Located in a quiet valley in its own private reserve, Encounter by Ongava is an excellent option for a more traditional safari experience at a camp with an elevated feel in Namibia. The country is famous for its extraordinary landscapes – the vast dunes of Sossusvlei, and the remote, mountainous desert camps where you can enjoy almost total isolation. However, a more classic safari can be enjoyed in Etosha National Park and the surrounding areas. Formerly an ancient lake, it is now a vast pan, parched and white, giving rise to its Herero name, ