This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more

Skip to main content

Talk to an expert 1-800-242-2434 Lines open now

User menu
Onguma The Fort
Onguma The Fort
Onguma The Fort
Onguma The Fort
Onguma The Fort
Onguma The Fort
Onguma The Fort
Onguma The Fort

Reviews of Onguma The Fort

Wildlife sightings and reviews

41 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Onguma The Fort 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, 14 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Onguma The Fort.
Lion

69% success

Leopard

27% success

Cheetah

45% success

Giraffe

100% success

Oryx

100% success

Wildebeest

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Elephant

93% success

Eland

56% success

Spotted Hyena

55% success

Black Rhino

45% success

Brown Hyena

36% success

White Rhino

36% success

Roan antelope

27% success

Sable antelope

11% success

Aardvark

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Showing 1-10 of 41
Duration
Arrival date
Mrs B.
Chicago

"Onguma The Fort review"

2 nights Arrived 19 Sep 2023
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Lion

1 sighting

Oryx

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mr N.
Teignmouth

"Onguma The Fort review"

2 nights Arrived 12 Sep 2023
"Warm welcome on arrival. Accommodation and food were great.

We did 2 Sundowners, which were both good although the number of wildlife sightings was poor.

We did a morning game drive into Etosha which was outstanding." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Eland

10 sightings

Elephant

8 sightings

Giraffe

6 sightings

Lion

4 sightings

Oryx

8 sightings

Spotted Hyena

2 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Dr and Mrs P
Greece

"What a place!!!!!!!!!!!!"

2 nights Arrived 4 Sep 2022
"I wished we had the chance to experience the activities of the Fort and roam through Onguma.

However, as we had our own private guide we didn’t. Some sightings of fellow travellers seemed to be better in Onguma than in this part ( eastern) part of Etosha.

Regardless, I would strongly recommend a stay of 2-3 nights in the Fort!!" See all these reviews: 8n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Brown Hyena

1 sighting

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Lion

1 sighting

Oryx

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mr and Mrs F.
USA

"Onguma The Fort review"

3 nights Arrived 31 Jan 2022
"This lodge was another highlight for us. We saw more animals on our short ride to the lodge from the airstrip than in our previous three camps, including a pride of lions!

Accommodations were top notch, maybe a bit over the top? No!

Amazing experience hearing three lions vocalizing one evening near the camp. Staff and guides were great and we had some amazing adventures in Etosha.

An extra touch was our guide shared some umbrella mushrooms with us that the chef fried up for dinner." See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Black Rhino

1 sighting

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Oryx

Multiple sightings

Roan antelope

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mr K
New York

"Onguma The Fort review"

2 nights Arrived 22 Aug 2021
"I was upgraded and the Moroccan theme was a little ostentatious for my liking, but everyone was very nice.

Although activities were not included, I went on a sundowner drive on the reserve with Victor the first night and was impressed, so I also went on morning and afternoon game drives in Etosha the following day.

All the meals were excellent." See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Black Rhino

1 sighting

Cheetah

3 sightings

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Leopard

2 sightings

Oryx

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

White Rhino

1 sighting

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Miss K & Mr G
London

"Lovely high end lodge"

2 nights Arrived 29 Oct 2020
"This is a great lodge. The rooms are lovely and incredibly comfortable and ours (room 1 – the closest to the main area – overlooked the waterhole). They provide a free stocked minibar, and also art supplies and a yoga mat and skipping rope (we only used the minibar!). The rooms have a large outside deck area with sunloungers. There is also air-conditioning and a good shower. The food was excellent.

The lodge is well located, very close to the Etosha main gate, and there is wildlife within the Onguma reserve (we had a giraffe and a cheetah come to drink at the lodge waterhole while we were having dinner). However, there were a couple of little niggles which would have irritated me had we been paying full price (we were upgrade from Onguma Treeptop Camp following fire damage). Our minibar wasn’t restocked after the first day, and we had to ask for it to be done.

Also, I can’t have caffeine which means I can’t eat chocolate. The lodge were informed of this in advance and I reconfirmed it when we checked in. However, dessert on the second night was chocolate mousse, so I asked for an alternative and was presented with a bowl of fruit salad with chocolate ice cream on top! We pointed this out to the waiter who apologised, but didn’t seem to do anything about it as 20 minutes later we had to ask for another alternative to be brought out. Luckily for me, if I eat chocolate it just means I don’t sleep (it was too dark to tell it was chocolate until I tasted it), but if it had been a severe allergy it could have gone badly wrong.

