Etosha National Park, Namibia

Etosha is a vast game reserve dominated by a 5,000 sq km salt pan . The landscape is of thick mopane brush and the wildlife here is notoriously hard to spot. But we were in luck....


Early November is the driest time of year and all life congregates around the waterholes. We only had to drive up to one of the several muddy ponds and be patient.

We'd happily sit and watch the procession of buck at a busy waterhole - langourous giraffe, gamine impala, elegant kudu. Let alone zebra, wildebeest, springbok, red hartebeest... As we ticked off our checklist, the inner nerd came bursting through and Sam officially became a wildlife enthusiast.


However, only by slowly driving around with sharp eyes did we spot a lioness skulking in the long grass.

Of course, not all creatures are blessed with such power and grace.

As the day cooled from its 40 degree heat, we walked from camp to the nearby Halali waterhole. With its all-night floodlights, it provided such an evening spectacle that we found we could do without sleep. Out came the hyenas, honey badgers, a leopard and our favourites, the family of rhino.