Reviews of Okaukuejo Camp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
701 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
71% success
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96% success
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"Brilliant for seeing animals"
The facilities are fairly basic, but absolutely fine for what we needed, and very spacious
There was no hot water in our room, because when we tried to turn it on, it fused the whole chalet
The game viewing as we drove around was excellent." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia; 2n in Botswana; 1n in Zimbabwe
"Feast of rhino"
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
"Excellent Camp + excellent water hole"
"Watching the waterhole at night is amazing"
The accommodation was very spacious and it was clean although not particularly comfortable. They no longer seem to need an inventory to be checked and signed - there is very little in the room that anyone could take anyway!.
The worst thing about Okaukuejo is the food. The takeaway restaurant closes early and then all that is available is the restaurant where a buffet is served which is really expensive. Apart from the meat, which was cooked on a braii and quite tasty, the rest of the food offered was truly awful. It was so bad that we did not want to eat there the following night and went to the shop (which is sparsely stocked) and just ate snacks for supper! We would recommend that anyone staying at this camp bring their own food supplies in for supper, or buy a takeaway from the snack bar early before it closes.
The other thing that should be mentioned is that the petrol station in the camp ran out of unleaded fuel. We left on a Tuesday and no fuel was expected until Friday! It didn't affect us as we were moving on and had plenty of fuel to get us to the next town.
However the advantage of staying at Okaukuejo is the opportunity to see wildlife interacting at the waterhole after dark, which is wonderful. I will never forget seeing the elephants chasing a lion away and protecting the babies!" See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia; 6n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe; 2n in South Africa
"Okaukuejo and the Rhino!"
We drove east from this camp and did not see as much game as we had hoped for but the watering hole at the camp was well attended and after supper we went out in darkness and spotted the rhino - a big event for us all. The location of the lodge was excellent, two minutes from the watering hole and five minutes from the main facilities.
We used the snack bar for a quick lunch and had the buffet supper which we found expensive as two of our three children were considered adults and they just don't get the value from an enormous buffet. The food was delicious though and the staff were lovely in the restaurant.
Etosha in general is the most beautiful place to visit and it is well maintained and respected by those who visit and the control of numbers of people who visit is essential to keep it this spectacular. We are pleased that there are only a few camps where you can stay and basic and clean is all you need!" See all these reviews: 10n in Namibia
" A watering hole to die for !"
Guides are great and the morning safari is one to book -- we saw 12 lions in 40 minutes!
Aside from this the absolute highlight is the watering hole - many, many animals, hundreds at some stages. We saw many elephants, including large family groups, 15 giraffes in one group and an amazing rhino fight. Also woken one night by roaring lions.
There are more welcoming and bijou camps but if in Etosha do not shy way from staying here. The wildlife more than outweighs the functional nature of the place." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
The waterhole is amazing! Unusually for us we didn't do all day or afternoon drives most days at Okaukuejo as the sightings at the waterhole were just so good (10 black rhinos together one evening at sunset including three mums and calves - all at the same time!). It's a big camp but we were in our own bubble and were perfectly happy.
Breakfast was served from 5.30am so that meant we could still have our included breakfast and be at the gate ahead of sunrise opening. Perfect! Breakfast was basic (and a bit disorganised first thing) but more than sufficient for our needs (coffee was not good though).
Gate opening was unpredictable (as it was also at Halali one day) - the clock at the gate which the security staff work off does not match to what Reception tells you (or, more critically, the sun) but you just have to be patient ...
We didn't eat at the restaurant in the evening or check out the bar as we were too occupied at the waterhole. We didn't use the swimming pool.
Check-out was no hassle at all and very efficient.
The location of Oaukuejo is excellent as there are so many routes to choose from in both directions.
The staff we encountered were all pleasant (the cleaning ladies were lovely!) except for the petrol pump attendant. Be prepared for a very long and disorganised wait if there is anyone in front of you. The shop is a bit hit and miss too but they sell ice which is great for cold drinks!" See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia
"Fantastic waterhole!"
The camp is government owned and managed and, unlike at Sossus Dune Lodge, it suffers from this. Basic maintenance was lacking ( when we asked for five of our seven light globes to be replaced, the receptionist said no, they were waiting for the man to come from South Africa! When my husband had a closer look at the problem, he realised that the whole 12V lighting system was clearly waiting to be replaced).
Meals were buffet and average. Service was friendly and willing but inefficient." See all these reviews: 24n in Namibia
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
The Bush Chalet we stayed at was a good choice for our family, clean, and very functional even if it lacked much character. We were glad we had not paid the premium for a premium or water hole chalet because it is only a one minute walk from the bush chalets to the watering hole and the premium ones aren't actually close enough to the hole to get the best view. Plus you get the constant traffic from folks visiting the watering hole. Also, the Camp seems to have addressed the concerns EA had warned about previously.
The reception staff was helpful, check-out was a breeze and did not involve an inventory check, and the staff was consistently scrupulous about letting patrons handle credit cards. Also, the watering holes near Okaukuejo were better and more productive than the ones we visited in the middle and on the eastern side of the camp. The main downside was medicore and overpriced food. The buffet was tired and the lines were long -- it didn't help that one night they ran out of clean plates. For lunch you're forced to eat an expensive and even worse buffet. The pool was empty and being painted for our entire visit and the fumes made us move our table to the edge of the restaurant at lunch - leading to the "poor" facilities rating below.
So there are some clear tradeoffs, but it was absolutely the right recommendation of EA to stay here for two nights for the many wildlife experiences." See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia
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