Written by Lena Melcher

After our time in Swakopmund, we were yearning for the rugged adventure on offer in Etosha National Park. Tucked in the northern corner of Namibia, Etosha is arguably the most accessible wildlife-spotting destination on the African continent! Here, you’ll find 4 of the Big 5 mammals (the buffalo is the only mammal not found in the park) set in some truly wild terrain. The drive there featured a few stops and was a relatively easy trek. But before we could experience Namibia at its wildest, we parked off at the 4th stop on our eye-opening Namibia experience: Etosha Safari Lodge.

Location

This wildlife outpost found in Central Etosha, much like its namesake suggests, makes for a classic safari experience. I was immediately taken by the epic savannah views and pleasantly surprised to find a watering hole directly in front of the property, ensuring a good chance of encountering a host of local wildlife.

Activities

As the most popular national park to visit on a trip to Namibia, Etosha delights me time and time again with its striking white salt pan that adds to the already intriguing collection of landscapes. Andersson entrance gate is only about 10 km away, and the lodge itself offers half-day or guided morning and evening game drives into the park. You can also choose to go in your own car.

We did a morning game drive that kicked off at 7 am. There weren’t many guests during our stay, which made us the only ones on the safari vehicle. They packed us a breakfast for the road, and I really liked that it was all “sustainably”' packed with no plastic wrapping or utensils. I had the vegetarian option, and rather enjoyed the hard-boiled eggs and nuts. A mere 30 minutes after departing the lodge, however, we were in Etosha National Park with our “private” guide. He was very familiar with the area and told us plenty of stories about its vegetation and inhabitants - he also knew the waterholes like the back of his hand. Around midday, we returned to the lodge where we had a light lunch and indulged in a much-deserved rest.

Etosha National Park truly is Namibia’s flagship park, It’s easily one of the finest places in the world to watch wildlife, and one of my personal favourites. I’d recommend spending several days here if you’re given the chance.

Rooms

Upon my first tour of the property, the terrace felt enormous. This wooden deck on stilts pokes out about 10 m into the mopaneveld and provides a great place for sundowners or dinner-time moon-rises.

All of the lodge’s chalets are laid out in clusters below a hill, along winding roads and paths. Inside you’ll find dark wood accents and crisp white linen, air conditioning, Healing Earth products, as well as 2 small writing desks with safari chairs. There’s also a narrow private veranda where I sat in the mornings as the first light of dawn flushed the sky and the birds began to chirp.

Wi-Fi

There was no Wi-Fi access in the rooms and extremely low connectivity at the lodge itself. However, in their defense, Etosha Safari Lodge is in the middle of nowhere, which makes for a good excuse to be offline anyway! This is not the place for a working holiday.

Food

Dinner dishes are well-executed, of good quality and are likely to feature a choice of seasonal (and vegetarian) options. I was a little disappointed with the vegetarian option for my lunch package, as it was (probably) prepared the night before already and hence not as fresh as I hoped.

Sustainability

The Gondwana Collection is famous for its sustainability initiatives which seek to promote nature conservation and social commitment. Today, their sustainability efforts include the following initiatives:

• Solar energy plants at almost all of their 43 lodges

• Sparing use of precious water – most of the lodges are equipped with wastewater recycling systems

• Responsible waste management to minimise non-recyclable materials

• Sustainable construction methods used for all new lodges built in Namibia

• Staff development with the Gondwana Training Academy

• Self-sustaining supply of organic meat and fresh veggies

• Cooperation with conservancies and communities

My highlights

• Great effort in nature conservation and social commitment of the whole Gondwana Collection.

• Views, views, views.

• The quintessential safari experience – Africa doesn’t get any better than this.

• A range of pools to pick from (as well as a sprawling menu of cocktails to try out).

Is it for you?

If you want the classic safari experience, this is the place to do it.

In 3 words: Sustainability, safari, views