We did a self drive and saw lots! Save your money and drive yourselves if you have a car. The watering hole at dusk was magical - we saw 8 rhinos, 9 giraffes and so many elephants! We drove from okakuejo to Namutoni in one day, and took all the side roads to see as much as we could. Spent one night in each place which was enough.

Yes but only on foot. Most activity here is in the morning and evening. Gaseb waterhole has animals most of the time especially at 12 and I think it was Sueda get there before 11 am to get a good viewing spot then just sit and watch the parade of wildlife.

Waterholes are where the action is. If you can get there on your own then no need to do a game drive unless perhaps at night or for more information and answers .

Drive for sure otherwise you will Miss a lot

We flew into Windhoek, and from there, it is a 5h drive to Etosha. I'm not sure if there is an airstrip somewhere around Etosha. It is an easy drive on good roads, however. It is possible to stay just by the waterhole in Okaukuejo, but we had difficulties in making reservations there. They release all rooms at a certain date, and shortly thereafter, all rooms were booked the dates we wanted them. Maybe you need to go through some kind of agent to get a reservation for those. We stayed 30 minutes outside the park instead. There are plenty of places at different price ranges. I believe all of them can arrange a safari with a guide. Our place did through a neighboring property. Etosha is a great place. We only went to the waterholes around Okaukuejo, but had great success. I have never been able to capture so many species in one single shot. Quite different from my experiences in Tanzania and Zimbabwe, where the species came one by one to drink. Maybe this had to do with the fact that we went at the very end of the dry season (early Nov), and hence, that water was scarce. We went on a full day safari with an elevated, open air vehicle (Think Toyota truck with a canopy) around Okaukuejo, which was great. We did the same thing the next day with our own sedan, but that experience was not as good. We didn't have a guide, who would have radio contact with other guides, and sitting lower in the vehicle made it more difficult to get a good view at times. We didn't go far East to Halali and Namutoni. There was plenty to see around Okaukuejo. We had lunch at Okaukuejo, and after the meal, we went down to the waterhole without expecting much. But that place was teeming with wildlife. I believe that the waterhole offers 24hr entertainment. On the way to or from Etosha, you could spend a day or two in Okonjima to see cheetah, leopard and other predators. It is a great place. Otherwise, Namibia is a huge country, so the expression "nearby" is a matter of definition.

I don't think you would be able to be there at dawn. If you are staying outside of the park you would have to wait for the park to open and then go to the waterhole. What we don't know is if you could sleep in your car or camper in a regular parking spot. I don't think you could because they have security in the park. They do check for entry and exit of cars daily. I am sorry, to say, but I don't think you could be there before dawn or at night. But, you could be first in line for the park when it opens in the morning. Yet they change the times daily. It is rather confusing, I know. If I can help you further, please let me know.

Ciao! Ogni momento è buono per visitare la meravigliosa Namibia...tuttavia il mio consiglio è di andarci nella stagione secca (la nostra estate) per tante ragioni: meno vegetazione=> più facilità di vedere gli animali; poca acqua=> animali concentrati alle pozze (artificiali o naturali che siano) a dissetarsi; e infine niente zanzare o altre insetti (per me è stato un plus vivere la Natura senza ronzii e punture fastidiose).