Onguma Tented Camp

PLAN MY TRIP

Nestled on the eastern boundary of the game-rich Etosha National Park, Onguma Tented Camp overlooks a busy waterhole.

Accommodations consist of seven en-suite safari tents. Each tent includes an en suite bathroom featuring an al fresco outdoor shower, bath, and flush toilet. A private veranda overlooks the waterhole gentle dik dik and feisty zebra graze during the day and lion and hyena come to drink at night. The tents are decorated by Namibian designer Heidrun Diekmann who was inspired by the world famous Etosha Pan. From the surrounding landscape. Se took a palette of colors and textures that is complementary and muted, with shades of grey, white, khaki, and beige combining with canvas, screed, pole, and stone to blend the tents in with their natural setting.

Onguma Game Reserve stretches across 84,015 acres of protected land. Plains game such as kudu, giraffe, eland, oryx, hartebeest, zebra, and impala roam freely, and predators including lion, cheetah, and leopard are frequently sighted. The reserve even boasts its own family of Black Rhino. During the Namibian summer months, when the rains have finally come, the park becomes a birdwatcher’s paradise. Over 300 bird species migrate to the wetlands and the once-dry riverbeds. The private reserve also borders Fischer’s Pan, offering easy access to Etosha, Namibia’s premier wildlife destination. Etosha not only houses miles of prime game-rich grasslands, it contains the world-famous Etosha Pan, a white-clay, salt pan so large it can be seen from space.

Game drives in Onguma are available in the morning, afternoon, and at night. Expert guides educate guests on the local flora and fauna as well as tracking the much-desired plains game and their predators. Organized game drives into Etosha are possible, and a morning drive to Namutoni is often followed by a safari through the park. A highlight of any trip to Onguma is the morning bush walk, led by an experienced armed ranger. Tracking animals by their “spoor” is really interesting and fun for all. Unique to Onguma is the afternoon black rhino drive, which allows visitors to experience Onguma’s unique effort in black rhino conservation. A particular highlight is gathering data from strategically placed camera traps positioned at various waterholes.

The main tented building houses the dining room, bar, and lounge. The décor is retro-contemporary with deep sofas for relaxing. In front of the dining room, an open boma sits under the shade of an ancient leadwood tree. At night, guests gather around the open-fire for an after-dinner drink and to watch the animals at the waterhole. While during the heat of the day, the camp’s cool rim-flow swimming pool is the ideal place to relax.