Vumbura to Etosha pan, Namibia

25 - 28 Oct 07

Moon up, sun down

Etosha Aoba was a half-hour drive by 4WD from the airstrip and the national park. We decided that the best plan was to take it easy for the rest of the day and most of the following day and then take a sunset drive in the private game reserve by the lodge. Our guide and driver was the retired German owner of the lodge, Georg, who clearly enjoyed showing us round his land in his 35 year old Land Rover and telling us in detail about the animals and the termite hills. We hadn’t expected to see much in the way of wild life, so we were pleasantly surprised by what we saw: springboks, kudus, giraffes, warthogs, kori bustards (the heaviest birds that fly), zebras, jackals and a hyena as well as a huge number of termite hills. Sunset was very special that evening: it was full moon and we could see the sun go down in the west while the moon rose from the east.
Dinner the first evening at Etosha Aoba was kudu which we found a bit tough and hard to digest. On the other hand, springbok on the second evening was succulent and tender.
Since the Onguma Safari Lodge was the other side of the Etosha Pan national park from the Etosha Aoba, we took our bags with us on the early morning game drive to the park, thus combining our transfer with the game drive. Etosha Pan is certainly teaming with wildlife, particularly around the watering holes, but you have to share the view with numerous homo sapiens turisticus in 4WD’s and even large buses. The main road in the park is paved so you don’t get the feeling of being out in the bush like you do in the private reserves.