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12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia

25/10/2017

14 Comments

 
12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
By Roxanne Reid
There are more than 40 waterholes at Etosha National Park, each with its own strengths. We’re so addicted to this wildlife park in northern Namibia that we’ve visited nearly 30 times and have got to know the waterholes very well. For consistently good wildlife sightings over the years, here's my pick of the best. 

Etosha National Park is probably one of the best wildlife parks in all of southern Africa. The best time to visit is between June and September when the waterholes around the salt pan are a magnet for animals.

Note that I've not ranked the waterholes, but presented them in the order they occur, starting in the east and moving west.

1. Klein Namutoni 
12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
Klein Namutoni waterhole’s greatest asset is that it’s just 2-3km from Namutoni camp, so you can stay there till late and zip back to camp just before the sunset curfew. The bush along the road to the waterhole is your best chance of seeing the tiny Damara dik-dik, Namibia’s smallest antelope. (They don’t need water so don’t look for them at the waterhole itself.) We’ve often seen black rhino, elephant and spotted hyena at Klein Namutoni and there are usually at least a few giraffe.

Animals to see: lion, elephant, black rhino, kudu, giraffe, black-faced impala, warthog, plains game (i.e. springbok, zebra, wildebeest and gemsbok)

2. Chudop 
Chudop, 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
This water-table spring about 7km from Namutoni is set in a depression so you look down on it from the parking area. It’s a regular place to watch giraffes drinking and there’s always some action. It’s one of the waterholes where you can most consistently find must-haves like lion, spotted hyena and eland.

Animals to see: lion, elephant, spotted hyena, eland, kudu, warthog, giraffe, black-faced impala, plains game

3. Kalkheuwel 
Kalkheuwel, 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
Kalkheuwel is about 20km south-west of Namutoni. Don’t drive in and out without stopping, sit and be patient. Some of our best sightings have been large breeding herds of elephant, stalking lions – including a lion lifting a zebra clean out of the drinking trough – eland, kudu, black-faced impala aggressively chasing other males away from their harem, warthog families, and the raucous Meyer’s parrot. It’s not uncommon to see seven or eight different mammal species at the waterhole at the same time.

Animals to see: lion, elephant, black-faced impala, giraffe, warthog, kudu, red hartebeest, plains game

4. Goas
About 15km east of Halali camp are the two artesian springs of Goas. You can get fairly close-up photos here. It’s a reliable place to see black-faced impala, red hartebeest and kudu. We’ve also seen lots of elephant and a pride of 15 lions with mischievous cubs. There are good opportunities to watch birds of prey hunting.

Animals to see: lion, elephant, black-faced impala, giraffe, kudu, red hartebeest, plains game

5. Moringa 
Moringa, 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
Halali camp’s secret weapon is the floodlit Moringa waterhole, named after the phantom tree Moringa ovifolia. When we stay at Halali, we never miss a few hours at the waterhole in the early morning and evening. Perched on a koppie with an amphitheatre-style view down to the waterhole, it’s a good place to see black rhino, elephant and leopard. Don’t miss the symphony from flocks of double-banded sandgrouse soon after sunset.

Animals to see: leopard, elephant, rhino, giraffe, red hartebeest, black-faced impala, plains game

6. Rietfontein 
Rietfontein, 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
At Rietfontein some 20km west of Halali there’s almost always something going on. Last time we were there, we watched 300-400 zebra clattering over the stones, a head-butting match between two elephant bulls, kudu, giraffe, wildebeest, a sprinkling of springbok, whitebacked vultures, a tawny eagle and a fish eagle. It also brought three of my favourite sounds together: zebras, Namaqua sandgrouse and fish eagle. Down a narrow track nearby is the grave of a Dorsland trekker who died here in 1876.

