ANDERSSONS AT ONGAVA – ONGAVA GAME RESERVE – ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Anderssons at Ongava will be a newly refurbished luxury camp when it opens in June 2022. Set in the private Ongava Game Reserve bordering the Etosha National Park the camp will ensure a light footprint and an exceptional experience.

With just seven contemporary designed luxury guest units and one family unit the suites will have colours, textures and materials which connect you more closely to the safari experience.

During your stay you will have the option of enjoying game drives on both Ongava Private Reserve and Etosha National Park, guided walking safaris and experience the photographic hide. Delve a little deeper and you also have the chance to contribute to developing creative, knowledge driven solutions with resident scientists, visiting researchers, conservationists and rhino security personnel. Or simply relax and enjoy the luxurious guest suites, waterhole, photographic hide and pool where you will find your own personal place for reflection.

LOCATION

The 30 000 hectare private Ongava Game Reserve is situated in northern Namibia along the southern boundary of the Etosha National Park, south of Okaukuejo with Ombika Gate being the closest access to Etosha. Access is via a road transfer, self-drive transfer or light aircraft flight to Ongava Airstrip.

CAMP

The Anderssons at Ongava guest suites are designed as a direct extension of the landscape, with a natural stone buttress that draws guests in and engenders a deep sense of place. Using natural elements and luxurious touches the spacious suites reflect the environment while offering a climate-controlled sanctuary in the bush. Each suite has a private viewing deck with wonderful 180 degree views.

The generously proportioned suites continue the theme of discovery with décor that lends itself to a naturalist’s home with ensuite facilities, a separate toilet, double indoor shower and an outdoor shower, double vanity basin, mosquito net, tea and coffee making facilities, hairdryer and electronic safe. During winter, cosy hot water bottles and extra blankets are provided.

One Family Suite is offered at the camp with 2 identical suites each have their own bathroom and entrance. The rooms are linked by a short walkway

A centrally positioned infinity-edge swimming pool and surrounding lounge area allows for relaxing in sheltered nooks with views of the waterhole and beyond. The social area where guests gather for meals and to meet fellow wildlife enthusiasts, guides and naturalists has an undercover and open-air dining area, a spacious lounge and bar, a sunken observation terrace and open fireplaces. There is a Namibian curio shop, library and complimentary WIFI.

A short walk away you can visit the Ongava Research Centre and Ongava Visitor Centre where you explore the self-guided exhibition area. The adjacent 36-seat auditorium is designed for interactive presentations and discussions.

ACTIVITIES AND WILDLIFE

Etosha Pan is the result of a geological shift that dramatically changed the course of the Kunene River which was formerly an ancient lake. Today the Pan is mostly dry and the edges of the Pan give way to a surprising variety of vegetation types: from woodland and broad swathes of mopane, to open acacia-strewn plains and grasslands. Fringing the Pan are several productive waterholes that sustain the high density of large mammals from elephant and lion to vast herds of springbok, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe and gemsbok.

On the southern boundary of Etosha National Park and forming a buffer to the Park lies Ongava Game Reserve, a 30 000-hectare private reserve. It is a haven to large concentrations of wildlife: notably lion, wildebeest, springbok, gemsbok, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, red hartebeest, giraffe, eland and the largest population of the endemic black faced impala outside of Etosha. The Reserve is also known for the successful reintroduction of white and black rhino. Ongava also provides easy access to the prime game viewing areas of central Etosha, Namibia’s flagship national park.

Guests staying on Ongava Game Reserve have the opportunity to view game both on Ongava and in neighbouring Etosha National Park. Large herds of plains game concentrate around the waterholes in the dry season, making for exciting wildlife viewing.

The waterhole and nearby underground photographic hide offer a water level view of the wild and birdlife on Ongava Game Reserve. For specialist photographic parties there is a dedicated photographic nook for review and editing of images.

Excursions into Etosha National Park – enjoy a full or half-day guided morning game drive in the Etosha National Park and see the massive salt-pan and perennial springs that provide the water required by the park’s high-density big game population. Full day activity on request and comes with packed lunch.

Guided Nature Walks – offered seasonally and subject to an available walking guide the guided nature walks through the reserve will showcase the variety of life from unusual plants to arid-adapted animals with a chance of potentially approaching white rhino.

Photographic Hide – Andersson’s hide allows for unobtrusive game viewing of the camp’s waterhole. Often frequented by plains game including warthog, zebra, giraffe and antelope the waterhole also attracts larger game such as rhino and sometimes even lions.

Game drives on Ongava Game Reserve – guided afternoon/evening game drives take place on the private Ongava Game Reserve which is well known for its population of rhino and lion as well as the endemic black faced impala.

Ongava Information System and Visitor Centre – an immersion into the world of natural history and science with dozens of in-depth displays that feature information on the geology, animals, plants and ecological functioning of the region.

GIVING BACK

Ongava Game Reserve in Namibia is home to some of the most rare and endangered species of wild animals on the planet. Our mission at Ongava Research Centre is to help protect them.

Cutting edge research into the genetics of Ongava’s rhino population is just one example of how the work being done at Ongava Research Centre is making a difference to conservation not only in Namibia but also throughout Africa.

Through our parentage analysis of Ongava’s closed white and black rhino populations, we are continuing to play a leading role in the conservation and recovery of these species.

Together with research and habitat management, we aim to manage Ongava Game Reserve’s precious natural resources for the benefit of all the wild creatures that share this fragile environment, protecting them now and for generations to come.

ANDERSSONS AT ONGAVA IS OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND

THE CAMP WELCOMES FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN OF ANY AGE

FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 12 YEARS MUST BOOK AND PAY FOR A PRIVATE ACTIVITIES

THE MINIMUM AGE FOR WALING ACTIVITIES IS 13 YEARS AND 16 YEARS FOR RHINO APPROACHING ON FOOT