What is the green season in Etosha National Park?
The green season in Etosha National Park typically runs from November to March. This summer period is characterised by seasonal rainfall, lush vegetation, newborn wildlife, and the arrival of migratory bird species. The landscape transforms dramatically, offering a very different safari experience compared to the dry winter months.
Is the green season a good time to visit Etosha?
Yes. The green season is an excellent time to visit Etosha for travellers seeking fewer crowds, vibrant scenery, and a more atmospheric safari. Wildlife is more dispersed due to increased water availability, but sightings are often more natural and immersive, and the landscapes are at their most beautiful.
What are the benefits of staying at Onguma during the green season?
Staying at Onguma Safari Camps during the green season offers access to a private reserve bordering Etosha, with low-density safari experiences and exclusive activities. Guests enjoy guided game drives, walking safaris, night drives, and access to photographic hides, all set within a lush, rejuvenated landscape ideal for photography and birdwatching.
Will I still see wildlife in Etosha during summer?
Yes. Summer brings an abundance of plains game such as impala, zebra, and wildebeest, which in turn attract predators. While elephants may roam more widely due to increased natural water sources, wildlife viewing remains rewarding, with frequent sightings of antelope, predators, and a wide variety of birdlife.
Is it safe to visit Etosha and Onguma during the rainy season?
Yes. Roads within Onguma and Etosha are well maintained, and all safari activities are led by trained guides who prioritise safety, conservation ethics, and guest experience at all times.
What activities are available at Onguma that are not allowed in Etosha National Park?
Because Onguma is a private reserve, guests can enjoy experiences not permitted inside Etosha National Park. These include guided walking safaris, sunrise and sundowner experiences, and visits to specialised photographic hides such as the Onguma Onkolo Hide. Visit our Activities page for more.
Is the green season better than the dry season for a safari?
Neither season is objectively better; it depends on what you value most. The dry season offers predictable wildlife viewing around waterholes, while the green season delivers lush scenery, dramatic skies, newborn animals, and fewer visitors. For travellers who value atmosphere, photography, and a deeper connection with nature, the green season can be especially rewarding.
The green season at Onguma and Etosha offers a quieter, more atmospheric safari experience marked by lush landscapes, newborn wildlife, and dramatic skies. With fewer visitors and exclusive access on a private reserve, summer reveals a softer, more intimate side of Namibia’s most iconic wilderness.
Most travellers plan their Namibia safari for the dry winter months, when wildlife clusters around waterholes and the bush thins out for easy sightings. But those who truly know Etosha National Park will tell you that the real magic happens in summer – during the green season, from November to March.
This is Etosha’s secret season: the time when the rains return, the land breathes again, and Onguma Nature Reserve, on Etosha’s eastern border, transforms into a vibrant paradise of colour, life, and renewal. For travellers seeking authentic wildlife encounters, striking photography, and fewer crowds, the green season offers a deeper, more soulful connection with nature.
The Green Season Experience at Onguma Safari Camps
When the first rains fall, the great Etosha Pan glistens like a mirror, and the plains burst into life. Calves and foals take their first wobbly steps, antelope leap for joy, and the skies fill with the calls of migratory birds. The dusty winter hues, with their muted tones, give way to lush, endless greens, where the air smells of rain and renewal. Onguma’s guides and reserve team have observed these seasonal shifts over decades of working on Etosha’s eastern boundary, where rainfall patterns directly shape wildlife movement.
For visitors, this means fewer crowds, more authentic encounters, and an entirely different kind of beauty. The Etosha summer safari is about rhythm, colour, and reconnection – with the land, the wildlife, and yourself.
To make the most of your visit, consider booking a guided Etosha safari with Onguma’s experienced and qualified guides. Whether it’s a morning, afternoon, or full-day Etosha National Park game drive, their deep knowledge of the terrain and wildlife behaviour ensures a rewarding and insightful experience.
Green Season Wildlife & Photography Opportunities
At Onguma Nature Reserve, the changing season is palpable. This 35 970-hectare private reserve shares a border with Etosha and offers exclusive, conservation-based safari experiences in pristine wilderness. Waterholes brim with fresh rainwater, birdlife abounds, and Onguma’s antelope drop their young – a veritable feast for predators. While elephant sightings may be less frequent, the abundance of impala, zebra, and wildebeest more than make up for it. It’s the ebb and flow of nature at work, unfiltered and alive.