Animals to see: elephant, lion, giraffe, kudu, red hartebeest, plains game

7. Salvadora and Charitsaub 
Salvadora and Charitsaub, 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
Salvadora is about 27km west of Halali and Charitsaub just 2km further. Salvadora gives a good view out over Etosha Pan in the distance. It’s popular with animals because the water is far less salty than that of Sueda waterhole nearby. It’s a good place to see cheetahs (which may climb into a tree for a better view) and lions.
​Charitsaub is an artesian spring that sometimes dries up late in the dry season (May/June to October). Check the large umbrella thorn tree north of the waterhole for birds of prey like red-necked and lanner falcons. You can often see lions and spotted hyena here, and zebra and wildebeest are regulars.

Animals to see: lion, cheetah, spotted hyena, plains game

8. Olifantsbad and Aus
Olifantsbad (elephant’s bath) is about 23km southeast of Okaukuejo, with Aus another 8km further on. Both are much-loved by elephants. Olifantsbad has the added benefit of a fenced picnic site (and toilet) nearby if you need to stretch your legs. Over the years we’ve had some fabulous elephant sightings at both these waterholes.

Animals to see: elephant, lion, giraffe, warthog, red hartebeest, kudu, black-faced impala, plains game

9. Homob 
Homob, 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
Homob is a pretty waterhole 43km west of Halali and about 35km east of Okaukuejo camp. It’s in a large depression below the parking area, so viewing is good. Wildlife trails that cross the parking area allow you to see and photograph animals from close by as they walk to or away from the waterhole.

Animals to see: elephant, lion, kudu, red hartebeest, giraffe, plains game

10. Gemsbokvlakte
Like Newbronii, Gemsbokvlakte 15km southeast of Okaukuejo, is a great place to watch a congregation of various species drinking. Large numbers of zebra come and go, hee-hawing their disapproval every now and then, their hooves rattling on the rocky ground. In the late dry season, the solar-driven borehole fills the trough slowly so animals may have to wait – and that’s when zebra get very vocal. At other times of year, over-spill may form pools around the trough.

Animals to see: elephant, lion, kudu, plains game

11. Nebrownii 
Nebrownii, 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
You can see huge gatherings of animals at this waterhole just 7km east of Okaukuejo camp. The area is covered with white calcrete dust, so when elephants that have rolled in the white mud stand still they look like stone statues. On our last dry season visit there were some 500 animals of seven species thronging the overgrazed space around the waterhole.

Animals to see: elephant, lion, spotted hyena, giraffe, plains game

12. Okaukuejo 
Okaukuejo, 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
​Watch animals come and go 24 hours a day at this floodlit waterhole right at Okaukuejo camp. Sit on a bench behind a protective stone wall and game-proof fence or at the thatched lookout for excellent sightings without even having to leave the camp. Elephants often come to drink at dusk and black rhino after dark. It’s not unknown for lions to make a kill near the waterhole and then you can watch them for a day or two before they move on.

Animals to see: elephant, black rhino, lion, spotted hyena, giraffe, kudu, plains game
Olifantsrus, 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
Other waterholes worth visiting
Other waterholes worth keeping an eye on in the Namutoni area include:
  • Tsumcor (elephants, zebras, giraffes)
  • the two Okevis (we’ve seen lion and even aardwolf here)
  • Fisher’s Pan (great when the flamingos are around)
  • Two Palms, although the palms have all fallen now (giraffe and jackals)
  • Koinachas (an artesian spring that's good for plains game, giraffe and sometimes even lion or leopard).
 
From Okaukuejo, other good waterholes include:
  • Okondeka (we’ve seen lions there several times, also giraffe)
  • Leeubron (elephant, giraffe, lion).
 
