Reviews of Okaukuejo Camp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
669 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Okaukuejo Camp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
72% success
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99% success
97% success
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"Okaukuejo Camp review"
There are a few forms to fill out at check in. Luckily we were 2nd in line, as a large queue formed in the office as we waited. There is a separate line for check in and for park fees, so I quickly sorted the fees and bought a map of the park from the shop across the way whilst Alexa queued whilst the group in front of us finished checking in. There are now signs around the site requesting that cards are used over cash for payments, although you can still use both. You need to purchase credit vouchers to use the wifi, so we did not bother.
We also found the food in the evenings to be absolutely fine, albeit a very limited menu, (chicken, beef or Hake with veg) and the service was good. This may have just been a matter of timing - as we sat down various patrons at other tables were getting very angry and were demanding to be allowed to order or chasing up where their food was. I should also say for for the interests of balance, these same patrons then painstakingly went through said v short menu, asking ridiculous questions.
Our waitress took our order promptly, and the food itself did not take very long to arrive. Breakfast had cold options such as yoghurts, meat, cheeses, fruit salad and cereals laid out, as well as bread / toast with a choice of a few condiments. There is also a hot trolley with bacon, beans and sausages + scrambled egg, and a chef on hand to cook omelettes etc . A tea and coffee station is always available to use (as long as a jolly dutchman does not mistake the milk urn for a teapot, and chuck in a few teabags before realising his mistake and sidling off!) We arrived back for breakfast (06.30-09.30) at about 09.20 from a game drive both mornings, which gave us enough time to eat all we wanted at a leisurely pace before it was cleared away.
The room is alright, but the decor was looking a little tired in places. It has a large bed and mosquito nets, air conditioning and an en suite. It also has a small kitchenette with fridge, kettle, sink and hob + a small sofa and coffee table. We did have an issue with the flush on our toilet, which we reported straight away after we arrived. Someone did come out and attend to it whilst we were on an afternoon game drive, but it never fully worked for the entirety of our stay. This didn't really bother us too much, as there were other blocks of toilets nearby that we could use, or we were out on game drives anyway. The rooms closest to the waterhole look newer, larger, and more luxurious, so future guests could try to get into one of these if they are worried about the standards of the rooms in general.
The staff did not ask about any itinerary of items when we checked out, but we had taken some picture of the room when we arrived and leaving just in case. Check out was a very simple process. We also filled up with fuel here just before checking out. The card machine here had temporarily stopped working, but they seemed to have plenty of fuel for guests. There is a new petrol station about 5km south of the Anderson gate outside the park." See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia; 4n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Black Rhino
5 sightings
Elephant
3 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
4 sightings
Oryx
10 sightings
Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
The roads away from the entrance road are terrible." See all these reviews: 10n in Namibia
Black Rhino
5 sightings
Elephant
3 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
2 sightings
Oryx
10 sightings
Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
White Rhino
1 sighting
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
Good large piece of beef for R250 one night and chicken breast with vegetables including marrow the following night R220. Breakfasts no change queue for fry up of eggs or omelette as before, but no fruit with yoghurt (we spoke to a waitress we knew from dinner and resolved this issue). Shop fairly empty in time for a stock take the next day!
Bush chalet fine as previously. Less activity at the waterhole in the evening, excluding rhinos who are consistent visitors most of five at once.
Only two bull elephants over the two evenings. In fact a lot fewer elephants seen in this part of the park.
One male lion appeared on the second evening after roaring his presence on the way in." See all these reviews: 7n in Namibia; 5n in South Africa
Black Rhino
4 sightings
Elephant
2 sightings
Giraffe
8 sightings
Lion
2 sightings
Oryx
6 sightings
Wildebeest
7 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
The room we were booked into was basic and really hot, we weren't given the option by Sabina to book a waterhole chalet.
The buildings all have tiled roofs rather than being thatched, which makes them feel like hot boxes.
We were glad it was only a one night stay" See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia
Black Rhino
10 sightings
Elephant
2 sightings
Giraffe
6 sightings
Lion
2 sightings
Oryx
10 sightings
Roan antelope
2 sightings
Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
White Rhino
2 sightings
Wildebeest
7 sightings
Zebra
7 sightings
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
The dinner that we had was fine, despite some negative reviews that I had come across. We even saw two rhinos by the waterhole in the evening after dinner.
