Reviews of Okonjima Plains Camp
(95%) From 361 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Okonjima Plains Camp review
The experience of seeing leopard and cheetah at close quarters was extraordinary. All professionally done.
Only negative observation was that we had not been told in advance that game drives would be charged as extras. Why charge this way when it is the main point of people going there? It would be much simpler to have an all in deal like Kulala. With extras also being charged for drinks, save for a sundowner on the game drive, it all came across as quite commercial. We want our money to be taken but in a way that makes it seem pleasant!!
Expert Africa comments
We're really sorry about this misunderstanding.
In the past Okonjima Plains Camp had two different rate options: one that included all meals & activities, and one that only included breakfast and dinner. For 2014, Okonjima stopped offering the rate that included activities. The choice remains available for Bush Camp.
These travellers were booked in on the new rates, without activities, and were charged accordingly. Although our communications to them were always correct, were really sorry that we didn't specifically draw their attention to how Okonjima had changed the way that they work.
One of the highlights of the trip !
We had New Year`s Eve here at Main Camp in Okonjima and they really went to town and tried hard. Excellent service and food. The activities were excellent and our guide was superb. It was very rewarding to visit the Africat Foundation. We got some superb sunset photos here.
We cannot praise all the staff there enough. No one should miss staying there.
Amazing place; great experience.
The rooms (the ones with views) are exceptional: big, well designed and with beautiful vistas. Great location.
Very interesting the big-cats-tracking activity.
Okonjima Main Camp review
The facility and food were excellent and there was a lovely pool for hot afternoons. The staff was very good. We had a garden room which was fine. Our tour guide, Jonas, was just adequate. We wish there were more information given on tours rather than concentrating solely on looking for cats. On one of our tours there was a private guide with a small group and he was full of fascinating information which he generously translated into English and shared with us. It made us realize what we were missing.
Choosing the education center as an an activity should be skipped as all it involved was reading information boards which could be done on your own. Again, this may have been what we experienced because of our particular guide who was napping in the truck.
The sundowner at the Zen garden and other overlooks was just beautiful and not to be missed. Overall definitely worth the visit.
Wonderful family experience
Great location accommodation and staff . We felt one night here was not enough and felt we had to rush some of the activities or miss some although the lady who met us on arrival did her best to ensure we got the optimum out of our time here . Seeing the leopards and cheetahs in this location was a memorable experience that we as a family will never forget. Previous our guide was brilliant he was so informative and although at times we didn't think we would get to see a young leopard ,he got us deep into the undergrowth where we closely experienced the interaction between mother and cub ...truly wonderful to see .
On leaving the camp we made a detour to the REST sanctuary , that we again thoroughly enjoyed and found fascinating especially holding the Pangolin . We definitely would recommend a longer stay here .
Upgraded to Okonjima Bush Camp - great!
On arrival we were upgraded to the Bush Camp, so all comments relate to that. The rooms were fabulous, partly walled and part open with roller blinds. A nice seating area to one side of the bed at a slightly lower level, and good shower, basin etc. facilities.
The food was the best we had in Namibia, both in terms of quality and quantity, and David, the manager could not have been more helpful, reconfirming our flights with no problem at all.
2 excellent game day drives to find leopard and then cheetah. And a fascinating evening drive to see porcupines and honey badgers. All very successful. A great stay. If time had allowed we'd certainly have stayed another night and relaxed a bit more! We had a tiny water hole outside the room and bird seed provided - we were soon feeding hornbills, helmeted guinea fowl, sparrows, weaver birds and more!
Okonjima Main Camp review
Although much more of a managed 'safari park' type reserve than Etosha with less variety of animals it was still very enjoyable and being able to see a cheetah in such close proximity on foot is a huge thrill. Our driver for the cheetah walk was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and the sundowner a perfect end to the day.
We wish we had stayed here for longer as would also have liked to do the leopard tracking as we had not seen one elsewhere. The only down side is we felt the activities on offer were a bit of a 'hard sell' and making money was important.
The rooms were excellent with spectacular views and facilities generally very good. Staff friendly and helpful.
Okonjima Main Camp review
A very nice way to end our trip. Staff was excellent.
We have some mixed feelings as to Okojima as a destination. The area is not as scenic as a lot of the other places we visited and as Africat has (for good reason) made education its main mission, what visitors see is a lot different from what we had read about Okijima. There are not a lot of cats there and they no longer are allowed to roam near the main camp area. They are changing the camp to be a "plains" camp by removing nonnative plants. It all makes sense but as a tourist experience it's not what it was. But we enjoyed it and appreciate the dedication of Africat to deal with the complexities in the survival of large cats.
Not the Traditional Safari
This is not the traditional 'big 5' safari experience. As the home of the AfriCat Foundation it is firmly focused on cheetah and leopard. This should be seen as complementary to safari elsewhere (it is easy to combine with the excellent Etosha National Park) or for those particularly interested in these beautiful big cats.
We had a View Room at the Main Camp which was spacious, well equipped and comfortable. Free wi-fi in the public area. The tariff includes two activities each day - primarily to look for either cheetah (more or less guaranteed) or leopard (much more difficult). Both wear radio collars to assist location for research purposes. We found that the cheetah safari was the most satisfying as you are taken through a bigger area of the park and we saw a very impressive range of animals. In fact during this activity we were very lucky and found a superb un-collared leopard that we were able to see from very close range and get great pictures. We also walked 100 yards or so into the bush with a guide and tracker to see a mother cheetah and her cub. Cheetah don't see people as prey so that makes it possible to do this in relative safety.
Food was adequate if a little hit and miss. As long as you are clear how the Okonjima experience will fit into your overall plan/time available, it is highly recommended. In order to enjoy the activities to the full, I would strongly suggest you stay for two nights.
Okonjima Plains Camp review
Due to the large size of the facility, this was our least favourite camp in Namibia. It can't help but be less personal with so many guests. That said, the rooms and meals were fine and we did get to see cheetahs close up.
Read more about the whole safariExpert Africa comments
Okonjima asked Expert Africa to clarify that they offer three different lodge styles on their reserve. The very comfortable Plains Camp is the largest and most economic; Okonjima Bush Camp is smaller with 9 smart, well-appointed rooms and a higher price tag; and the Bush Suite and Okonjima Villa are booked on a private basis for travellers looking for an up-market, exclusive stay.
