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 12 of the best. 

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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.

1. Klein Namutoni 

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 

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 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 

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 

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 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 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 

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 

​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

Other waterholes worth keeping an eye on include Tsumcor (elephants, zebras), the two Okevis (we saw an aardwolf here once), Fisher’s Pan (great when the flamingos are around) and Two Palms (giraffe) in the east, and Okondeka (we’ve seen lions there several times) north of Okaukuejo. For a special experience in a campsite with no chalets but a dual level hide over a waterhole (pictured above), don’t miss Olifantsrus in the far west. 

A version of this article first appeared on AFK Travel’s website.

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