The Camp

Location: Etosha, Namibia
Number of Tents: 8

Ongava Tented Camp is situated near the center of the Ongava Game Reserve, at the base of the foothills of the Ondundozonanandana Range, the "mountain where the boy took the calves.” Guests love the camp for its intimate feel, classic safari ambience and proximity to some of Namibia’s most prolific and diverse wildlife viewing. The camp is built of stone, canvas and thatch and accommodates guests in eight large Meru-style tents, including a two-bedroom family tent. All have en suite facilities with both indoor and outdoor showers and private covered verandas. Each has double doors that open onto uninterrupted views of the bush and waterhole in front of the camp. The spacious family unit sleeps four. Activities at this comfortable camp typically take place around the common area with its relaxing bar and plunge pool. The area fronts a much-frequented waterhole, where a plethora of wildlife, including lions, congregate to drink from time to time.

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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
• Room fan
• Tea/coffee in room
• 220v charging outlets in main area
• In-room safe
• Central plunge pool
• Laundry included
• Local drinks included (house alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks)
• Credit cards accepted (Visa and MasterCard)
• No air conditioning, hair dryer, 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 day trips 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 Tented Camp 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 Tented Camp 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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