The other thing is that if you are coming from the National Park and not from the direction of the main road, there is no sign for the lodge, and if you are relying on Google maps, it doesn’t know where the entry point to the Onguma reserve is. We ended up driving around for an hour in the dark trying to find it before retracing our steps and finding the sign when coming from the direction of the main road. We should have read Expert Africa's instructions the previous day!!!

We didn’t do any of the lodge activities so can’t comment on those.

We found that there was less wildlife in the eastern part of Etosha than we were expecting. We had previously been told by a number of people that this was the most wildlife-dense part of the park. There were plenty of herbivores, and occasional solitary elephants, but no rhinos or large groups of elephants, and apart from spotted hyenas the only predators we saw were one sighting of a group of three cheetahs. I’m not sure if this is usual, or is as a result of the recent fires, or a result of fewer cars driving around due to Covid so fewer pairs of eyes to spot things." See all these reviews: 18n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Cheetah

1 sighting

Elephant

5 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Oryx

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

4 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr & Mrs T
Sawbo

"The desert fort"

2 nights Arrived 20 Oct 2019
"Great accomodation in our mini fort. Plenty of, all inclusive, drinks in the mini bar plus a much appreciated welcoming carafe of port. Food was wonderful.

Thoroughly enjoyable drive from Ongave to the fort. Pandu, our excellent driver, took us through Etoshi and stopped whenever we saw something interesting.

David our guide was extremely knowledgeable and he, along with the staff at the fort, could not have treated us any better." See all these reviews: 9n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Black Rhino

1 sighting

Brown Hyena

1 sighting

Cheetah

1 sighting

Eland

1 sighting

Elephant

5 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Lion

1 sighting

Oryx

3 sightings

White Rhino

2 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Dr. L & wife
Denmark

"Onguma The Fort, 24 hours paradise"

1 night Arrived 13 Aug 2019
"When we arrive at the Moroccan fort, the servants are ready with heated white cotton cloths so we can wipe the dust off our faces and hands. As we enter through the gate, our arrival is announced on a large gong gong with two strokes.

Everything is tastefully decorated with several water elements and walkways passing water. Everywhere delicious materials are used and everything is tastefully decorated.

We are welcomed with ice tea in the restaurant. From here there is a direct view of the pool. And to the watering hole where animals come and go.

We are informed when the dinner will be served, after which we will be driven to our room. It is an unfenced lodge, ie. all animals have free access to the area. It is therefore too dangerous to travel outside alone, especially at night.

As we arrive at our room it turns out to be a small mini fort! Impressive Moroccan wooden doors with beautiful carvings everywhere and very high ceilings!

The bathroom is almost a tower room. Outside our own large secluded wooden terrace with lovely sun loungers. We have free views of the bush (room 6). To the right we can see the water hole. Everything is completely secluded including an extra outdoor shower.

Our waiter points out that there is sherry ready on the glass carafe! In addition, there are other carafe and wines from all over the world. Everything is included in the price, which I dare not think about at all.

We enjoy the afternoon completely secluded on the terrace. In the evening, it's the 1001 night adventure on the fort. We sit at a beautifully decked table with a free view of the waterhole. We have our own personal servant all evening. There is "Rust en Vrede" (rest and peace) on the wine list. Our personal favorite from South Africa.

We sleep like a rock all night after a day of wonderland. Here we would like to stay more than one night, but it probably requires an agreement with the bank ...

(We did not do any activities." See all these reviews: 21n in Namibia; 2n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs S
E Sussex

"Onguma The Fort review"

3 nights Arrived 29 Sep 2018
"Onguma reserve has a photographic hide which can be visited by guests and for those interested in quality photography the hide can provide some excellent opportunities very close, well worth a visit or two. Many good sightings at the hide of species not listed below.

No visits were made into Etosha from here." See all these reviews: 16n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Giraffe

3 sightings

Oryx

3 sightings

Wildebeest

4 sightings

Zebra

5 sightings

Mr D.
Chelmsford

"Onguma The Fort review"

2 nights Arrived 29 Sep 2018
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Black Rhino

1 sighting

Brown Hyena

1 sighting

Eland

1 sighting

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Leopard

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Oryx

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

White Rhino

1 sighting

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Showing 1-10 of 41
96%
41 reviews of Onguma The Fort by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
32
9
0
0
0
Filter by month

Holiday styles & special interests in Namibia

From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Namibia.


Birdwatching

Birdwatching

Diverse habitats, discreet hides and superb guiding.

Cultural experiences

Cultural experiences

Get an insight into Africa's cultures and history.

Family holidays

Family holidays

Hand-picked camps for an incredible family safari.

