Ongava Lodge

Location: Etosha National Park | Namibia

Price guide: £££££ £200-£350 per person per night

Ongava Lodge has a few of the magic ingredients that make for a special safari lodge: outdoor showers, a private conservancy free from other visitors, and fabulous views over a waterhole. However, as any safari-goer will tell you, it’s the guiding that counts, and the guides here are truly excellent, making Ongava Lodge the perfect base for a luxury safari in Namibia.

Perfect forRustic luxury and rhinos.

In the knowThe location of the main lodge on the top of the hill makes for fabulous views, but a good few steps too! If you’d prefer to avoid these, just let us know and we can recommend one of Ongava's sister lodges in the same area.

Recommended for...

Wildlife & Nature
Lodge
Rustic
Setting & Views

Hotel Overview

Where

In the private Ongava Reserve on the edge of Etosha National Park.

Rooms at Ongava Lodge

These are 14 stone and thatch chalets (one geared up for families), scattered around a rocky kopje, with a cosy feel and air-conditioning for the hot Namibian summers. We particularly love the showers which are open to the skies in every room except the family room – delightful in the warm evening breeze as the crickets chirrup in the bush. There are also verandahs in each room, which are perfect spots to huddle up with an early morning coffee.

Food and Facilities

We wouldn’t generally recommend Namibia as a major culinary destination, and Ongava is no different. This is good, home-style grub rather than gourmet cuisine. Meals are eaten in the main lodge which perches on top of the kopje, looking out over the waterhole and the plains. There’s also a small swimming pool for a refreshing dip after a morning in the bush.

Activities at Ongava Lodge

Staying in a lodge on the edge of Etosha, Namibia’s top game viewing destination, there’s a big focus on game drives, both on the Ongava Reserve, and in the National Park. The guiding here is excellent, and while the national park is best for seeing a broad variety of game, the reserve is ideal for spotting rhino. On our last visit, we were delighted to see both mother and naughty little baby rhinos come to drink from the waterhole from our perch in Ongava’s hide. With the freedom of being outside the rules of the park, guests can also do night game-drives and walking safaris.