Highlights
- Floodlit watering hole
- Easy access into Etosha National Park
- Rhino tracking
- Stylish accommodation
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Ongava lodge is located inside Ongava Game Reserve; a large private reserve adjacent to Etosha National Park in North central Namibia. Set atop a hilltop, with panoramic views of the bush below, this high quality camp, one of only four small lodges in this private reserve, offers great service and quality wildlife viewing.
The camp is centred on the large, thatched main building that houses a relaxing bar and comfortable lounge area. These both lead out onto the verandah and overlook the area’s main watering hole, which is floodlit at night to give guests around the clock sightings of the fantastic local wildlife. Meals are served in a pleasant restaurant and a large swimming pool is a great place to cool off during the day.
Activities at Ongava help guests explore the local area and include good game drives in the immediate vicinity and longer drives into the main Etosha National Park. Experienced guides point out wildlife including white rhino, lion, leopard, spotted hyenas and black-faced impalas. Day and night game drives are both included in the programme as well as rhino tracking on foot. Good bird watching and walking safari can also be enjoyed and there is an impressive hide out by the waterhole for avid photographers to get that perfect shot. All four lodges in this reserve are under the same ownership so you can expect the same high quality activities to be run from each.
The accommodation at Ongava is split into fourteen air conditioned chalets. Made out of rock and thatch these traditional buildings are light and spacious and include one family chalet that comfortably houses a family of four. All the rooms are ensuite with double basins and showers and glass doors that open onto your own private verandah. Extra beds are available for children in any of the rooms.
There is a minimum age of six years old to stay at Ongava and twelve years old to take part in the guided safari activities. Whilst the guides do their best to tailor the experience to their guests, there are no specific children’s programmes and constant supervision will be needed in these wild landscapes. The family chalets are ideal for four people and flexibility in accommodation means families of any size can be accommodated.
Ongava lodge is a pleasant and professionally run camp that offers a good safari experience.
Whilst fenced National Parks such as this may not provide the remote wilderness you can find in other areas, you are rewarded with easy to find and impressive wildlife. This kind of structured safari is ideal for families and is a great way to enjoy Etosha from a quieter base.
Dear Lisa. On behalf of the three generations of the Rowland family. Thank you, so much, for organising our wonderful holiday to Botswana and the Victoria Falls. The trip of a lifetime. The week mobile camping in the bush, with our guide Nandos and his crew was a fantastic adventure. How they manage to cook such wonderful food on an open fire is amazing. The sites were constantly visited by monkeys and once by elephants. We were even lucky enough to see two packs of wild dogs, once with a kill. Waterberry Lodge on the Zambezi River is a wonderfully tranquil place. Ideal to relax after the adventures of our safari and visiting Victoria Falls. Very many thanks once again
Godfrey R
reviewing Private Mobile Family Safari in Botswana
on 25 September 2023
We had a great time - even with the flight between Governors and the coast being two flights and a car! We also experienced a power cut At Nairobi airport on the way home so 2+ hours late taking off. Governors. Wonderful people and dealt with the flight delay very well - taking us back and letting us know that we could stay there if the flight was delayed overnight. The game drives were excellent and our guide (Erick) obviously very experienced and managed to find all the key animals - no rhino in that part of the Masai Mara but everything else in abundance - never seen so many herbivores (many many elephants as well as all the others) as well as two prides of lions. Could not have asked for more. The ‘tent’ was excellent and comfortable and well serviced. The only ‘complaint’ would be that the food - especially dinner - could be improved (I think we got a bit bored of soup as a starter for every meal bar one) and the main courses were not at the same level as Kinondo Kwetu and while all were explained there was no choice offered. The breakfasts were just what was needed after an early game drive. Kinondo Kwetu. What a great location and the welcome when we arrived at just gone 11.00pm was better than you could have ever thought possible - they we’re disappointed that we did not at that time want the full dinner experience! The rooms we’re comfortable. The food was excellent but again no choice was offered - other than for allergy reasons (which we do not have). May be some choice would be nice. Having said that the food we did have was excellent as were the wines (albeit a short list!) and other drinks. There were (as you know) lots of facilities/sports options - but we spent our time relaxing which was exactly what we needed and there were lots of places to do that. Overall. We would go back to both places - perhaps a few more nights at Kinondo Kwetu next time but 3 nights at Governors was perfect for us. Thank you for organising and recommending both places. That you and your colleague for trying to find out about the plane (flat tyre) but communication by the flight company left a lot to be desired (Governors were furious that they were not told and had taken us to the airstrip). Phil