The lush scenery makes for breathtaking photography – especially when dark thunderclouds roll across the horizon, backlighting giraffes and acacias in golden light. Storms are short and dramatic, followed by sunsets that bathe the land in deep amber and violet hues – the perfect time for a photographic safari.
Whether you’re staying at the luxurious and intimate Onguma Camp Kala, the Moroccan-inspired Onguma The Fort, the tranquil Onguma Tented Camp, the family-friendly Onguma Forest Camp, or the welcoming Onguma Bush Camp, the reserve feels alive in every sense. Days are warm, nights filled with the chorus of frogs and nightjars, and the bush hums with vitality.
Birdwatching at Onguma in Summer
The Etosha green season is a feast for bird lovers. Over 340 species can be seen at Onguma alone, many of them migratory visitors from Europe and beyond. The pans attract vast flocks of flamingos, while rollers, bee-eaters, and cuckoos flash brilliant colours through the trees.
Guided drives and walking safaris become deeply sensory experiences – the sound of rain on leaves, the flash of wings in sunlight, and the earthy scent of wet soil. For photographers, it’s paradise: crisp, clear air, dramatic skies, and wildlife set against a lush green backdrop. Onguma’s guides, trained in both ecology and field interpretation, help guests identify bird calls, nesting sites, and seasonal patterns that bring this ecosystem to life.
Green Season vs Dry Season: What to Expect
Travelling to Etosha National Park during the shoulder season means sharing the wilderness with fewer visitors. The roads are quieter, the viewpoints uncrowded, and you can linger at sightings. Picture yourself beside a waterhole as a herd of elephants approaches – the only sounds the low rumbles of communication and the soft splash of feet in the water. Or imagine a lion sighting that’s yours alone – a rare luxury during the busy dry season.
Even during peak months, Onguma’s conservation-driven ethos ensures controlled visitor numbers and low-impact experiences, preserving both wildlife and the sense of seclusion. Each lodge is designed to immerse guests in the natural world – whether you’re watching the sunset from a private plunge pool, enjoying a spa treatment at Onguma The Fort, or drifting off to sleep in the Onguma Dream Cruiser, surrounded by the night sounds of the bush.
Exclusive Experiences on a Private Reserve
As one of the largest private reserves bordering Etosha, Onguma offers controlled access, long-term conservation management and low-density safari experiences unavailable inside the national park. Because Onguma lies within a private reserve, guests can enjoy experiences that go beyond what’s allowed inside Etosha itself. Guided walking safaris, sundowner drives that return after dark, and photographic sessions at the Onguma Onkolo Hide reveal the quieter, more intimate side of the wilderness. Watching a leopard move silently beneath a star-filled sky or following your guide’s soft whisper as he interprets fresh lion tracks, are the moments that linger long after you’ve left.
These activities are guided by trained professionals who prioritise safety, conservation ethics, and guest education – hallmarks of Onguma’s long-standing reputation for responsible tourism in Namibia.
The Rhythm of Nature
Yes, the summer months can be warm, and yes, it might rain – but that’s part of the charm. Afternoon showers bring cool relief and a scent that stirs something primal. The land glows a verdant green, animals thrive, and the park sings with life.
Visiting during the shoulder season in Etosha National Park means embracing nature’s true rhythm – sometimes unpredictable, but always beautiful. It’s a time of renewal and transformation, when every day feels different and every drive reveals new wonders.
Is Summer the Best Time to Visit Etosha?
If you love crisp mornings, golden grass, and predictable game viewing, winter is wonderful. But if you long for colour, vitality, and the raw beauty of Africa in bloom, then summer – the green season – may just steal your heart.
So, when planning your Namibia safari, think beyond the usual. Come when the rains fall softly on Onguma’s waterholes, when thunder rolls in the distance, and when Etosha’s vast pans mirror the stormy sky. You’ll discover a side of Africa few ever see – and one you’ll never forget.