One of
Etosha national park's natural waterholes, located inside a circular depression/basin, with shrubs and grass growing close to it.
Groot means 'great' in Afrikaans, with Okevi being a local word for 'from underground' — referring to its natural nature
1.
It is shallow enough for most animals to wade in, and there's a well worn elephant path linking it to
Klein Okevi and
Koinachas waterhole.
What to do thereBird watching and Game viewing — especially elephants, with early mornings and evenings said to be the best times.
There's a spot nearby from where visitors can view animals from a car, 40 or so meters from the pond.
Best time to visitDuring winter and spring, or May to October when water is scarce and more animals come to drink from it.
Location of Groot Okevi waterholeIt sits on a small clearing, amidst the shrublands of Etosha National park's eastern end, just a short drive off the road from
Namutoni camp to King
Nehale gate.
It also is near the southeastern shores of the
Etosha Salt Pan.
How to get thereBy road, with the closest accommodation and airstrip being Namutoni camp and
Namutoni airstrip respectively.
Or drive there from one of the
gates into the park, the nearest being
Von Lindequist.
Transport options include private or rental vehicles, as well as self drive, overland or bus tours.
References1. H.H. BERRY et al. (1997) Origin and meanings of place names in the Etosha National Park, Namibia. Available at: http://www.the-eis.com (Accessed: 6 August 2019)
