NAMIBIA - Ongava Tented Camp, Etosha/Ongava Game Reserve
Etosha National Park is Namibia's premier wildlife destination and one of Africa's largest game reserves. Large herds of wildlife teem around the waterholes and the endless plains offer breathtaking vistas.
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 scattered rainfall during the summer months produces a profusion of new life - pronking baby springbok and comical young wildebeest are a delight at this time of the year.
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 but after particularly good rains, Etosha Pan can attract massive flocks of flamingos to its salty waters. 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 shares an unfenced boundary with the Etosha National Park, enabling large game such as elephant and lion to move freely between the Park and the Reserve. The Ongava Game Reserve was formed in 1991, when shareholders of Ongava converted cattle ranches into a 30,000 hectare private game reserve which is now a haven to large concentrations of wildlife. Ongava 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. Tracking white rhino on foot with a guide is a highlight not to be missed.
Most general game is present in the Ongava Game Reserve as in Etosha National Park; 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.
ACCOMMODATION:
Ongava Tented Camp is built in a hidden valley at the foot of a dolomite hill in the much lauded Ongava Game Reserve to the south of the Etosha National Park. The camp overlooks a nearby waterhole which is a big attraction to wildlife in the arid surroundings.
Built in stone with canvas and thatch, Ongava Tented Camp accommodates only 16 guests in eight large comfortable Meru-style tents - all with en-suite facilities, open air showers and private verandas.
Relaxation at Ongava Tented Camp typically takes place around the main area where a bar and swimming pool are a great place from which to view wildlife that comes to drink at the water below.
ACTIVITIES AND WILDLIFE:
Activities at Ongava Tented Camp 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 Tented Camp share a dedicated guide and Land Rover, ensuring the best possible nature experience at one of Africa's great wildlife destinations.
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 and the miniature Pygmy Falcon are regularly seen. The magnificent Crimson-breasted Shrike is Namibia's national bird. Ostrich, the impressive Kori Bustard and raptors like Greater Kestrel, Lanner Falcon and Pale Chanting Goshawk are also seen in abundance.