Etosha to Kwando
From Etosha's great salt pan to the rivers of the northeast: three very different parks in Namibia, for up to twelve people in a route shaped around you.
Map positions and the route line are approximate. Distances are straight-line between the points shown, so road journeys are longer. Click a number to open the place in Google Maps.
The route
- 1 · Etosha, 3 nightsStart in Windhoek and drive north to the park.
- 2 · Bwabwata, 3 nightsLeave by Etosha's eastern side and head via Grootfontein and Rundu. It is a long day on the road, and you can break it with a night in Rundu.
- 3 · Mudumu, 3 nightsA short drive along the Kwando. Fly home from Katima Mulilo or continue to Victoria Falls.
Nights are a suggestion. Every trip is planned around you.
Etosha
Etosha is one of Africa's great game parks, covering about 22,935 km² around a vast white salt pan. In the dry months, wildlife has few places to drink, so the action comes to the waterholes. Park your vehicle and wait for elephant, giraffe, zebra, springbok and oryx, with lion never far away. Rhino come to drink too, often after dark at Okaukuejo's floodlit waterhole, which you can watch from the camp at any hour. More than 400 bird species have been recorded. The roads are easy and the viewing is open, which makes this a perfect first stop and a great self-drive park.
Where to stay, cheapest first
Approximate prices only, for accommodation at this stop only.
From about US$22 to about US$1,100 per person per night
Etosha Safari Campsite
20 sites with power and braai, 10 km from Andersson Gate. Bring your own gear.
About US$22 per personGame drives
Extra, about US$67 half dayOkaukuejo campsite
Camp inside the park, next to the famous floodlit waterhole. Bring your own gear.
About US$29 per personGame drives
ExtraEtosha Safari Camping2Go
Eight four-bed safari tents with bathroom, fridge, gas stove and utensils, 10 km from the gate.
About US$70 per personGame drives
Extra, about US$67 half dayHalali Camp
Park rest camp in the centre of Etosha, with its own waterhole.
About US$95 per person, bed and breakfastGame drives
ExtraEtosha Safari Camp
50 relaxed chalets among mopane trees, 10 km from the gate.
About US$120 per person, bed and breakfastGame drives
Extra, about US$67 half dayNamutoni Camp
Park rest camp at the eastern end of Etosha, the natural exit towards the next stop.
About US$125 per person, bed and breakfastGame drives
ExtraOkaukuejo Camp
Park rest camp with chalets close to the floodlit waterhole.
About US$130 per person, bed and breakfastGame drives
ExtraOnguma Bush Camp
Private reserve bordering the east of the park.
About US$180 per person, breakfast and dinnerGame drives
Ask usEtosha Safari Lodge
Hilltop lodge south of the park, a short drive from the gate.
About US$225 per person, bed and breakfastGame drives
Extra, about US$67 half dayOngava Lodge
Private reserve next to the park. Meals, select drinks and activities are included.
About US$1,100 per person, all inclusive, plus conservation feeGame drives
Included
Bwabwata
Bwabwata covers about 6,100 km² of northeastern Namibia, between the Okavango and Kwando rivers, and feels wilder than Etosha. Wildlife numbers are modest but recovering after past poaching, and you have much of it to yourself. Horseshoe Bend, an oxbow lake with white sand beaches on the Kwando, is the star: elephants come down to drink and bathe, especially late in the dry season. Look for buffalo, roan, sable, red lechwe and sitatunga. All the big cats are present, and wild dog have been seen. Tracks are few and sandy, so you need a 4x4. Boat trips add a different view.
Where to stay, cheapest first
Approximate prices only, for accommodation at this stop only.
From about US$15 to about US$950 per person per night
We found no self-catering here apart from the camp kitchens. For self-catering tents, see Namushasha Camping2Go at the next stop, which also runs drives into Bwabwata. Ngepi Camp and Mahangu Safari Lodge are just outside the park.
Ngepi Camp: campsite
Riverside pitches on the Okavango near Divundu, at the western end of the park.
About US$15 per personGame drives
Ask usNambwa Campsite
Four sites inside the park on the Kwando, each with its own kitchen and bathroom. 4x4 needed.
