Hi all,
I will be in both Namibia and Zimbabwe in February. I am going independantly and my planned itinerary allows for either 3 days in Etosha National Park, Namibia OR 3 days in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
I understand that Etosha might be very hot, whereas Hwange may be fairly wet and have less game visibility due to plant growth.
If I go to Etosha I will be self-driving, whereas in Hwange I'll probably be staying at one of the private lodges (with safari included)
I would be interested in knowing which of the two people recommend for viewing animals at this time of year, as well as best overall experience.
Many thanks
Etosha National Park, Namibia vs Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe in February
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Having lived in Cape Town for the past 30 years, just about every annual holiday was spent in a Game Park or National Park. Of the many parks visited Etosha is by far the best, for accommodation, game viewing and safety. I would hesitate to recommend visiting Zimbabwe! 3 days in Etosha is extremely short, as it is a vast Park and so much to see....Yes, its hot there but its a dry & bearable heat and all 3 camps have a pool and plenty of ice-cold draught beer.
If you are interested to hear more, please contact me: ulid@live.co.uk I have advised lots of people over the years.
Etosha will still get rain in February and game viewing will not be as optimal as the drier months. Hwange and Zimbabwe in general is fine for visitors - in fact they have seen a 10% increase in tourism last year which is great!
Etosha is easy to self-drive but I would agree that 3 days won't give you much opportunity to appreciate much of the park.
Hi Peter
i disagree with the previous writers. IMHO you can see a lot in Etosha in 3 days (plus game watchung at night at the camp's own waterhole) by visiting most of the waterholes around the 3 camps