Philip R
reviewing Masai Mara Safari & Kenya Beach
on 01 September 2023
It was certainly a holiday of a lifetime for us and we loved every minute!! The standard and location of each accommodation was excellent, as was the variety of each different accommodation type. Our schedule was perfect and we managed to achieve everything on our to-do task list. Your documents were also really helpful, as were the driving directions. We all thank you for making this such a wonderful holiday. Happy to leave a review publicly if you point me the right way. Best Steve
Stephen H
reviewing Classic Garden Route & Eastern Cape Safari
on 01 September 2023
Dear Lisa. On behalf of the three generations of the Rowland family. Thank you, so much, for organising our wonderful holiday to Botswana and the Victoria Falls. The trip of a lifetime. The week mobile camping in the bush, with our guide Nandos and his crew was a fantastic adventure. How they manage to cook such wonderful food on an open fire is amazing. The sites were constantly visited by monkeys and once by elephants. We were even lucky enough to see two packs of wild dogs, once with a kill. Waterberry Lodge on the Zambezi River is a wonderfully tranquil place. Ideal to relax after the adventures of our safari and visiting Victoria Falls. Very many thanks once again
Godfrey R
reviewing Private Mobile Family Safari in Botswana
on 25 September 2023
We had a great time - even with the flight between Governors and the coast being two flights and a car! We also experienced a power cut At Nairobi airport on the way home so 2+ hours late taking off. Governors. Wonderful people and dealt with the flight delay very well - taking us back and letting us know that we could stay there if the flight was delayed overnight. The game drives were excellent and our guide (Erick) obviously very experienced and managed to find all the key animals - no rhino in that part of the Masai Mara but everything else in abundance - never seen so many herbivores (many many elephants as well as all the others) as well as two prides of lions. Could not have asked for more. The ‘tent’ was excellent and comfortable and well serviced. The only ‘complaint’ would be that the food - especially dinner - could be improved (I think we got a bit bored of soup as a starter for every meal bar one) and the main courses were not at the same level as Kinondo Kwetu and while all were explained there was no choice offered. The breakfasts were just what was needed after an early game drive. Kinondo Kwetu. What a great location and the welcome when we arrived at just gone 11.00pm was better than you could have ever thought possible - they we’re disappointed that we did not at that time want the full dinner experience! The rooms we’re comfortable. The food was excellent but again no choice was offered - other than for allergy reasons (which we do not have). May be some choice would be nice. Having said that the food we did have was excellent as were the wines (albeit a short list!) and other drinks. There were (as you know) lots of facilities/sports options - but we spent our time relaxing which was exactly what we needed and there were lots of places to do that. Overall. We would go back to both places - perhaps a few more nights at Kinondo Kwetu next time but 3 nights at Governors was perfect for us. Thank you for organising and recommending both places. That you and your colleague for trying to find out about the plane (flat tyre) but communication by the flight company left a lot to be desired (Governors were furious that they were not told and had taken us to the airstrip). Phil
Philip R
reviewing Masai Mara Safari & Kenya Beach
on 01 September 2023
It was certainly a holiday of a lifetime for us and we loved every minute!! The standard and location of each accommodation was excellent, as was the variety of each different accommodation type. Our schedule was perfect and we managed to achieve everything on our to-do task list. Your documents were also really helpful, as were the driving directions. We all thank you for making this such a wonderful holiday. Happy to leave a review publicly if you point me the right way. Best Steve
Stephen H
reviewing Classic Garden Route & Eastern Cape Safari
on 01 September 2023
Hi Lisa, Thanks for your email! It was amazing thank you! We had the best time, everything ran smoothly (aside from a break-down due to faulty clutch on day 1 of the tour, but our guide / driver sorted that and we were back on track by that evening). Saw all the things we wanted to see, even a mum and cub cheetah. Our boys have had such a different holiday and a fab taste of the world! Thank you so much for organising this for us. We’d definitely recommend our guide/driver (Tuhafeni) and assistant (Frans) again. Nicola
Nicola T
