Safari to Etosha West

fewer visitors, but much lower wildlife densities

At 22,270 square kilometres, Etosha National Park is an enormous and well known wildlife reserve in northcentral Namibia.

Etosha West is one of four sub-areas of the Etosha area. It covers the whole of the western side of the national park and a number of private reserves beyond the West Gate.

This western side of the national park is a great deal less busy in terms of vehicles, but also tends to have lower wildlife densities.

The main accommodation option inside the reserve is the relatively small park authority operation, Dolomite Resort, which is in a lovely remote and elevated position, but which is famously unreliable.

There are other accommodation options on the private Hobatere Reserve, immediately outside the West Gate, where the camps are free to operate a wider range of safari activities, notably including some good waterhole hides.

For self-drive trips around Namibia we most commonly recommend combining a lodge in each of the Etosha East and Etosha South areas.

If you are planning a flying safari which includes Etosha, then you will most likely stay at a lodge in the Etosha South area.

If you are visiting on the way back from a guided safari in the remote northwest of the country then you are more likely to stop in this Etosha West area, possibly adding one of Etosha East or Etosha South.

overnight here on the way back from the remote northwest