​Overview – Khaudum NP

Anthony Ham
Expert
By Anthony Ham

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the 'Botswana & Namibia' guide.

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of the 'Botswana & Namibia' Lonely Planet guide.

Anthony is the author of the 'Botswana & Namibia' Lonely Planet guide.

Khaudum is a great wilderness destination with a healthy population of wildlife. This is probably Namibia’s second-most productive wildlife destination, after Etosha, but much less visited. The park is mostly a self-drive destination for experienced 4x4 drivers who travel in convoy. Most big safari animals are present including lions and wild dogs. There are no rhino or buffalo.

Best Time To Go June to September (Animals come to water)
High Season July to November (The park never gets crowded)
Size 3,842km² / 1,483mi²
Altitude 1,031-1,140m / 3,383-3,740ft

Pros & Cons

  • Good wildlife viewing during the Dry season
  • Excellent wilderness experience
  • Little visited, off-the-beaten-track park
  • Thick vegetation, especially during the Wet season, makes animals difficult to spot
  • There are few accommodation options and limited facilities
  • Self-drive safari should only be undertaken by experienced 4x4 drivers

Khaudum NP Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

Wildlife

The park has ample wildlife and there’s a good chance you’ll have most sightings to yourself. Elephant, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, greater kudu and oryx are present, as well as more unusual antelope such as tsessebe and roan. There is a good population of most predators, including lion. The vegetation is much thicker than in some of the semi-desert parks, which makes animal sightings more hit-and-miss.

Scenery

Most of the park has thick and varied vegetation with trees being a feature of the landscape. Large baobab trees are dotted throughout, and there are magnificent patches of teak as well. Marula trees and a variety of acacia trees are also common. In between these forested patches are grassy enclaves great for spotting wildlife.

Weather & Climate

Generally, winter in Khaudum lasts from May to October, and summer from November to April. But the rains that mark the beginning of summer often arrive early, making the transition between the two periods hard to predict. What can be relied on is the fact that winter will mostly be dry and cool, and summer will be wetter and hotter.

Best Time To Visit

Animals typically gather at Khaudum’s water sources in the drier months (May to October), so wildlife watchers will want to visit then. Particularly impressive are the elephant herds that trek in from across the Botswana border. Also, although this period aligns with Namibia’s high season, the park is rarely very busy. The landscape is prettier in the wetter months, but roads might be impassable at this time.

Want To Visit Khaudum NP?

Khaudum Safaris

Khaudum NP Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review
Expert
Stephen Cunliffe  –  
South Africa ZA

Stephen is a travel writer and avid conservationist whose work appears in prestigious magazines such as Africa Geographic and Travel Africa.

Wild Elephant Wilderness
4/5

Khaudum is wild and it is remote. Consequently, tourists are few and far between in this rewarding off-the-beaten-track game reserve. In addition to being completely self-sufficient, visitors need a real 4x4 to tackle the park's deep sand...

Full Review

Latest User Review
yukonfreak Reviewed: May 26, 2014
vast and remote
4/5

4.000 km² and just a few guests... this is Khaudum NP. More or less impossible to travel in rainy season because of water and mud, deep sand in dry season and a mixture of both in between (March to May and October to November). You will...

Full Review