Highlights
- Only three guest villas
- Rhino Tracking
- Fantastic bungalow style accommodation
- Waterhole hide out
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Little Ongava is an intimate lodge in the south of Etosha National Park, North Central Namibia. One of four lodges in the private Ongava reserve, this is the most exclusive with only three villas available to guests and fantastic views across the plains.
This modern, private lodge is run by a professional team of staff and offers an easy, laid back safari experience. The main thatched building is reached via connecting boardwalks that wind around large boulders and trees. An all inclusive camp, meals are served in the traditional safari style around a single dining table, although private dining options are available. Also in the main building is a cosy sitting room and outdoor terrace with views over a floodlit waterhole (albeit not in as close range as at Ongava Lodge).
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.
Some of the largest accommodation you will find, Little Ongava offers three exclusive thatched villas, that offer total seclusion and privacy. Each villa is reached by a wooden boardwalk and features a wrap around verandah, private plunge pool, sala and open sitting room. Light open rooms include a cosy sitting room with fireplace, a king sized bedroom and an ensuite bathroom with double basins and indoor and outdoor showers. Although there is no specific family villa, sharing with children is easily accommodated. Accommodation here is the height of luxury, perfect for romantic getaways.
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.
Little Ongava is a perfect choice for those looking for solid safari viewing from a peaceful and luxurious lodge. The accommodation here is some of the best you can find in the area, and although possibly not as remote as some other options, offers some reliable and unforgettable wildlife experiences.
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
Dear Lisa
Well, we are back and still buzzing. We have had a marvellous time. The weather helped. We left Manchester in the snow and arrived in Marrakesh at 30 degrees. We were well looked after in the Riad. I'm glad we booked a meal for the first evening - ate it on the roof terrace. We can recommend that. It was delicious. We ate at the Foundouk, as per your recommendation and on the following night we ate at Le Jardin - got lost on the way to it!. We can really recommend Le Jardin.
The following day we went to Majorelle gardens. Fortunately we had looked it up before we travelled because you have to book in advance online only from Jan 2023. We found our own way to the Medera Ben Yousef and Latifa took us to Bahia Palace - both were stunning.
The following morning our lovely taxi driver Mohammond collected us to go to the EcoLodge. Yet another Mohammond made us very welcome. Again we ate well! You were right, the pool was freezing, but I can't sit next to water and not get in. Once you're in you forget how cold it is! I wasn't the only person to try the pool.
Rashid, our guide for our walk collected us. He was brilliant. It was hard work, but worth it. I was determined I would make it. Kevin is fitter than me! The Berber family were lovely. We stopped when we were nearly there to see how rag rugs were made. When we got back Rashid and Mohammond confessed that Mohammond had said to Rashid that he should get us to a road if we got too tired and they would send a taxi (or a mule!) to collect us - or me, but Rashid was sure that I'd be OK. He was right. I think they wondered about these 2 70+ year olds. We can't praise Rashid enough. He had walked over from Imlil in the morning and was going to walk back after he left us.
Thank you so much for putting our holiday together. We never thought it would be 3 years before we went. We are so glad we persevered. We did wonder what we had let ourselves in for as 2 oldies!
Fiona and Kevin
Fiona B
reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains
on 21 April 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
Dear Lisa
Well, we are back and still buzzing. We have had a marvellous time. The weather helped. We left Manchester in the snow and arrived in Marrakesh at 30 degrees. We were well looked after in the Riad. I'm glad we booked a meal for the first evening - ate it on the roof terrace. We can recommend that. It was delicious. We ate at the Foundouk, as per your recommendation and on the following night we ate at Le Jardin - got lost on the way to it!. We can really recommend Le Jardin.
The following day we went to Majorelle gardens. Fortunately we had looked it up before we travelled because you have to book in advance online only from Jan 2023. We found our own way to the Medera Ben Yousef and Latifa took us to Bahia Palace - both were stunning.
The following morning our lovely taxi driver Mohammond collected us to go to the EcoLodge. Yet another Mohammond made us very welcome. Again we ate well! You were right, the pool was freezing, but I can't sit next to water and not get in. Once you're in you forget how cold it is! I wasn't the only person to try the pool.
Rashid, our guide for our walk collected us. He was brilliant. It was hard work, but worth it. I was determined I would make it. Kevin is fitter than me! The Berber family were lovely. We stopped when we were nearly there to see how rag rugs were made. When we got back Rashid and Mohammond confessed that Mohammond had said to Rashid that he should get us to a road if we got too tired and they would send a taxi (or a mule!) to collect us - or me, but Rashid was sure that I'd be OK. He was right. I think they wondered about these 2 70+ year olds. We can't praise Rashid enough. He had walked over from Imlil in the morning and was going to walk back after he left us.