About US$21–40 per personGame drives
Extra, about US$57Ngepi Camp: tree houses
Open-sided tree houses on the riverfront, with a relaxed, sociable feel.
About US$86 per person, bed and breakfastGame drives
Ask usMahangu Safari Lodge
Bungalows and safari tents on the Okavango, offering drives into the park.
About US$96 per person, breakfast and dinnerGame drives
ExtraNambwa Tented Lodge: half board
Stilted suites on a Kwando island, inside the park.
About US$690 per person, breakfast and dinnerGame drives
Extra, about US$57Nambwa Tented Lodge: all inclusive
Same lodge with all meals, activities, local drinks and park fees included.
About US$950 per person, all inclusiveGame drives
Included
Mudumu
Mudumu is small, flat and quiet: about 1,010 km² of Kwando River floodplain, grassland and mopane woodland on the Botswana border. With no fence or formal gate, it forms a corridor for elephants moving between Botswana, Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe. Take a boat on the river past hippo and crocodile, then explore the tracks on a game drive. Buffalo, red lechwe, sable and sitatunga are here, along with lion, leopard and wild dog. Around 430 bird species make it a birder's favourite, with African skimmer and fish eagle on the river. It's a calm end to the trip, with very few other visitors.
Where to stay, cheapest first
Approximate prices only, for accommodation at this stop only.
From about US$18 to about US$340 per person per night
This is a small, quiet park without a true top-end lodge. For more luxury, stay longer at Nambwa in Bwabwata. Namushasha is just outside the park.
Nakatwa Camp
Basic camping inside the park. Bring your own water, food and fuel. 4x4 needed.
Ask usGame drives
Not offeredNamushasha campsite
Riverside sites on the Kwando, about 24 km south of Kongola.
About US$18 per personGame drives
Extra, about US$79Namushasha Camping2Go
Four-bed safari tents on the Kwando with bathroom, fridge, gas stove and utensils.
About US$70 per personGame drives
Extra, about US$79Lianshulu Bush Lodge
Eight chalets inside the park, the more affordable of the two Lianshulu lodges.
About US$215 per person, breakfast and dinnerGame drives
Ask usNamushasha River Lodge
25 rooms on the Kwando between Bwabwata and Mudumu, with boat trips and fishing.
About US$220 per person, bed and breakfastGame drives
Extra, about US$79Lianshulu Main Lodge
Ten chalets inside the park, the top choice at this stop.
About US$340 per person, breakfast and dinnerGame drives
Ask us
What nine nights cost
Approximate prices only, for accommodation only, per person sharing at mid-season prices.
The cheapest campsite at each stop. Add food, a vehicle, guiding and activities.
Average of the mid-level stays above: about US$440, US$275 and US$655 by stop. Mostly bed and breakfast.
Ongava Lodge, Nambwa Tented Lodge (all inclusive) and Lianshulu Main Lodge.
A guide only, not a quote. Prices come from published rates for 2022 to 2027, converted at about N$16.40 to the dollar, and mid-season means halfway between a lodge's low and high rates where it has both. Vehicle hire, fuel, flights, park fees and some activities can be extra.
Best time to travel: July to September
July and August are the sweet spot. All three parks are at their best in the dry months, when animals gather around the water and the days are not yet very hot.
| Where | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etosha | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Best | Best | Best | Fair | Fair | Fair |
| Bwabwata | Poor | Poor | Poor | Fair | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Good | Fair | Poor |
| Mudumu | Poor | Poor | Poor | Fair | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Good | Fair | Poor |
Etosha
July to September is the peak: almost no rain, so wildlife crowds the waterholes. June and July are the coolest months, with chilly nights. It gets busy in September, and by October it is very hot.
Bwabwata
May to September is the prime season, as thinner bush and shrinking water make animals easier to find. In the rains, from November to April, it is hot and wildlife scatters, though the birding is excellent.
Mudumu
The same seasons apply as in Bwabwata. Go by August if the river matters to you: boat trips on the Kwando are often limited from September to December, when water levels are low.
Make it yours
Change the order, add nights, or swap a lodge for wild camping. Tell us who is coming and when.
Plan this safariAll 2027 itinerariesBack to the home pageWildlife photos are from our own safaris and do not necessarily show these exact places. Lodge availability, access roads and border rules can change; we confirm everything before you book.