By Roxanne Reid
Olifantsrus Camp in Etosha National Park in Namibia is the park’s newest campsite and it’s a wonderfully different experience. For the first time in Etosha’s history it’s a dedicated campsite, with not a chalet to be seen. And it’s in the western section that was previously closed to ordinary tourists.
Olifantsrus Camp in Etosha National Park in Namibia is the park’s newest campsite and it’s a wonderfully different experience. For the first time in Etosha’s history it’s a dedicated campsite, with not a chalet to be seen. And it’s in the western section that was previously closed to ordinary tourists.
Coming from Kamanjab in Kunene, we entered Etosha National Park (see my guide to everything you need to know about Etosha here) through Galton Gate, from where it was about 60km to Olifantsrus Campsite. Game along this drive wasn’t plentiful, but we did see giraffe, zebra, impala, springbok, kudu and warthog.
Olifantsrus is Etosha's first camp exclusively for campers and camping
We discovered by far the best Etosha camping and definitely among the best campsites in Namibia. The communal showers and kitchen area were modern and clean, and there was a small kiosk where you could buy cold drinks, tea/coffee, breakfast and light meals like toasted sarmies. For campsite rates, see Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR). NWR are also the people to help you with your bookings.
The friendly and helpful Hange Penandino gave us a warm welcome and came around to our campsite a bit later to check that we were happy with everything. This was a special touch not all that common in our Etosha experience, where staff can sometimes be quite offhand. (On a return trip in June 2018, Hange and Elias Petru were still there and just as helpful as ever.)
The friendly and helpful Hange Penandino gave us a warm welcome and came around to our campsite a bit later to check that we were happy with everything. This was a special touch not all that common in our Etosha experience, where staff can sometimes be quite offhand. (On a return trip in June 2018, Hange and Elias Petru were still there and just as helpful as ever.)
Olifantsrus staff Elias Petru (left) and Hange Penandino
For me there were two very special things about Olifantsrus Camp, Etosha. First was that feeling of being closer to nature, surrounded as we were by the bush in this intimate little camp where many of the sites looked straight out into the wilderness. At night the sight of campfires burning through the darkness was oddly soothing too.
Camp close to the fence and waterhole for some of the best sightings in the area
Double-storey hide
The second special thing about Olifantsrus was its magnificent dual-level hide jutting out over a manmade waterhole. A lot of the money to establish the camp seems to have come from the ‘American people’ through the Millennium Challenge Fund, and the hide is a well-designed gem resulting from this relationship.
The second special thing about Olifantsrus was its magnificent dual-level hide jutting out over a manmade waterhole. A lot of the money to establish the camp seems to have come from the ‘American people’ through the Millennium Challenge Fund, and the hide is a well-designed gem resulting from this relationship.
Olifantsrus's fabulous double-storey hide at the waterhole
The first time we visited, the downstairs section was closed until they could replace the glass with rhino/elephant-proof glass with a reflective surface so the wildlife wouldn’t be able to see the people inside. I couldn't wait to go back to sit at ground level with the waterhole all around me and the animals just a whisper away. [Update June 2018: As promised, we returned to Olifantsrus for a longer stay and found that the lower level of the hide had been opened.]
Zebras from the top level of the hide; note the angle from above
In the top level of the hide there’s seating for 24 or more people, depending on whether you sit two to an opened hatch or three of you squish in together with your kids. I watched some zebras, a lone gemsbok drinking and two springbok rams battling to prove who was stronger. Hange told me there’s often elephant, rhino, lion and hyena as well.
The top level of the hide with its hatches open; the bottom level is glassed
Elephant’s rest info centre
Olifantsrus has a small info centre with information about Etosha’s elephants, their status, family ties and conflicts with people. It also tells the story of the culling of more than 500 elephants here in the 1980s.
Apparently the first aerial survey in Etosha in 1967 counted about 500 elephants in the dry season. By 1973 the number had risen to 1300 and by 1983 there were 3000. One reason for this was reproduction, but elephants had also immigrated here to get away from poaching in northwestern Namibia during the South African military operations there.
Olifantsrus has a small info centre with information about Etosha’s elephants, their status, family ties and conflicts with people. It also tells the story of the culling of more than 500 elephants here in the 1980s.