reviewing Highlights of Namibia - Family Group Tour
on 18 August 2023
We had a fantastic time. Thank you for all your help, advice and guidance in organising our holiday. As this was not our first booking with Tourdust we were confident that all our transfers would work perfectly and they did - everything ran so smoothly! The riad in Marrakesh was stunning - a truly beautiful oasis of calm in such a busy, bustling city. As you can imagine, we were very grateful for the air conditioning in our room as outside was so hot! I was nervous about walking through the souks at night, but as they were well lit we felt perfectly safe and found our confidence grew in navigating the journey home each time we ventured out. When we arrived at our lodge in the Atlas Mountains we were blown away by the scenery. The views were amazing and the beautiful lodge gardens were the perfect place to sit and relax before taking a dip in the pool. Our day trek was truly amazing - no small thanks to our guide Rashid, who was so helpful and knowledgable. The lunch in the traditional Berber village was delicious and we were were made to feel so welcome. The home owner showed us how to make bread and then cooked it for us in her traditional clay oven. This was a memory we will never forget as we stood surrounded by her chickens and goats watching her use her bare hands to prepare the fire! Our night in the desert was breathtaking. The camel ride at sunset was so incredible and the quad biking the next morning was brilliant fun. I am so glad we added in these extras as they really made the experience! We finally made it to our hotel at the coast, where the surf lessons were a hit and the hotel was a great place to relax and read! Thank you again for all your help. We would definitely recommend Tourdust to all our friends and family. Tanya
Tanya G
reviewing Marrakech, Mountains & Coast Family Holiday
on 18 August 2023
We are back home safe after a wonderful trip. Having booked with you before, it was not a surprise that everything worked brilliantly, but this trip was really special. Our trekking in the mountains was incredible - we were well looked after and supported at all times. Mohammed met us when we arrived and our guide for the 3 days was great and provided support when the trekking was tough. We were really impressed with the cooking which was tasty and healthy. All the logistics worked well. Our time at les deux tours was lovely. To finish there after the mountains was amazing. We were really impressed by the attentive service and the place and pool suites you booked were beautiful and amazing. We would love to go back. Thank you for organising such a great trip for us. And yes thank you, we are all good if a little tired! Best wishes Lucy and Mark
Mark C
reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal
on 11 August 2023
Dear Lisa, We are now back home and had a fantastic time. All the arrangements went seamlessly, transport and hotels were great. Laikipia was amazing, a very personal experience and they did all they could to accommodate everything we wanted to do. The river location was fantastic and ideal for the children as they got to swim in it. It is somewhere we would all like to return to. There might not have been the numbers that you get on the Masai Mara however we got to see lions with cubs, two black leopards, a golden leopard and the wild dogs as well as a huge number of other animals and birds. Thank you for suggesting to stay for 4 nights, it was just the right amount of time. The tamarin Hotel was a good choice as we were able to eat at the Carnivore restaurant which was an experience. Mauritius was lovely and relaxing, just what we needed after a very active time in Laikipia. Accommodation and service was great. Weather was good for most of the time, a few showers over the last couple of days. Thank you once again for organising it all. Sally
Sally M
reviewing Laikipia Wilderness and Plains
on 11 August 2023
Hi Lisa, We had a wonderful time, thank you. Sidi Kaouki is the perfect retreat from the chaos of life. We all said it was our favourite trip to Morocco, even though it's our third visit. We are already thinking of returning at Xmas. Next time we will fly to Essaouira though, because the hike to Marrakech is too long to be comfortable when we could fly to a place 20 mins away. Thanks for all your help! Alex
alex c
reviewing Family surf holiday in Morocco
on 16 July 2023
Yes everything went incredibly smoothly , excellent guide and set up u have . I might need a new pair of calves though !!! Thanks for sorting ALL the changes out. Regards Charlie
charles b
reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit
on 03 May 2023
Hi Lisa, We had a fabulous time thank you. The accommodation and other ideation were all terrific - that’s so much for your help. The apartment in Cape Town was particularly good - we would never have found that: Boschendal was great as well and game lodge was superb. Thanks again, Alistair
Alistair A
reviewing Cape Town, Garden Route and Kruger
on 28 April 2023
Hi Lisa
Thanks for getting in touch. We had a great time in Namibia, in no particular order, some thoughts:
Oberland Lodge was the accommodation we liked the most: well designed, privacy, good setting, convenient, good food.
