Ongava Lodge
CEDARBERG RATING
Premier
PRICING FROM
₤ 250 (Pps)
Overview
- Luxurious hillside lodge with panoramic views
- Private game reserve bordering Etosha
- Open Game drives into Etosha also offered
- Rhino tracking on foot
Ongava Lodge lies within the Ongava Game Reserve, a private 30,000ha game reserve on the south boundary of Etosha National Park. Ongava has three completely different camps to choose from - the authentic Ongava Tented Camp, the larger Ongava Lodge with its hillside setting and the ultra-luxurious Little Ongava with a price tag to match.
Ongava Lodge has a magnificent setting, perched close to the top of a koppie overlooking an active floodlit waterhole with wide-angled views of the African plains beyond. The main lodge is a massive thatched area with sitting area, dining area and bar all enjoying the impressive views. Just below is the pool deck with sun loungers around the inviting pool. Meals are either served in the main dining area under thatch or on the dining deck under the stars.
Paths and plenty of steps connect the 14 air-conditioned thatch and stone chalets which are dotted around the hillside. (This might not be the right camp for someone with mobility issues.) The chalets are stylishly furnished with a spacious bedroom with ceiling fan, comfy chair and writing desk, bathroom with separate loo and a secluded veranda/viewing deck. One chalet is a family suite with two en suite bedrooms connected by a small foyer.
Activities
Activities at Ongava Lodge include morning game drives in open 4x4 vehicles into Etosha, as well as night drives and nature walks within the Ongava private game reserve. With its resident white and black rhino, rhino tracking on foot is a popular activity at Ongava. You also have the chance to see black-faced impala, lion, leopard, cheetah and plenty of plains species. Keen birders may see various species from a pygmy falcon to some of Namibia's endemic species such as Hartlaub's francolin, the bare-cheeked babbler or Ruppel's parrot with a bird hide on offer.
Children over the age of 8 years are welcome at Ongava Lodge. Families with children under 12 years must take a private vehicle & guide as children's attention spans are not the same as adults. There would be no extra cost for a family of four but a family with 2 or 3 people may be charged extra for a private vehicle unless there is another family in camp who could share that vehicle and/or availability of vehicles at that particular time is not a problem.
Ongava Lodge can be booked on a Dinner, Bed & Breakfast basis or on a Fully Inclusive Basis.
At A Glance
Birding hotspot
Swimming pool
Beautiful Landscapes
Walking safaris
In Pictures
Ongava Lodge on the map
Rooms
Standard Chalet(s)
There are thirteen standard chalets, each with 2 twin three quarter beds.
Family Chalet
There is one family unit available, which consists of 2 bedrooms. Each unit / bedroom has two three quarter beds and their own en-suite bathroom with flush toilet, shower and double hand basin. The two units / bedrooms have a shared entrance and are joined by a boardwalk.
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge was one of the highlights of our trip with an excellent game experience. We were welcomed and offered a delicious lunch and cold welcome drink (very welcome as it was the hottest day of our trip). The rooms were very luxurious, with aircon and baths and each with their own veranda. The active waterhole where we saw giraffe, zebra, eland, springbok, lion etc… was unbelievable and you could also watch the game coming to drink from the telescope on the main deck. You really don’t have to go on a game drive at Ongava as you can just relax with a drink and watch the game at the waterhole.
On the afternoon game drive we went rhino tracking and had an exhilarating time when we heard a lion roar behind us. When we returned to the vehicle we spotted him – not that far from where we were! We also saw 2 lions right next to the road when we returned to the lodge. At Ongava a guide with a rifle accompanies you when you retire for the evening as lions are spotted frequently near the camp. Ongava is one of the few private reserves where you have a good chance to see white and black rhino. A minimum of 2-night stay will be ideal, as they will do a second game drive into Etosha on the full day in camp.
