The Lodge

Location: Etosha, Namibia
Number of Tents: 14

Ongava Lodge is perched atop a small hill in the Ongava Game Reserve against the southern boundary of the Etosha National Park. Guests enjoy viewing a host of thirsty wildlife that congregate around the waterhole in front of the lodge. Accommodation at Ongava Lodge consists of 13 chalets and one family room, attractively constructed from brick, rock and thatch. Each chalet has an en suite bathroom with flush toilet, shower and double hand basins. Air-conditioning and overhead fans keep guests cool in summer. Mosquito nets are fitted to the windows, and each room includes a tea and coffee station and a safe. The rooms have glass-fronted doors which lead out onto a private covered veranda overlooking the plains. There are impressive views of the waterhole and surrounding plains from the main lounge, bar and dining areas. Meals are served in the main dining area under thatch or on the dining deck under the stars.

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Facilities & Amenities

• En suite bathroom with indoor/outdoor showers
• Family Accommodation: 1 family unit with 2 en suite bedrooms each with private entrances connected by shared deck
• Shampoo, soap, lotion and insect repellent
• Hair dryer
• Air conditioning
• Room fan
• Tea/coffee in room
• 220v charging outlets in room
• In-room safe
• Central swimming pool
• Wi-Fi in room and main area (can be intermittent and unreliable at times)
• Laundry included
• Local drinks included (house alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks)
• Credit cards accepted (Visa and MasterCard)
• No telephone or cellular coverage

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Wildlife Viewing & Activities

Etosha National Park is Namibia's premier wildlife destination, and at nearly the size of Switzerland, it is one of Africa's largest wildlife parks. Large herds of plains animals concentrate around the waterholes in the dry season, while the sporadic rainfall of the summer months produces a profusion of life. The Ongava Game Reserve is situated on the southern boundary of Etosha National Park, and large animals such as elephant and lion are able to move between the park and the private reserve. Exclusive activities on the reserve include day and night wildlife drives, visits to hides that overlook waterholes, and walks with experienced guides. Wildlife drives and daytrips into the easily accessible Okaukuejo area of Etosha National Park are rewarding, with frequent sightings of lion, elephant, gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest, and white and black rhino. For those who enjoy close encounters with wildlife, tracking white rhino on foot with a guide is a highlight not to be missed.

Etosha National Park and her surrounding private reserves make up the primary wildlife viewing location in Namibia, and the below chart helps to illustrate major wildlife sightings often experienced in the area. Other typical sightings may include springbok, hartebeest and a number of other mammals, birds and reptiles. Exact sightings will depend on seasonality and wildlife movements.

Climate

Conservation

Ongava Lodge is located within the Ongava Game Reserve, which was formed in 1991 when four unproductive cattle ranches were converted into a 74,000-acre private wildlife reserve that now protects large concentrations of animals. Most general wildlife has been reintroduced onto the property, including springbok, gemsbok (oryx), blue wildebeest, Burchell's zebra, Hartmann's mountain zebra, common waterbuck, red hartebeest, southern giraffe, eland, Damara dik-dik, steenbok, klipspringer and the largest population of the endemic and endangered black-faced impala outside of Etosha National Park. The reserve also has a healthy predator population, including lion, leopard, brown hyena, black-backed jackal, African wildcat, aardwolf and caracal. The most successful reintroduction initiative on the reserve, however, is the white and black rhino project. Today, Ongava Game Reserve holds one of the largest rhino custodianships for the Namibian government. Ongava Lodge is one of the few places in southern Africa where guests have a realistic chance of encountering both of these amazing creatures.

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