Reviews of Onguma Etosha Aoba
(89%) From 26 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Convenient base in a lovely setting
The rooms at Onguma are quite spread out which is nice is some ways but has its challenges - a bit of a long walk back to base but a very short drive!
Frankly we were not as impressed with the "Honeymoon suite" as we expected. There were some lovely touches - like the outdoor shower - but the indoor decor seemed like it was trying for a traditional safari look but with inconsistent elements - and basic amenities were lacking. The staff was nice but, again, seemed a bit less experienced as elsewhere - a bit thrown by relatively simple requests - not a tight team. Meals were OK
Unfortunately, the guide was the one weak guide we had in the entire trip. He warmed up a bit by the evening drive but was extremely distracted in the AM and almost a bit defensive. He seemed to be attending to his cell phone a lot and initiated little information. Most often, he offered minimal answers to questions in a fairly low voice. Not engaging at all for whatever reason - a stark contrast to every other drive we had.
Onguma Etosha Aoba review
This was a lovely lodge and the staff was excellent. The food was beautifully prepared and served outside by candlelight.
One downside of staying outside the park is not being able to take night drives or view the lodge waterholes at night or in early morning but the staff packed us a great take away breakfast so that we could enter the park as soon as it opened. We took one sundowner drive into Fisher Pan and saw a spectacular sunset but otherwise the drive wasn't very interesting.
Peaceful and a beautiful location.
Our first intention was to stay at Namutoni but the camp was apparently fully booked 7 months before our visit so we had to stay at Aoba which is just outside Etosha Park.
We could have travelled into the Park from Aoba but the Lodge was so pleasant that we spent all our time at the Lodge. This suited us because we are keen on birdwatching.
number 1 room too noisy!
Our first night spoiled by noisy guests around the pool and bar, manager put us in a quieter chalet on second day.
First meal was very poor from start to finish, but second night was ok.
We felt they were pushing the alchohol too much, clearly a profitable item. They even charged for coffee, even though it was not made clear that it was an extra after dinner (in many places incuded as free).
Access road needs attention, too many potholes.
Etosha Aoba Lodge review
Etosha Aoba is well located and is suited for an extended stay. Service was absolutely excellent and the facilities top class.
We truly appreciated the very warm welcome and all the efforts made by the staff to make our stay excellent. Highly recommended.
Etosha Aoba Lodge review
Lovely setting. Excellent service and food. Every attention to detail. What a difference to the previous place.
Read more about the whole safariEtosha Aoba Lodge review
The facilities and accommodations are fine. Our complaint would be with management. Although we were greeted by the manager when we arrived, he spent the remainder of his time running back and forth between two groups of guests and at dinner, visited all the tables except ours.
We only spent one night there, so perhaps there was not a big incentive for him. Had we to do it again, we would spend at least another night (or more) in Etosha, probably at Namutoni.
Etosha Aoba Lodge review
Aoba Lodge was excellent.
Very helpful owner (or manager called Pieter). Excellent wine list and not expensive. Best air conditioning whole holiday very quiet and efficient. Good bird life in garden
Lions, Snakes and Giraffes at Sunset
The best part of Etosha Aoba is the fact that it is in a private park that equals 1/3 the size of Etosha and as of January 2010 no hunting is allowed, which is probably why a big lioness just stood and watched us in our car from about 20 feet away.
We went on the sundowner drive with Sam and highly recommend it. The sunset view over Fischers Pan was quite spectacular, with giraffes chewing on bones and rubbing necks while we enjoyed a cold G+T.
Also be sure to have your camera or sound recording device with you at dinner as the ladies choral group sing a brief song each night in their native Damara language and they are wonderful.
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
