Northern Namibia
Ongava Tented Camp
Ongava Tented Camp is an elegant, intimate lodge set amidst a wildlife-rich patch of mopane woodland in the Ongava Private Game Reserve adjoining Etosha National Park.
Accommodation is in 8 large and neutral coloured Meru-style tents with comfortable beds and private bathrooms including an outdoor shower. There is a private outdoor decking area for each tent with seating for relaxing and watching wildlife coming and going from the nearby waterhole.
The main building is an attractive stone, canvas and thatch construction with well-stocked bar, sitting and dining area. There is a communal decking area with sun loungers and small swimming pool overlooking the waterhole, where a selection of herbivores including kudu, zebra, giraffe, waterbuck, springbok and even white rhino come to quench their thirst. Lions also appear from time to time.
The camp can accommodate 16 people and there is a separate tent for families that sleeps an additional four. Activities at the camp include game drives and walks in Ongava Game Reserve and within the nearby Etosha National Park. Tracking of white rhino on foot with guides is one of the more exhilarating experiences. There is a motion sensitive camera set up at the waterhole to allow visitors to see what wildlife has visited during the night.
Facilities
Private bathrooms, outdoor showers, ceiling fans.
Local Wildlife
The Ongava Private Game Reserve is one of the few places in Africa where guests can reliably see both black and white rhinos. The Ongava Reserve and nearby Etosha National Park are home to 114 species of mammal including lion, leopard, African wildcat, spotted hyena, bat-eared fox, aardwolf, honey badger, elephant, springbok, kudu, Damara dik dik and the elegant black faced impala. All of 340 bird species occur in the area including 14 Namibian endemics, and there are reptiles such as Etosha agamas and the rare Anchieta's dwarf python.
Optional Activities
Game drives and walks, rhino tracking and evening sundowner drives, during which snacks and drinks are served.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
Within the same reserve is the less expensive, bigger Ongava Game Lodge, and the premium-level, exclusive Little Ongava: we think the Tented Camp is the best option for its position and atmosphere, but the other two are excellent options as well, depending on budget.
If you have any questions regarding our Namibia tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
This was our second visit to Namibia in just over 12 months, with Reef and Rainforest and our seventh consecutive wildlife trip with them. I think that speaks for itself. This year we were particularly keen to try and observe some desert adapted Lions. The Lions found in ‘The Namib Desert’ are genetically identical to those found in the rest of Southern Africa but have adapted to live in one of the harshest environments on earth. They number around 150 and have a huge range, and are rarely seen. They came to prominence in the outstanding documentary film ‘Vanishing Kings’. The best chance of observing members of this subset of Lions is during a stay at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, although sightings cannot be guaranteed and weeks can pass by without any success. Therefore a stay at this camp was at the heart of our itinerary and we were very lucky to spend time with a Lioness and her niece who had killed an Oryx in the conservancy. The camp itself is absolutely outstanding in every respect and the location is just spectacular.
Visitors should be aware that this is not ‘The Serengeti’ and that the wildlife is quite thin on the ground. However you would have to be very unlucky not to see Elephant, Giraffe and several other species. Whilst we were out in the desert we were lucky to bump in to Dr P. Stander who has dedicated the whole of his adult life to the conservation of The Desert Lion, what a thrill. The day trip out to the coast was pretty special as well.
The rest of the itinerary worked very well and we were very pleased to have three full days in Etosha N.P. where we recorded 25 mammal species, including 32 individual Lions, observed the aftermath of 4 zebra kills, 11 Rhinoceros (both Black & White), an African Wildcat and the rarely seen in Etosha, elusive Leopard.
So a big thank you to ALL at Reef and Rainforest, another highly successful trip, you certainly delivered again.