Apparently the first aerial survey in Etosha in 1967 counted about 500 elephants in the dry season. By 1973 the number had risen to 1300 and by 1983 there were 3000. One reason for this was reproduction, but elephants had also immigrated here to get away from poaching in northwestern Namibia during the South African military operations there.
Olifantsrus's elephant info centre, with elephant skulls in the foreground
After the severe drought between 1980 and 1983 when grass in Etosha died off, park managers were worried about desertification, the threat to biodiversity and the survival of other species like black rhino. So they decided to follow the example of Kruger National Park in South Africa and cull elephants. Of course, this sort of thing isn’t done anymore – Africa is losing quite enough elephants to poachers, thank you very much – but at the time it seemed like a good idea.
Between 1983 and 1985, 525 elephants were culled and their bodies brought by low-bed truck to Olifantsrus (which means ‘elephant’s rest’). At the campsite today you can still see the huge steel structures that were used to hoist the animals for butchering. They and a few sun-dried skulls stand as a haunting reminder of the area’s past.
Between 1983 and 1985, 525 elephants were culled and their bodies brought by low-bed truck to Olifantsrus (which means ‘elephant’s rest’). At the campsite today you can still see the huge steel structures that were used to hoist the animals for butchering. They and a few sun-dried skulls stand as a haunting reminder of the area’s past.
The scaffolding of the field abattoir used during the elephant culls of the 1980s
Although the info centre is at pains to point out that entire family units were dispatched rapidly to minimise trauma for surrounding elephants, that the meat was used to feed Namibians, and that scientific data was collected from the culled animals, it’s still a troubling part of history that may be hard for sensitive souls to come to terms with.
Waterholes worth exploring
After just one night at Olifantsrus on our first visit – far too short, so don’t make the same rookie mistake we did! – we continued our journey towards Okaukuejo further east. Along the way we saw some big herds of springbok and a herd of 20 elephant moving parallel to the road. At Ozonjuitji m’Bari waterhole on the edge of the Charl Marais Dam there was an ample gathering of game that included elephant, giraffe, springbok, zebra, gemsbok and wildebeest.
[Update: On our return trip in mid 2018, we explored some of the waterholes to the west of Olifantsrus and saw tons of zebras at a seasonal pan, elephants with calves at Jakkalswater (plus zebra, gemsbok, giraffe and ostrich), and zebra, giraffe, springbok, bateleur and white-backed vulture at Okawao.]
It’s also worth taking a detour to Okondeka on your way to Okaukuejo. Since it’s the only waterhole north of Okaukuejo that has water in the dry season, there’s usually lots of giraffe and plains game here. We’ve also seen lions more than once on different visits. In the rainy season when the pan is full of water, you may even see a shimmer of flamingo pink.
If you’re a keen camper and you love wildlife and wilderness, I can highly recommend adding at least two or three nights at Olifantsrus to your next trip to Etosha National Park. I know we will.
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Waterholes worth exploring
After just one night at Olifantsrus on our first visit – far too short, so don’t make the same rookie mistake we did! – we continued our journey towards Okaukuejo further east. Along the way we saw some big herds of springbok and a herd of 20 elephant moving parallel to the road. At Ozonjuitji m’Bari waterhole on the edge of the Charl Marais Dam there was an ample gathering of game that included elephant, giraffe, springbok, zebra, gemsbok and wildebeest.
[Update: On our return trip in mid 2018, we explored some of the waterholes to the west of Olifantsrus and saw tons of zebras at a seasonal pan, elephants with calves at Jakkalswater (plus zebra, gemsbok, giraffe and ostrich), and zebra, giraffe, springbok, bateleur and white-backed vulture at Okawao.]
It’s also worth taking a detour to Okondeka on your way to Okaukuejo. Since it’s the only waterhole north of Okaukuejo that has water in the dry season, there’s usually lots of giraffe and plains game here. We’ve also seen lions more than once on different visits. In the rainy season when the pan is full of water, you may even see a shimmer of flamingo pink.
If you’re a keen camper and you love wildlife and wilderness, I can highly recommend adding at least two or three nights at Olifantsrus to your next trip to Etosha National Park. I know we will.
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Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
12 of the best waterholes at Etosha National Park, Namibia
Okaukuejo camp: see elephants on an Etosha safari
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
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