Honeymoons

Honeymoons

Romantic safaris and castaway island retreats.

Luxury

Luxury

First-class service, scenic vistas and unparalleled comfort await you during these carefully selected luxury holidays. 

Photography holidays

Photography holidays

Great holidays to suit the keen photographer.

Private villas & houses

Private villas & houses

Enjoy Africa with just your friends & family

Riding holidays

Riding holidays

Explore Africa's wilderness on horseback.

Solo Travel

Solo Travel

Trip ideas ideally suited for a solo traveller.

Walking

Walking

Explore Africa's most scenic trails on foot.

Walking safaris

Walking safaris

Explore Africa's untouched wildernesses on foot.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing

Wellness escapes in stunning locations

Wildlife safaris

Wildlife safaris

These trips include hard-hitting game and fascinatingly elusive species alike, as well as superb guiding and a variety of diverse ecosystems.

Other lodges in Etosha National Park

Alternative places to stay in this same area.


Okaukuejo Camp

Okaukuejo Camp

Set within Etosha National Park, Okaukuejo Resort is a large camp with a productive, floodlit waterhole.


83% (701 reviews)
Halali Camp

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.


79% (330 reviews)
Mushara Bush Camp

Mushara Bush Camp

The family-friendly Mushara Bush Camp offers great value and is an excellent base from which to explore Etosha National Park.


94% (261 reviews)
Ongava Lodge

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.


92% (158 reviews)
Ongava Tented Camp

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.


93% (153 reviews)
Onguma Tented Camp

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.


92% (103 reviews)
Dolomite Camp

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.


86% (97 reviews)
Mushara Lodge

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.


93% (96 reviews)
Namutoni Camp

Namutoni Camp

Centred on an old fort, the government run Namutoni Camp is located just inside Etosha National Park, close to Fisher's Pan.


82% (89 reviews)
Onguma Bush Camp

Onguma Bush Camp

For great wildlife viewing without breaking the bank, the affordable and understated luxury of Onguma Bush Camp could be perfect.


94% (84 reviews)
Hobatere Lodge

Hobatere Lodge

To the west of Etosha National Park, on the edge of Damaraland, Hobatere Lodge offers good game-viewing on its own reserve.


89% (74 reviews)
Mushara Outpost

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.


94% (68 reviews)
Onguma Camp Kala

Onguma Camp Kala

For a bird’s eye view across African bush, the stilted rooms at Onguma Camp Kala are truly special.


97% (43 reviews)
Onguma Forest Camp

Onguma Forest Camp

From its woodland setting on the Onguma Reserve, Forest Camp is within easy striking distance of Namibia’s flagship national park.


88% (36 reviews)
Safarihoek Lodge

Safarihoek Lodge

At the heart of the private Etosha Heights Reserve, Safarihoek Lodge offers comfortable accommodation and excellent game-viewing.


95% (36 reviews)
Taleni Etosha Village

Taleni Etosha Village

Only 4km from Etosha's southern entrance, Taleni Etosha Village is an affordable base from which to explore the park.


93% (26 reviews)
Etosha Safari Lodge

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.


85% (26 reviews)
Little Ongava

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.


97% (25 reviews)
Etosha Safari Camp

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.


86% (22 reviews)
Andersson's at Ongava

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.


94% (18 reviews)
Mountain Lodge

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.


97% (14 reviews)
Mokuti Etosha Lodge

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.


93% (11 reviews)
Etosha Oberland Lodge

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.


100% (6 reviews)
Vreugde Guest Farm

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.


92% (5 reviews)
Etosha Garden Hotel

Etosha Garden Hotel

Safari in Etosha National Park Namibia, whilst based at the nearby Etosha Garden Lodge.


60% (4 reviews)
Villa Mushara

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.


95% (4 reviews)
Etosha King Nehale

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.


100% (2 reviews)
Safari House

Safari House

The private Safari House on the Etosha Heights reserve is a great option families or friends travelling together.


100% (1 review)
Toshari Lodge

Toshari Lodge

Safari in Etosha National Park Namibia, whilst based at Etosha Gateway Lodge.


80% (1 review)
Onkoshi Camp

Onkoshi Camp

Onkoshi Camp is owned and run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts. Built on elevated wooden platforms it overlooks Etosha Pan.


No reviews yet

Login to Expert Africa

Sign in with password

Sign in with email link


New to Expert Africa? Create an account

Forgotten your details?

It's free & quick to set up

  • Save your wish-list
  • Send us an enquiry
  • Pay online for your trip
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Give us feedback on your trip
  • Full site benefits of the site

Need some help? Talk to our team

Africa