Being a state-owned Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) property, Olifantsrus Camp will not win awards for its facilities or aesthetics but when it comes to the classic Etosha wildlife experience, this odd little place walks away with top honours. And that’s all to do with the game viewing hide.

At the end of an elevated wooden walkway, the hut-shaped hide juts into a small but oh-so-popular waterhole for some serious wildlife close-ups. From your elevated position the impossibly flat expanse of Etosha opens up all the way to the setting sun and special red floodlights keep the action going all through the night.

The western part of Etosha receives almost no traffic and with just 10 camping sites at Olifantsrus, you are assured of a front-row seat in that magnificent hide plus a whole lot more peace and quiet - even in peak season.

The wildlife here is prolific. Elephants, rhinos, lions, hyenas, jackals, antelopes galore along with the rest of Etosha’s wildlife and birdlife all seem quite partial to this particular water source negating the need for a game drive or even a game guide - a good reference book will do.

The price? Fend for yourself with a plug point, a water tap and a fire pit. Well not quite, the camp does have a small kiosk selling firewood, drinks and snacks, a basic communal kitchen and wash area and an ablution block with solar-heated water - take your shower in the evening; photovoltaic cells don’t work so well at night, even in Namibia.

The camping sites, while large enough, have been sited rather close together on account of the paucity of shady trees. Hopefully as the camp matures - it opened in October 2015 - so will the trees. And if the generator packs in it’s bye-bye water supply, electricity and the waterhole floodlights. All part of the adventure for the well-prepared.