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Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge

Reviews of Ongava Lodge

Wildlife sightings and reviews

158 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Ongava Lodge and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Aug-2018, 43 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Ongava Lodge.
Lion

90% success

Leopard

9% success

Cheetah

12% success

White Rhino

97% success

Giraffe

95% success

Oryx

90% success

Zebra

90% success

Elephant

88% success

Black Rhino

80% success

Wildebeest

79% success

Eland

38% success

Roan antelope

26% success

Sable antelope

15% success

Brown Hyena

14% success

Spotted Hyena

12% success

Pangolin

3% success

Aardvark

0% success

Showing 21-30 of 158
Duration
Arrival date
Mrs C.
Blauzac

"Just amazing"

3 nights Arrived 6 Sep 2019
"This lodge was just wonderful: the site, the pool, the main lodge, the rooms, the staff... We would have been very happy here even without Etosha at the door.

The water hole brought lots of night-time rhino sightings and we loved the hide besides the water hole. We enjoyed the game drive/sundowner with the guide going all out to find us lions.

The staff did everything to make us happy." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

4 sightings

Eland

2 sightings

Elephant

3 sightings

Giraffe

8 sightings

Lion

1 sighting

Oryx

6 sightings

White Rhino

1 sighting

Wildebeest

2 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Eve& Reuben
Bozeman

"Ongava Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 2 Sep 2019
"We loved Ongava lodge for the setting, the exceptional service, the great food and the animal activity at the waterhole below the open air dining room.

We liked seeing the lion pride with cubs eating a giraffe the the interplay. And the chance, albeit briefly, to see “wild” cheetah.

Guide was a bit disappointing however. Also our guide was not entirely credible, especially when he tried to tell us the stone tower at Okaukuejo was an ancient San prison!!" See all these reviews: 16n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Cheetah

1 sighting

Eland

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Oryx

10 sightings

Pangolin

2 sightings

Roan antelope

2 sightings

Sable antelope

2 sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Dr. L & wife
Denmark

"Ongava Lodge was expensive but lovely"

2 nights Arrived 11 Aug 2019
"Before entering Etosha through the Andersson Gate, we stayed at Ongava Lodge in Ongava Game Reserve. It is a lovely luxury lodge, located on a small cliff top overlooking the bush. The thatched cottages have unobstructed views of the game reserve and a local water hole. From our cabin we could see the animals coming and going from the watering hole. Just when we arrived there was a large giraffe, shortly after an elephant.

It is crazy to be able to watch the animals directly from our own private terrace - or the outdoor shower. There is no fence around the lodge and at night an armed guard follows one back to the cabin from to the living area / restaurant.

Ongava Lodge was an expensive and lovely place, though not a very personal lodge. The food and service did not quite live up to the high price. But with a location just outside Etosha's gate, that's probably the price you have to pay. We had a good time at this lodge" See all these reviews: 21n in Namibia; 2n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Average
Facilities:
Excellent
Mrs C.
Crewkerne

"Our favourite place in Namibia!"

2 nights Arrived 6 Aug 2019
"This was our favourite camp in Namibia.
Beautiful, hugely spacious reception/eating area with several separate sitting areas with stunning views over the plains and watering hole.
Bedrooms were luxuriously enormous with an outdoor shower on the veranda - and fabulous indoor bathroom.
The food and service absolutely excellent and swimming pool was great - but the best bit was the hide overlooking the watering hole where you could go at dusk (with your glass of wine!) and quietly watch the animals come to drink.
We saw a rhino with her baby and giraffe with her baby - plus lots of plains game.
We had a brilliant game drive and saw an elephant, 2 lionesses with a kill, lots of rhino and plenty of plains game.
Wish we could have stayed longer." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

Multiple sightings

Elephant

1 sighting

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Lion

2 sightings

Oryx

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

White Rhino

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mrs E & family
UK

"Front row seats for Rhino!"

2 nights Arrived 16 Jul 2019
"We were slack jawed when we walked into the restaurant and reception at Ongava. It is absolutely stunning. A briefing from one of the guides, Brandon, about not going out of your chalet alone after dark added a frisson of excitement - after all, this is an unfenced camp. All the chalets overlook the waterhole and as I sat quietly on my veranda various animals wandered past me such as rock Hyrax, Waterbuck, various other antelope...You are at the same level as the water hole so you really do feel like you are amongst the animals.

