Namibia
Etosha National Park (East)
*This section is currently being revamped with additional pages containing general information and images which will hopefully be of interest to anyone planning to visit.*
Mushara Outpost
My wife and I have visited Namibia three times and on each occasion our base for covering the eastern section of Etosha was Mushara Outpost which, being only 10 km from the Von Lindequist Gate, is ideally situated for self-drive trips into the park . The Outpost is one of three high-end properties owned by the Mushara Group, all of which are located close to one another beside the C38 road. There are just eight custom tent-like units at the Outpost, each with its own wooden deck and veranda. The accommodation is well spaced amongst the woodland at the rear of the main boma-style building which houses the reception and dining area. The tents have all been enlarged and upgraded since our first visit with an open air shower and individual room Wi-Fi supplementing a reception building hot spot, although the signal is intermittent.
© Mushara Collection
During the summer months guests gather round a fire on the lawn for a `sundowner` before dinner. The food here and quality of service are first-class and the staff help to create a relaxed and happy atmosphere. The grass is kept neatly trimmed thanks to the efforts of the local warthog family who can often be seen lazing at the poolside after a hard day`s work! More information on Mushara Outpost and the other properties in the Mushara collection can be found on the official website: www.mushara-lodge.com.
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© Mushara Collection
Below: There is a viewing hide at Mushara which overlooks a small waterhole in a picturesque woodland setting. When we arrived, a pair of small antelope were drinking but took off immediately. Big game and predators are supposedly absent from the immediate area but even, so it may be worth spending some time here if you were having a relaxing day and not heading into the park.
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Please bear in mind that all images on this website and my blog are Copyright. They are not free to use and have been embedded with a digital watermark.
Namutoni Restcamp
The white-walled 'Beau Geste' style fort which forms the centrepiece of the Namutoni facility was originally built as a German Police frontier post. A small museum opposite reception displays various weapons and artifacts from the German colonial occupation and has information panels outlining the history of the fort and its garrison. Since our last visit the shops and bar located within the fort's walls have been relocated and it's now operates exclusively as an upgraded accommodation block. A meat burger sit-down lunch at the Namutoni Rest Camp restaurant was surprisingly tasty.
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Although Okaukeujo, Halali and Namutoni all have shops, I would advise against using them if at all possible and purchase everything you need in one of the towns before entering the Park. The restcamp shops are poorly stocked most of the time although some essentials and other useful items can be found, but there are always plenty of empty shelves during peak season.
Another concern is that it's clear that at least some of the staff working within are set on skimming tourists at every opportunity. Very few of the items have price labels on them, tills seem to be ‘out of order’ quite a lot, and receipts can be hard to come by, especially when ludicrous prices are charged for small, basic items. Obvious scams were experienced by my wife and I at both Okaukeujo and Namutoni on our latest visit.
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This memorial close to the admin building celebrates Etosha National Park`s Centenary (1907 - 2007).
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The camp waterhole is named after King Nehale, the leader of 500 Ndonga warriors that successfully attacked the German garrison and destroyed the fort in 1904 during the Ovambo uprising. The stronghold was rebuilt and reinforced the following year, however, and British POWs were incarcerated here for a time during the Great War.
This area experiences much higher rainfall than the other areas of Etosha but, as far as I know, following excellent downpours in 2010 and 2011, very little rain had fallen until recently. Like those at Okaukuejo and Halali, the rest camp waterhole at Namutoni is floodlit at night. The covered viewing area is shown on the right. |
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Namutoni`s waterhole has extensive reed beds and is more favoured by birds than game, mainly due to the proximity of alternative supplies at Klein Namutoni, Koinachas and Chudop. Animals do visit King Nehale but usually in far smaller concentrations than those found at the other sites. Due to the marshy area on the edge of the camp, Namutoni is reputedly an excellent place for snakes, with African Rock Python sometimes targeting the doves and smaller birds when they land to take a sip. Spitting Cobra are among the other species present though less frequently encountered. If you`re staying here overnight, the best way to find them is to scan the area of short grass between the fence and the waterhole by torchlight.
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I never saw any snakes within the camp during several brief visits, but this unidentified species was basking on a roadside termite mound close to the rest camp. The Mongoose was keeping watch from another termite mound just along the road, obviously unaware that a potential meal was nearby. There are 8 different types of mongoose in Africa, several of which are resident in Namibia so I`m not exactly sure as to what species this one belongs. The Admin block at Namutoni is shown below. This is where you get your permit and copy of the park regulations. The toilet block is on the opposite side of the road.
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This guy was feeding very close to the Namutoni Rest Camp on our first visit to Etosha.
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There are some excellent waterholes very close to Namutoni, several of which are among the best in the entire National Park. Here`s some Elephant action at Kalkheuwel.
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Further information on Namibia and additional images taken there can be found on Clydeside Images.com. Utilise the blog`s search box or the `Overseas-Namibia` fly-out label on the right-hand side of the blog page. Please bear in mind that my Stock Photography Archive has even more shots taken in Namibia. If you wish to purchase any image(s) please email using the Contact Form and I will respond at the earliest opportunity.
Please bear in mind that all my images are subject to copyright. They are not free to use and have been embedded with a digital watermark.