9. Etosha NationalPark, Namibia - 13 August to 19 August 2009

The night before Etosha, Wednesday 12 August, we camped at Mondjila, a lodge near Anderrsons Gate, high up on a hill with a view of the surrounding mopane savannah, Each camp site had its little section of watered lawn. A very pleasant place and we met a delightful Italian family.

Etosha!! Really lived up to its reputation and we had an amazing time, an unbelievable wildlife experience. On our first two nights at Okaukuejo we stayed in chalets, one right at the waterhole, and one much further back. The waterhole here is fantastic. Lit up at night we saw White and Black Rhinoceros, Giraffe, Lion, and Elephant. During the day it is a mass of the plains game - Zebra, Wildebeest, Springbok and Gemsbok - a continual stream of animals arriving and departing.

The other 4 nights were camping, two at Halali and two at Namutoni, and driving between the three locations, we stopped at all the waterholes to check out the game situation. Very often we had 'dry runs', where you can drive for hours and see very little. But it's a little like golf: something perfect energises you and keeps you going.

The highlights were a Lion chase after a Giraffe, an Elephant 'bathing frenzy' which we happened to come across, and some great Rhino sightings. And a Hyaena trying to eat a dead animal under water, diving down and surfacing with a mouthful. It's all very random, and pure luck that you travel down the right road, or you're at the right waterhole at the right time. But so rewarding when you do come across something special.

We are now having a rest day just outside Outjo at Buschfeld Park Restcamp before we set off to Epupa Falls in Kaokoland, up on the Kunene River on Namibia's border with Angola, and apparently a beautiful place.