Reviews of Okonjima Plains Camp
(95%) From 359 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Okonjima Main Camp review
Good situation with fine communal facilities and pool and well planned rooms with the large picture windows giving a great outlook both by day and at night. The food was very good as was the service. The outings were enjoyable and we managed to see all that we had hoped to, and were enhanced by the knowledgeable and lively banter between the guides driving our vehicles.
One of our party had a birthday during our stay, and arranged for special pre-dinner drinks to be served. The method of preparation was unknown to the staff, but during our afternoon excursion, they had consulted the internet and prepared two alternative versions for us which showed commendable initiative and commitment to service. Following this, at our brunch after the next morning's excursion, we were provided with two complementary bottles of champagne, a very thoughtful touch.
The one slight downside was the fact that a small number of staff carried pistols, which surprisingly were said to be for personal protection after an organised robbery at the site a couple of years ago and the theft of the camp's takings in the local town en route to the bank. However security arrangements appeared to be very good and there was no feeling of concern whatsoever among our group. In fact only a couple of the more observant, and ex-military, members of the group noticed the weapons and made the subsequent enquiry.
Okonjima Main Camp review
We would have liked to stay here longer!!!
In our opinion, Michael was the best guide we had on the whole trip, very knowledgeable, mature and calm about what he does. The food was good and the pool was superb.
The Leopard drive in the morning was great fun and if we had stayed another night I would have gone on the Cheetah drive again. It was so nice to see them with space and lots of shelter.
an excellent place to visit
what a wonderful place with really good trips to see cheetahs and leopards which were quite magnificent. The whole experience from arrival to departure could not be faulted.
I left wishing we had had more time here.
The cats were a treat
I did not think that seeing radio-collared leopards would be a big treat, but it was actually quite exciting.
The new rooms are beautiful; the older rooms looked as though they were small, but I did not see any interiors.
The gardens were a great place to relax, with many birds (thanks to several birdfeeders).
We only stayed here one night, but I think two would have been nice, because there seemed to be good walking, in addition to the cat-viewing rides, and it was just a nice place to hang out.
Okonjima Main Camp review
Leopard tracking is an excellent experience!
Read more about the whole safariOkonjima Main Camp review
After a minor hiccup regarding which room grade we had booked, fortunately Expert Africa's voucher system confirmed our booking precisely our luggage was transferred to one of the new view rooms ( a bungalow really ).. These are huge with a wall of glass over looking the savannah.
We arrived early afternoon and after lunch went on a game drive in search of Leopard... did we find one ? yes we did.... a beautiful male out walking, thanks to our guide.
Back at the lodge we had a very good evening meal with our guide.. Martin... joining us which was a very nice touch.
After dinner we went to a hide to watch porcupine.
In the morning after breakfast we went on another drive this time to look for cheetah... did we find them ? yes we did... not one but 5.. and they came right up close to the vehicle.
On the way back we also found a female leopard with a cub although they were hard to see as they were so well concealed in the bushes.
Our only negative comment was that the gift shop was closed and since the trust receives its income from the lodge and shop we found it strange that they were not prepared to open it... this was our last day in Namibia and we were ready to buy gifts... this therefore had to wait until we were in Cape Town
Okonjima Main Camp review
Cheetah are guaranteed.
Leopard is not guaranteed but is so worth the extra time and far more exciting.
Okonjima Main Camp review
Compared with our last visit three years ago this camp has lost its charm but no doubt it caters for more clients.The new public areas are pleasant to look at and provide a good dining and sitting area,The new cabins, however, give the impression of luxurious garage conversions.
Activities were extensive and well organized,collared leopard tracking was particularly rewarding considering how difficult these cats are to see in the wild. What a pity we have to cheat to achieve it but I am not really complaining. Our only complaint, a serious one, was using a metallic radio tracking aerial on top of a hillock in a tropical thunder storm with lightning strikes within half a mile of us. On the positive side, the bushman trail was very well done and should not be missed.
Great dining experience
Perhaps because of the buffet system in Etosha, I really appreciated having waiter service at Okonjima and to be able to be seated with other guests.
The room view here was marvellous with a sense of quiet isolation even though the main camp was quite close. The game drives I had here were conducted by a very knowledgeable guide, Peereu, and the whole experience was by turns exciting and relaxing.
The oryx that night at dinner was superb, as were the choice of wines!
Okanjima - dont miss it!!
Probably our favourite place we stayed on our trip to Namibia. Its not really about the accommodation here, its about the cats, but we had a view room ( a few minutes walk from the central building) which was very very spacious and comfortable, and as the name suggests has a panoramic view over the surrounding bush where springbok, oryx and warthog roamed freely. The other garden rooms, although we didnt see inside them, gave the impression of being smaller and were in close proximity to where dinner etc is served.
We were a little put off in the first few hours of our stay as we couldnt get any clear information about what activities we could do when, but once allocated a guide (Michael, who was excellent) this was much better explained and organised. The activities were very good, trips in open landrovers to see the cheetah, and leopard tracking was both fun and successful. We werent expecting to see as many other animals (especially giraffe) so that was an added bonus. We did the night drive which was also worthwhile as we got fleeting glimpses of a good number of animals.
Food was very good, breakfast, freshly baked/cooked food for afternoon tea, and dinner (much better one night than the other). Would recommend you to budget for the activities here, as you can't do much on your own, and whilst they are quite pricey if you do a few of them they are what make the stay as good as it is.
We learnt alot about the work of the foundation and the characteristics of the cats in general here, much more so than any other place / safari we have been on so far. We went on to Etosha and in comparison saw relatively few cats there (lion) so if you want guaranteed big cat then do stay over here even if only for one night.
