accommodation spots to keep you comfortable during your stay.
Etosha has three main camps that connect Andersson Gate in the south with Von Lindequist Gate in the east. These camps offer accommodation in chalets or double rooms and the campsites provide an ‘out in nature’ experience. Swimming pools, restaurants and floodlit waterholes tempt you to linger a bit longer. Shops and petrol stations are standard facilities and cater to the independent travelers.
New Accommodation Options
Two new lodges, Onkoshi and Dolomite, have opened remote and restricted areas of the park to the luxury market. The setting of these lodges creates some of the best views in the park along with exclusive game viewing. Attentive staff, personal service and luxurious fittings make these camps the safari experience of your dreams.
Namibia is a great self drive destination. Safari Odyssey can assist you in choosing and hiring the right 4 x 4 camper for your true African experience
Etosha Pan is designated as a World Wildlife Fund Ecoregion and was also used as a backdrop during the filming of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
