Southern Etosha Safari Holidays

Southern Etosha is the most accessible region of Etosha National Park, reached via the tarred C38 road leading to Andersson Gate - the park’s southern entrance. Just a six-hour drive from Windhoek, many travellers choose to break the journey in the scenic Central Highlands, which sit roughly halfway between the capital and the park.

The Etosha Pan, a vast salt flat visible from just inside the gate, dominates the landscape. Surrounding it is a network of well-maintained roads and numerous waterholes that attract a rich variety of wildlife. Despite the park’s stark appearance, it is the most wildlife-dense region in Namibia, home to lion, cheetah, black and white rhino, elephant, giraffe, oryx, zebra, and many more species.

This area is ideal for a self-drive safari. Clear signage, good infrastructure, and secure, fenced picnic spots make it easy to explore at your own pace. The park opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, and mornings often see queues of vehicles eager to enter.

Okaukuejo Camp, just 20 km from the gate, acts as the hub of Southern Etosha. Here you’ll find accommodation, restaurants, shops, and a petrol station - as well as one of the park’s most rewarding waterholes, where rhino sightings under floodlight are common after dark. For a more exclusive safari, consider staying just outside the park on the C38. Luxury lodges in the Ongava Private Game Reserve offer access to the same spectacular wildlife and landscapes as Etosha, but with added privacy, comfort, and the option for guided drives and walks on private land.