We went on a late afternoon game drive with our guide who managed to find a very wide range of animals for us including 4 white rhino, two adults and two calves. The land is so very dry (more so than usual at this time of year due to the drought) that Ongava are, quite rightly, feeding the rhino. This has the benefit of attracting all sorts of other animals too who come along for a meal including common zebra and the rare mountain zebra, giraffe, Oryx and many others. They also feed the porcupine in the evening and a dream came true for me when I witnessed two huge spiny fellows marching up the stairs to the restaurant kitchen for their evening meal. We turned and saw two rare black rhino plodding towards the illuminated waterhole.

What a wonderful place." See all these reviews: 11n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

2 sightings

Eland

2 sightings

Giraffe

3 sightings

Oryx

4 sightings

Roan antelope

Multiple sightings

Sable antelope

Multiple sightings

White Rhino

4 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr J x 4
USA

"The Hide"

2 nights Arrived 30 Jun 2019
"The best part about Ongava Lodge is the hide. We got close to black rhinos and giraffes. Great photography opportunity.

Unexceptional staff from the top down." See all these reviews: 7n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Average
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Average
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs M
Edinburgh

"Great lodge, lots of animals to see"

2 nights Arrived 28 Jun 2019
"Great lodge, friendly staff, lots of animals near the lodge watering hole (including a black rhino) and in the game reserve itself, could get very close to the watering hole at the hide but also great views from the lodge and chalets, spotted our first rhinos, lions and giraffes.

Food was great and lovely to eat outside at night." See all these reviews: 21n in Namibia; 2n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

1 sighting

Eland

1 sighting

Elephant

2 sightings

Giraffe

1 sighting

Lion

1 sighting

Oryx

7 sightings

White Rhino

2 sightings

Zebra

3 sightings

Mr & Mrs T
Twickenham

"Ongava Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 27 Mar 2019
"Overall 8-9/10. Lovely setting and great view from the main area. Good room, well laid out, well appointed, but no view of the savannah. Service was very good across the piece and we had an enjoyable ‘sun-downer’ safari, but quite pricey at 830R per person. Had a great ‘hide’ down by the water hole from which to view the animals. Food was good and definitely good enough, but not excellent. Wine was included with meals which was a nice surprise! WiFi worked well in the room but had broken down in the main area, but was fixed the day we left. Good staff." See all these reviews: 20n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

Multiple sightings

Eland

Multiple sightings

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

1 sighting

Lion

1 sighting

Oryx

Multiple sightings

White Rhino

1 sighting

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mrs B
Swindon

"Over rated"

3 nights Arrived 20 Feb 2019
"We were looking forward to this lodge as we had heard it was meant to be very good. Of all the places we stayed this was the only one we had issues with. The location is fabulous and we saw plenty of game but the staff in the restaurant had “attitudes” and very lax. Food was not very good, fairly unimaginative and breakfast cereals completely covered in flies. Poor hygiene, chipped crockery. Not what you expect considering the high rate they are charging. They are living on past goodwill and the fact that they have a great location.

Trip into Etosha was a waste of time, did not see anything much and can only describe it as ‘godforsaken’ land. Probably because of the time of year so not their fault. Ongava reserve provided plenty of game.

Several guests were annoyed that they allowed people prebooking the prime positioned tables for dinner overlooking the water hole by placing their jumpers or books on the chairs well before dinner. Needless to say they were mostly German and the three nights we stayed we never got a decent table at the front.

We had wonderful lion sightings and maybe we should have stayed at the Ongava tented camp which is more intimate." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Poor

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Poor
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Poor
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Elephant

2 sightings

Giraffe

6 sightings

Lion

8 sightings

Oryx

10 sightings

Roan antelope

Multiple sightings

White Rhino

5 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr J.
Warwick

"Ongava Lodge "

3 nights Arrived 18 Feb 2019
"Another fabulous lodge. The dining room overlooking the floodlit waterhole gave us some great sightings of black and white rhino and lions all sharing the waterhole while we drank our glass of wine! The game drives in the reserve were excellent where we saw rhino's lions and elephants. The hide next to the waterhole was amazing and meant we managed to capture many close up shots of the animals. We drove ourselves into Etosha which was very easy but a little disappointing, due to our own impatience! We visited recommended waterholes and if there was nothing there we moved on to the next one. We should have lingered at each one. As a consequence we travelled many miles and only saw grazing animals. Our own fault - we'll know better next time!!" See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

3 sightings

Elephant

4 sightings

Giraffe

6 sightings

Lion

4 sightings

Oryx

3 sightings

White Rhino

5 sightings

Wildebeest

5 sightings

Zebra

5 sightings

Showing 21-30 of 158
92%
158 reviews of Ongava Lodge by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
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0
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