23-Nights Wildlife Adventure by Land & Sea: Around the World by Private Jet - Private Jet Journeys — CALL

Located about 250 mi/400 km north of Windhoek, Etosha Park is Namibia's best-known tourist attraction and one of the most interesting game reserves in the world because of its unusual terrain. Etosha is a combination of dried lake (salt pan) in the north and grasslands, dense brush and open plains in the south.

Etosha means “great white place,” so named because 25% of the country is covered by a huge salt basin that was an inland lake 12 million years ago.

The sun glints off the 6,500-sq-mi/16,835-sq-km salt pan—a dry, flat, shallow, silvery-white depression—providing an eerie backdrop for wild animals moving through the shimmering haze. Dust in the air adds to the mystery: Everything is slightly indistinct, and since mirages are common, we occasionally found ourselves questioning what we'd really seen. It's widely regarded to be a photographer's paradise, especially during the dry winter months, when wildlife congregates around the artificial waterholes that line the pan, allowing for excellent close-up sightings.

Etosha is home to around 100 large mammal species, among them the elephant, giraffe, zebra, leopard, cheetah, lion, kudu, spotted hyena and black-backed jackal. It is the only reserve where you are likely to see the range-restricted black-faced impala (distinguished from the normal impala by the black blaze on its face) and is also an important stronghold for black rhino.

A checklist of 340 bird species found in Etosha includes local specialties such as white-tailed shrike, and an impressive selection of raptors and ground birds such as bustards.

The prime watering holes are on the southern side of the park, but they're only full after the rainy season (December-March). The Kuvelai River, which feeds Etosha, either floods or dries up completely, vanishing into the sand.

The park is open year-round, but the best time to visit, for both climate and the best photos, is August and September. There are three camping/self-catering rest camps with facilities inside the park (Halali, Namutoni and Okaukuejo) and several private lodges just outside. Okaukuejo has a floodlit water hole for nocturnal viewing.

For most travelers, Jakarta, Indonesia, is either part of a business trip or a pit stop on the way to more popular tourist destinations such as Bali and Yogyakarta. In truth, most find little that makes them want to linger in Indonesia's capital: A large, crowded city on the island of Java, Jakarta evokes few beautiful or memorable images. One exception is the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, the city's art building.

To appreciate this city, visitors need to seek out Jakarta's sights that invoke the historical heritage as a meeting place for East and West. These include the remnants of the Dutch colonial era and the old schooner harbor, Sunda Kelapa, still hard at work and looking much as it did in previous centuries.

Don't be surprised, though, if modern Jakarta begins to grow on you: Its jarring mix of trendy nightspots, teeming streets and occasional political demonstrations bespeaks a place where the present is unfolding in an exciting—if not always orderly—manner. The city's image is slowly changing, however, and Jakarta has many fine hotels, shopping malls and golf courses in and around the metropolitan area to entice visitors to stay a little longer.

Travelers to Indonesia should be aware that tsunamis and earthquakes are part of the travel equation. Both are unpredictable, but travel warnings from embassies come into force quickly in the unlikely event that they should occur.

Koror, the principal city and island area of Palau (though not the largest), is where most visitors stay. This is a convenient base for exploring Babeldoab and the Rock Islands. Returning visitors will notice that it is becoming more modern and traffic is getting worse. It has restaurants and stores and some excellent budget hotels as well as the oceanfront Palau Pacific Resort, a high-end hotel in the suburb of Meyuns. If you are not staying there, you can use the hotel's facilities (a pool as well as great close-in snorkeling) for a fee.

Visit the Belau National Museum to catch up on the islands' cultural history and the Senior Citizens Center to watch seniors teaching handicraft traditions to a new generation. The Etpison Museum also has superb displays and a great restaurant/gift shop. The Palau Aquarium is a welcomed addition. It is the interpretive division of the Palau International Coral Reef Center and has lots to offer. See the many exhibits there including chambered nautilus.

For nightlife, you'll find most of Palau's clubs on the commercial island suburb of Malakal. There are also a number of restaurants located there. During the day, pay a visit to Malakal to see the Micronesian Mariculture Demonstration Center (MMDC), a commercial clam farm raising many species of giant clams. The largest can weigh up to half a ton (almost 500 kg).