NAMIBIA - Ongava Lodge, Etosha/Ongava Game Reserve

Etosha National Park (almost the size of Switzerland) is Namibia's premier wildlife destination.

Etosha means "great white place" in the local language, the name derived from the blinding white salt bleached earth that stretches over 70 miles east to west and 34 miles north to south (covering over 3,000 square miles).

Large herds of plains game concentrate around the waterholes in the dry season, whilst the sporadic rain that falls during the summer months produces a profusion of new life - with pronking baby springbok and comical young wildebeest.

Etosha National Park itself covers a vast area of over 12 400 square miles and is home to an amazing diversity of fauna and flora. The Etosha Pan is a parched wasteland most of the time and occasionally a few rivers and the unpredictable heavy summer rains can fill the pan. After particularly good rains, Etosha Pan will attract over a million flamingos to its salty waters. The salty nature of the environment does not support much vegetation, but its edges give way to a surprising variety of vegetation types.

A low row of dolomite hills, called the Ondundozonanandana Range, provides relief to the flat surroundings and harbours populations of the endemic Anchieta's dwarf python and the local rock hyrax.

The Ongava Game Reserve was formed in 1991, when shareholders of Ongava converted four unproductive cattle ranches into a highly productive 30,000 hectare private game reserve which is now a haven to large concentrations of wildlife. The boundary is unfenced, allowing wildlife to move between the Ongava Game Reserve and the Etosha National Park.

ACCOMMODATION:

Ongava Lodge is built on a small hill in the Ongava Game Reserve against the southern boundary of the Etosha National Park. The vantage point is beautiful and overlooks a watering point and the plains beyond. Guests at Ongava Lodge can enjoy the sight of a host of thirsty wildlife congregating around the waterhole.

Accommodation at Ongava Lodge consists of 14 chalets, attractively built out of brick, rock and thatch. Each chalet has an en-suite bathroom with flush toilet, bath, shower and double hand basins. Air-conditioning and overhead fans keep guests cool in the scorching Namibian heat. All rooms have mosquito netting, a tea/coffee station and a safe. Glass fronted doors lead onto a private, covered verandah overlooking the bush.

There are impressive views of the waterhole and surrounding plains from the main lounge, bar and dining areas. Meals are either served in the main dining area under thatch or on the dining deck under the stars.

ACTIVITIES AND WILDLIFE:

Activities at Ongava Lodge revolve around day and night wildlife-viewing drives, visiting hides that overlook waterholes and walks with experienced guides. A hide at the camp waterhole provides superb photographic opportunities. Game drives and daytrips into the easily accessible Okaukuejo area of Etosha National Park are rewarding, with sightings of lion, elephant, gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest, and white and black rhino. Guests at Ongava Lodge share a dedicated guide and Land Rover, ensuring the best possible nature experience at one of Africa's great wildlife destinations.

Most general game is present in the Ongava Game Reserve as much as within Etosha National Park: including springbok, gemsbok, wildebeest, Burchell's zebra, Hartmann's mountain zebra, waterbuck, red hartebeest, giraffe, eland and the endemic black-faced impala. Elephant and lion frequently move between the Park and the Reserve, as do both black and white rhino. The Ongava Game Reserve is unique in that it is one of the few private game reserves in southern Africa where there is a chance of seeing both black and white rhino. For those who enjoy close wildlife encounters, tracking white rhino on foot with a guide is a highlight not to be missed.

Birdlife around Ongava Lodge within the Ongava Game Reserve is prolific, with over 340 species to be seen - amongst them 10 of Namibia's 14 endemic bird species. Specials like Short-toed Rock-Thrush, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Violet Wood-Hoopoe, Carp's Tit, Hartlaub's Francolin, Red-necked Falcon, the Sociable Weaver and its enormous communal nests, the miniature Pygmy Falcon and the brilliantly coloured Crimson-breasted Shrike - Namibia's national bird - are sought-after by birders. Ostrich, the impressive Kori Bustard and raptors like Greater Kestrel, Lanner Falcon and Pale Chanting Goshawk are seen in abundance.