Thank you so much for putting our holiday together. We never thought it would be 3 years before we went. We are so glad we persevered. We did wonder what we had let ourselves in for as 2 oldies!
Fiona and Kevin
Fiona B
reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains
on 21 April 2023
Dear Lisa,
We have just returned from South Africa and wanted to pass on our huge thanks for helping to organise such a fantastic holiday. The entire trip was amazing - accommodation was first class. The safari was incredible!
We'll be sure to get in touch when we're next planning an adventure!
Best wishes, Ed & Jane
Roy P
reviewing Cape Town & Kruger Safari
on 17 April 2023
Thank you, Lisa! Our trip was wonderful even with the weather disruption. We loved seeing so many different parts of the country, meeting people and experiencing the culture. The desert was surely a highlight for our boys and the creativity and artisanship of everything from food to crafts were a highlight for me. A special shout out to our guide and driver, they became a special part of our trip and we will forever be grateful for meeting them and learning from them. I cannot believe we had to wait three years for this adventure but it was certainly worth the wait! Thanks for all your help building the itinerary, modifying it and troubleshooting during our stay. Leslie B
Leslie B
reviewing Luxury Desert Holiday
on 01 March 2023
Hi Lisa and everyone at Tourdust,
We've had a wonderful time on our holiday and wanted to pass our appreciation to you. Everything has been expertly planned and executed, allowing us to enjoy the holiday to its fullest. Special appreciation to Muhammed, Ibrahim, and Omar, our Atlas guide, cook, and muleteer, who couldn't have done more for us and were just generally wonderful and hardworking. Riad Hanane is a perfect base in Marrakech to complement the trekking as it's ina less touristy area of the medina, which we appreciated. The staff and accomodation was superb.Thank you again for a trip to remember!
Bob, May, Grace, and Lucas
Robert B
reviewing Marrakech & Mountains Family Trek
on 20 February 2023
Hello Lisa. We came back from our trip two weeks ago now so I am sending this email much later than I wanted to. Nevertheless, what I wanted to say was thank you very much for helping us organise an amazing trip. Our days in Mafia Island to celebrate my 50th birthday were exactly what I wanted them to be: a fantastic time with the family doing activities that we all love and enjoy in a relaxing, unusual, beautiful place full of sun, surrounded by water, wildlife and friendly people. We swam with whale sharks, did a lot of snorkeling, had two picnics on a beautiful sand bank, watched the sunset over the sea, did a bird watching excursion and tried scuba diving.
All merit to you because Pole Pole in Mafia Island was your recommendation. I never heard of Mafia Island before and didn't consider Tanzania to start with. It was an amazing place to stay: friendly, relaxed, beautiful, comfortable, with great food and fantastic service. Thanks not only for finding the place but also for your patience as we prepared the trip and I explored options and decided what I wanted. All went incredibly well (places, transfers, flights) and we had a very memorable time together that we will all remember forever - as we still do the safari trip to South Africa you organised for us 5 years ago.
I cannot wait to plan another trip! I am already thinking about where and when. Hopefully no pandemic will get in the way this time. And I will come to you as my favourite travel agent.
I copy in this message the Tourdust office because I want them to know how good you are and how much I appreciated the different trips you organised for us (including the trip to India for my parents that was cancelled due to Covid). I cannot thank you enough :o)
Kind regards, Carol
Carolina O
reviewing Relaxed Bush & Beach Family Holiday in Tanzania
on 25 November 2022
Hi Lisa
It was a fantastic experience, thanks very much. All the arrangements were seamless and our guiding/support team were excellent, if there is a way for you to formally commend the team to your ground operators then I would be grateful if you could do that, they really were brilliant.
Many thanks for your help in arranging the trip, and for your patience during the multiple re-arrangements over the past couple of years.
Kind regards, John
John B
reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek
on 14 November 2022
Can't praise tour dust enough, they helped us to create a holiday of a lifetime that has given us family memories we will treasure forever. From start to finish the whole experience was exactly what we wanted and more. Due to covid we waited 2 and a half years for this trip but worth the wait.
Carly
Carly R
reviewing Value KwaZulu-Natal Safari and Mauritius
on 07 November 2022
Hi Ben
Just to enlarge on my earlier, our M'goun trip couldn't have gone better. A great itinerary, altho perhaps an extra gentle day around the plateau before the summit might have eased things but that couldn't be helped given the road change. Our team were all fantastic, couldn't have been more solicitous for our comfort. Hakim our guide a real star. Food delicious. Kit was great - tents held up in a biblical storm, mattresses most comfortable ever (good thing as ground often v stony), loo worked well. You have a good local agent. Riads excellent, esp Adore. Great value.
Many thanks. William
William M
reviewing Mgoun Summit Trek
on 26 October 2022
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