For a special experience in a campsite with no chalets but a wonderful dual-level hide over a waterhole, don’t miss Olifantsrus camp and waterhole in the far west. Other favourite waterholes in the far west include:
  • Ozonjuitji m’Bari (elephant, giraffe, plains game, even lion)
  • Jakkalswater (elephants, giraffe, plains game and ostrich)
  • Okawao (elephants, giraffe, plains game).
    ​
You may also enjoy
Etosha National Park: the ultimate guide
3 Etosha camps and why they’re all worth a visit
Olifantsrus campsite in Etosha National Park

Did you enjoy the article? Pin this image!
Visiting Etosha National Park in Namibia? Here’s a list of 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park and why you should visit all of them to see a wide variety of wildlife from elephants to lions and antelope. #Etosha #nationalparks #namibia #wildlife
Visiting Etosha National Park in Namibia? Here’s a list of 12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park and why you should visit all of them to see a wide variety of wildlife from elephants to lions and antelope. #Etosha #nationalparks #namibia #wildlife
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
14 Comments
Laurewn link
28/10/2017 09:44:17 am

This is awesome. Headed to Namibia next month and I can’t wait!

Reply
Roxanne
28/10/2017 09:57:55 am

I'm madly envious, Laurewn. Not that I haven't been there often, but I love it so much that it's never often enough. Have a wonderful time.

Reply
ARI link
28/10/2017 02:37:33 pm

This is so incredible. Your photos are amazing and as I'm slowing planning my trip to explore a few countries in Africa, this is a great resource for me. Namibia keeps coming up again and again and Now I can really see why. It's my dream to see Elephants and a dozen of the other animals you mentioned here in the wild.

Reply
Roxanne
28/10/2017 07:43:55 pm

Thanks for the compliment, ARI. No one who visits Namibia will ever regret it; it is an amazingly diverse and beautiful country.

Reply
Cherene Saradar
28/10/2017 04:14:14 pm

Namibia is a dream that I"m hoping to make happen this spring! This is a great guide! Going to save!

Reply
Roxanne
28/10/2017 07:45:22 pm

Wishing you a wonderful trip, Cherene. Etosha is only a part of all the wonders that Namibia has to offer. Don't miss Sossusvlei in the south.

Reply
Cristina
31/10/2017 05:28:08 am

Chudop is probably our favorite! We always see the lion pride there. Last time we saw them the cubs were those rowdy teenagers that are always so entertaining! This pride made a zebra kill every day!
We also saw leopards and hyenas in that area.
We are going back in January and just staying in Namutoni so we can stay close to Chudop!

Reply
Roxanne
31/10/2017 07:33:45 am

Ah, super, Cristina. Maybe Moringa and Kalkheuwel have the best memories for us, but I don't think I could pick a favourite from these, they're all super in their way.

Reply
Andreas Kitzing link
22/1/2019 10:06:48 am

Our favorite was Goas. Leopoard sitting in a tree right next to the street, and then on the waterhole we saw a massive elephant herd with lots of young elephants. So cool! Charitshaub was also awesome, with a lion pride relaxing under the tree and a beautiful male lion drinking from the waterhole.

Reply
Roxanne
22/1/2019 05:47:11 pm

That's great to hear, Andreas. We used to have brilliant sightings at Goas but the last year or two have been a little disappointing so it's good to hear that it is still delivering good days.

Reply
Nigel Christie
16/6/2021 05:32:20 pm

Dear Roxanne, What wonderful photos you have taken. I will be making my first visit in July and have 10 nights at the 3 camps. Doesn't look like I will get much sleep with sitting at the floodlit water holes until late.
Kind regards
Nigel

Reply
Roxanne Reid
16/6/2021 06:05:16 pm

Ah, Nigel, that's wonderful. I hope you have a fabulous time - and I know you will.

Reply
Louwrens Erasmus
30/12/2022 04:38:22 pm

ONS WAS JARE GELEDE DAAR EN DIT WAS HEERLIK EN ONGELOOFLIK BAIE DIERE GESIEN

Reply
Roxanne Reid
30/12/2022 05:20:33 pm

Great to hear, Louwrens. Etosha is still one of my favourite southern African national parks.

Reply

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