Despite the basic accommodation, I was very happy to have included this camp in our itinerary.
The wifi connection was an issue but for just one night, it was acceptable, especially as I was warned about it before the trip." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia
Eland
1 sighting
Elephant
2 sightings
Giraffe
1 sighting
Oryx
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
White Rhino
1 sighting
Wildebeest
1 sighting
Zebra
1 sighting
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
[Ed: Comment on Namutoni was:
"Having visited Etosha a number of times in past years we found the food offering in all government camps never particularly good but in this visit all the camps catering standard has diminished to an all time low.
Limited choice, poor quality and often served cold - so be prepared !"]" See all these reviews: 21n in Namibia
Black Rhino
Multiple sightings
Eland
Multiple sightings
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Oryx
Multiple sightings
White Rhino
Multiple sightings
Wildebeest
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
The numbers and variety of game is just unrivalled. I stayed up the first night and saw 15 black rhino and at one point there were 7 in the water itself.
The food is OK but that is not why you are there.
We went on a night drive and saw a black rhino with a week old youngster. In truth, it was a little disappointing. The driver had to drive and spot at the same time and that seemed very difficult." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia; 1n in South Africa
Black Rhino
Multiple sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Oryx
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
White Rhino
1 sighting
Wildebeest
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Okaukuejo Camp Post Covid Sept 2022"
The highlights of this stop for us were driving through the park in our own vehicle (we saw lots of wildlife) and the water hole at the camp itself where we were fortunate to see a herd of elephants and later black rhino and giraffe." See all these reviews: 11n in Namibia
Black Rhino
9 sightings
Brown Hyena
2 sightings
Eland
7 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
3 sightings
Oryx
10 sightings
Roan antelope
1 sighting
Sable antelope
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
6 sightings
White Rhino
1 sighting
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
Checking in and out was very quick. There were no problems with credit cards at reception, the restaurant, the shop or the fuel station. In fact, there are signs encouraging the use of these.
Our room was big and had all that we needed, but, as has been the case for some time, everything from the towels to the benches by the waterhole are in need of repair or replacement.
The buffet dinner has been replaced by “a la carte”, their words, not ours. This means grilled beef, lamb, chicken, pork or fish (a choice of 3 each night) and assorted basic desserts, that rapidly run out. We weren't surprised that this didn't work very smoothly. Guests are meant to book for dinner, but this certainly doesn’t guarantee a table. On the first night we waited half an hour for a drink and an hour for our food, which was cold; that was was good compared to the two hour wait for another couple! We were told the delays were because there was no more cutlery ……. Luckily, things improved, though probably because we decided to go for dinner early.
Breakfast is self-service and works much better. The food isn't top-notch, but it's perfectly acceptable.
Braiis are outside most rooms, but there are no cooking utensils in the rooms and there is not a steady stock of meat - or anything in the shop - so this isn't really an option.
Okaukuejo is just what it is. However, the reason for being here is the abundance of wildlife. Within half an hour of our first visit to Okaukuejo's waterhole, we had seen 70 elephants. Once dark, 6 rhinos arrived. The waterhole is busy all the time and you could, as we often did, sit all day and see a vast variety and number of animals. I wouldn't visit Namibia without coming here." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia; 7n in South Africa
Black Rhino
4 sightings
Brown Hyena
3 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Oryx
10 sightings
White Rhino
2 sightings
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
The waterhole by the camp is what makes this place so special, and we had to pull ourselves away from it. Thankfully most of the observers from the camp viewing area were quiet, especially at night, as I had read they could be a bit noisy and detract from the experience, but apart from the odd person who seemed incapable of whispering most people were respectful of the big beasts on the other side of the wall.
One of the black rhino sightings listed below was of no less than 12 animals at the Okaukuejo camp waterhole, starting with six at 8.00pm and then more appearing from the dark - there was much gentle interaction and a little bit of pushing, and several led down for a sleep for 20 minutes.
A herd of 28 elephant visited this waterhole at midday one day, with many young ones amongst them, rolling in the water and generally having a good time, and they were frequent visitors in smaller numbers at other times. We saw four lionesses one night at the Okaukuejo waterhole, one of which chased off a spotted hyena." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia
Black Rhino
4 sightings
Elephant
8 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
3 sightings
Oryx
10 sightings
Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
Holiday styles & special interests in Namibia
From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Namibia.