Etendeka Mountain Lodge was stunning, in terms of setting, and the tents were the most high end tents I’ve ever stayed in. Dennis shared some spectacular views of the night sky through his telescope which was really interesting.
All our guides were good, professional, knowledgeable, personable. Can’t praise them enough.
A highlight was the catamaran tour, both our boys had this as their top excursion I think. I’d have preferred a tour with a few less people but not a big issue.
Sossusvlei was one of my highlights, climbing the dunes was good. Actually, across the whole holiday, I’d have liked to have done more hiking / walking safaris but that’s probably down to my planning.
Mushara Lodge had excellent service and the staff performed a few African songs after dinner one night, which was lovely. The lodge itself could do with a refresh, in terms of physical product.
The Elegant Guest House was clean and comfortable. And nicely close to Joe’s Beerhouse. Plus it had the best wifi and so a hit with the kids.
The car we got (Toyota Hilux) was excellent, I’m trying to find an excuse to buy a one.
The Cornerstone Guesthouse was probably the least glamourous place we stayed (it was all clean and safe though) but actually the two owners (I forget their names now) gave some of the best/friendliest service.
Logistically everything went off without a hitch, guides showed up on time, all the accommodation was right and they were expecting us. We had some requirements around our son’s medication being refrigerated, everyone was very helpful with this.I’ll let Sarah chime in with anything I missed and at some stage I think we’ll be in touch about a trip to Botswana Or maybe Peru.
All the best,
Phil
Philip A
reviewing Highlights of Namibia - Classic Self Drive
on 28 July 2022
The Namibia trip was fantastic!
Self-driving was brilliant, and the chronology of the itinerary was perfect (against the flow/direction most other travelers took).
As for specifics:
OKONJIMA
This place was the best!
Best service, best staff, best food, best experiences, best facilities.
We saw a cheetah kill, leopards, and white rhino (which we were not expecting).
If you’ve never been you should go...If I ever go back to Namibia I will revisit.EMANYA
The only (slight) disappointment.
Maybe because it was right after Okonjima, but the service was lacking, the facilities were a bit run down, it was the only place with mosquitoes in the room with no net and no spray. Food was marginal. Not sure if there are better options in the area, though.OKAUKEUJO
Etosha Park was amazing. There was so much wildlife with so little crowds.
The Okaukeujo Camp had the best watering hole with animals coming in at all times of the night. A great experience exclusive to the camp.DORO NAWAS
Beautiful place. Very private. Food and service excellent.
A nice stopping point on the drive.SPITZKOPPE
An amazing place...How they laid out and built it.
Enjoyed exploring the grounds and the local area/sights.
The staff was on par with Okonjima.
2 days were perfect.Ivin provided us with good advice/information/recommendations along the route, along with a cell phone and cooler for the trip. The car was perfect.
They represent Tourdust well!Again, another great trip you put together...Thank you!
Earl W
reviewing Northern Namibia Highlights - Self Drive
on 17 October 2018
