Ongava Game Reserve Travel Guide
Ongava Game Reserve Travel Guide
One of Namibia's most exclusive safari destinations, Ongava Game Reserve shares a boundary with Etosha National Park. Dedicated to conserving the area's natural biodiversity, Ongava is home to both black and white rhinos and the rare black-faced impala alongside other large game such as lion, elephant, zebra and giraffe which regularly visit the waterholes dotted throughout the reserve.
Highlights
- Located between the mountains and plains just south of Etosha National Park
- Birdwatching, open safari vehicle game drives and guided game walks
- Off-road game viewing is permitted for intimate encounters with wildlife
- Over 100 different mammal species including black and white rhinos
- Opportunity to track white rhinos on foot with a qualified guide
- Globally recognized for strong conservation efforts and groundbreaking research
- One of Namibia's most exclusive, luxury, eco-safari destinations
Located close to Andersson's Gate at the southern end of Etosha National Park with which it shares a boundary, Ongava Game Reserve is one of Namibia's largest and most exclusive private game reserves. The 30,000-hectare conservancy has received praise for its strong conservation ethics and fierce commitment to biodiversity.
A safe haven for rare and endangered species
In 1991, several families banded together to turn unproductive farmland in Northern Namibia into a private game reserve. Since then, the area's natural biodiversity has been rehabilitated and Ongava Game Reserve is home to a large concentration of wildlife including several thriving prides of lions, the rare black-faced impala and black and white rhinos. Visitors to Ongava can visit the onsite, interactive Visitor Centre at their leisure to learn more about the conservation research being done by visiting and resident scientists for the Ongava Research Centre.
The game-viewing experience
Game-viewing activities in Ongava Game Reserve include off-road game drives, nature walks and night drives which are not permitted inside nearby Etosha National Park. Guests can observe wildlife congregating at waterholes from photographic viewing hides and Ongava is one of the few places in Africa where it's possible to get really close to white rhinos on foot.
Ongava also offers an Etosha game-viewing experience. Guests are taken on game drives inside the national park where they spend a couple of hours exploring Etosha's shimmering salt pans and watching all manner of desert-adapted game vying for a spot near the water's edge.
Accommodation at Ongava
There are four wonderful safari lodges at Ongava, each with its own unique style and layout and all of which have been constructed from local materials.
- Ongava Lodge rests on a ridge in the foothills of the Ondundozonanandana range overlooking a well-frequented waterhole and the plains beyond.
- Little Ongava with its three intimate luxury villas offers sweeping views across the Ongava plains.
- Surrounded by African Mopani bush and tucked away in a hidden valley at the foot of a dolomite hill is Ongava Tented Camp.
- All of the suites at family-friendly Anderssons at Ongava have private viewing decks with panoramic views.
Our take on Ongava Game Reserve
Ongava offers one of the few luxury private game reserve experiences in Namibia where off-roading, night drives and guided bushwalks are permitted. The game viewing is good, the landscape is beautiful and, with game drives in nearby Etosha National Park, you're sure to get the best of both worlds.
Anderssons at Ongava
Anderssons at Ongava is family-friendly and ideally located to enjoy the extensive and private 30,000-hectare Ongava Game Reserve, with game drive excursions into neighbouring Etosha National Park – Namibia's most famous wildlife safari destination. Ongava is one of the best places in southern Africa to see black and white rhinos.
Ongava Lodge
Situated in the privately owned Ongava Game Reserve along Etosha National Park's southern border, Ongava Lodge offers beautiful views of a well-frequented waterhole and the plains beyond from its vantage point in the foothills of the Ondundozonanandana range. There are 14 thatched ensuite chalets built from natural rock.
Little Ongava
Perched high on a rocky outcrop, with incredible views over the surrounding African savanna, Little Ongava has only three luxury villas, offering one of the most exclusive safari stays in Namibia close to Etosha. Each secluded villa has its own private deck and plunge pool, a sala or sitting area and a luxury en-suite bathroom with indoor and open-air outdoor showers – all offering spectacular views from every angle.
Ongava Tented Camp
Surrounded by African Mopane bush, Ongava Tented Camp looks onto a well-frequented waterhole inside Nambia's Ongava Game Reserve. Safari accommodation consists of eight spacious classic safari tents with en-suite facilities, open-air showers and private verandas.
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Anderssons at Ongava
Anderssons at Ongava is family-friendly and ideally located to enjoy the extensive and private 30,000-hectare Ongava Game Reserve, with game drive excursions into neighbouring Etosha National Park – Namibia's most famous wildlife safari destination. Ongava is one of the best places in southern Africa to see black and white rhinos.
Ongava Tented Camp
Surrounded by African Mopane bush, Ongava Tented Camp looks onto a well-frequented waterhole inside Nambia's Ongava Game Reserve. Safari accommodation consists of eight spacious classic safari tents with en-suite facilities, open-air showers and private verandas.
