Etosha was declared a National Park in 1907 and covering an area of 22 270 square kilometres, it is home to 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and, surprisingly, one species of fish.

When it was originally proclaimed at the turn of the century the Etosha Park consisted of an area of 100 000 square kilometres. This was the largest reserve on Earth but in the 1960's political pressure resulted in the Park being reduced to its current size.

Etosha, meaning ‘Great White Place’, is dominated by a massive mineral pan. The pan is part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed around 1000 million years ago. The Etosha Pan covers roughly a quarter of the Park. The pan was originally a lake fed by the Kunene River. However the course of the river changed thousands of years ago and the lake dried up. The pan now is a large dusty depression of salt and dusty clay which fills only if the rains are heavy and even then only holds water for a short time. This temporary water in the Etosha Pan attracts thousands of wading birds including impressive flocks of flamingos. The perennial springs along the edges of the Etosha Pan draw large concentrations of wildlife and birds.

A San legend about the formation of the Etosha Pan tells of how a village was raided and everyone but the women slaughtered. One woman was so upset about the death of her family she cried until her tears formed a massive lake. When the lake dried up nothing was left apart from a huge white pan.

The game viewing in Etosha National Park is excellent, the best time being from May to September which are the cooler months in Namibia. Visitors to Etosha Game Reserve can expect to see many buck species, elephant, giraffe, rhino and lions. More fortunate visitors will see leopard and cheetah.

‘Andersson Gate’ is the main entrance to the Park and is situated near Okaukuejo in the South. The eastern entrance is called the ‘Von Lindequist Gate’ and is near Namutoni. The new ‘Nehale lya Mpingana Gate’ gate, (King Nehale Gate) was opened at the beginning of 2003 in the Northeast.

Unlike many other African game reserves, Etosha does not have its own guided safaris. For those wanting a guided experience the options are either staying at one of the private lodges around the park which offer daily game drives, joining a scheduled guided safari to Etosha (usually starting in Windhoek), or custom making a private guided safari through the park.