We arrived just after sunrise, dust swirling in the early morning light. We had left Okaukuejo Camp just 15 minutes prior and headed eastwards for our first waterhole stop of the game drive – Nebrownii. Named after the acacia bushes that are predominant in this part of the park, the waterhole sits just below a slightly elevated rise on an otherwise massive open plain. Usually, when approaching, you cannot see game at the waterhole from the road or turnoff, unless it is a large mammal such as an elephant. However, irrespective of where you are in the park, a congregation of parked vehicles is always a sure sign of a great sighting. This morning, though, we were the first to arrive. At least in vehicles… Because, as we turned into the cul-de-sac lookout area just above the waterhole, a welcome surprise awaited us. A lioness languidly lapped water at the pool’s edge. Movement off to the left caught our attention as a large lush-maned male sauntered over. What ensued was a 30-minute-long display of “the birds and the bees” – a wild and sometimes slightly violent display of nature’s dance. After their candid performance, they glanced back over their shoulders at us and promptly ambled off. Our morning had barely started and the grand theatre of nature had already delivered, confirming my firm belief that no visit to Etosha goes unrewarded, and the reason why I will return time and again. We drove on to our next incredible sighting, wondering if perhaps we would encounter those felines again in future, with a crèche of cubs in tow.

After a long day of meandering along the park’s routes, waterhole hopping and ticking off mammals, reptiles and birds from our long list, we return to the gates at Okaukuejo just before the requisite sunset closure. The sky is slowly changing colour. Our first port of call? The famous Okaukuejo waterhole. It is dark by now, yet already a solitary black rhino is drinking at the floodlit waterhole, ripples echoing across the water’s surface through the still dusk. Silent, ancient, electric. Hushed whispered voices “ooh” and “aah” as wild and wondrous creatures make their way for an evening drink, one after the other. We sit in silence and stare. The air is chilly, and we hunker down into thick jackets with a Stanley flask firmly gripped in hand. The contents may be coffee or red wine… Our fellow waterhole visitors will never know. And I reminisce on the many times I have sat at this waterhole, and the Moringa waterhole at Halali, sipping coffee or red wine, watching the theatre of the wildlife at night play out in all its glory. No matter the season, Etosha always delivers. My SD card in my camera is always full and my heart bursting with joy and contentment at the end of our journey.

Like most of Namibia, Etosha can be visited year-round, with different nuances and sightings to be enjoyed during different periods. But winter in Etosha is the peak safari season. As water becomes scarce, animals converge at the park’s iconic waterholes. For travellers, it means crisp days, epic game sightings, and front-row seats to Namibia’s greatest natural theatre.