Other lodges in Etosha National Park
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Halali Camp
The smallest of Etosha's erstwhile restcamps, overlooking its own floodlit waterhole, Halali has a superb location near the centre of Etosha Pan.
Mushara Bush Camp
The family-friendly Mushara Bush Camp offers great value and is an excellent base from which to explore Etosha National Park.
Ongava Lodge
With fantastic views over a private reserve bordering Etosha, the smart Ongava Lodge offers driving and walking safaris on the reserve, and guided drives in Etosha.
Ongava Tented Camp
Set around a waterhole on a private reserve, the small Ongava Tented Camp combines understated comfort with activities that include walks and night drives.
Dolomite Camp
Opened in 2011, Dolomite Camp allows visitors access to the far west side of Etosha National Park, which was previously off limits to most visitors.
Onguma Tented Camp
Onguma Tented Camp is a lovely, little tented camp which centres around an attractive waterhole a short drive from the Von Lindequist Gate to eastern Etosha.
Mushara Lodge
Close to the eastern entrance to Etosha, the comfortable Mushara Lodge is well-placed for exploring the park in your own vehicle or on a guided drive.
Namutoni Camp
Centred on an old fort, the government run Namutoni Camp is located just inside Etosha National Park, close to Fisher's Pan.
Onguma Bush Camp
For great wildlife viewing without breaking the bank, the affordable and understated luxury of Onguma Bush Camp could be perfect.
Hobatere Lodge
To the west of Etosha National Park, on the edge of Damaraland, Hobatere Lodge offers good game-viewing on its own reserve.
Mushara Outpost
Intimate and luxurious, Mushara Outpost is well-placed on a private reserve to explore nearby Etosha National Park on your own or on a guided drive.
Onguma Camp Kala
For a bird’s eye view across African bush, the stilted rooms at Onguma Camp Kala are truly special.
Onguma The Fort
The Fort is the jewel in the crown of the Onguma lodges, and arguably the whole of eastern Etosha.
Onguma Forest Camp
From its woodland setting on the Onguma Reserve, Forest Camp is within easy striking distance of Namibia’s flagship national park.
Safarihoek Lodge
At the heart of the private Etosha Heights Reserve, Safarihoek Lodge offers comfortable accommodation and excellent game-viewing.
Taleni Etosha Village
Only 4km from Etosha's southern entrance, Taleni Etosha Village is an affordable base from which to explore the park.
Etosha Safari Lodge
A short drive from Etosha National Park's southern entrance, Etosha Safari Lodge is a convenient base from which to explore the park.
Little Ongava
The beautifully located and luxurious Little Ongava is a stunning place to stay in order to explore Etosha National Park and the private Ongava Reserve.
Etosha Safari Camp
Funky, low-key and very original, Etosha Safari Camp is well placed for visiting Etosha National Park on a self-drive or guided safari.
Andersson's at Ongava
With game drives on both its private reserve and in Etosha, Andersson's at Ongava also offers access to the Ongava Research Centre.
Mokuti Etosha Lodge
With 106 rooms, child-friendly Mokuti Etosha Lodge is more like a hotel than a lodge. Facilities to include a gym, spa, tennis courts and even a snake park.
Mountain Lodge
In the heart of the private Etosha Heights Reserve, the family-friendly Mountain Lodge offers game drives and bush walks within an exclusive environment.
Vreugde Guest Farm
Vreugde Guest Farm is a delightful owner-run and working sheep farm where you can expect a warm welcome and charming hospitality.
Etosha Garden Hotel
Safari in Etosha National Park Namibia, whilst based at the nearby Etosha Garden Lodge.
Villa Mushara
Offering luxury on a peaceful private reserve close to Etosha, Villa Mushara is a great choice for honeymooners & those wishing to indulge themselves.
Safari House
The private Safari House on the Etosha Heights reserve is a great option families or friends travelling together.
Etosha Oberland Lodge
A short drive from Etosha National Park's southern entrance, Etosha Oberland Lodge is a very comfortable base from which to explore the park, with excellent food.
Etosha King Nehale
A short drive from the national park's northern entrance, Etosha King Nehale Lodge is an interesting and comfortable base from which to explore the park.
Onkoshi Camp
Onkoshi Camp is owned and run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts. Built on elevated wooden platforms it overlooks Etosha Pan.
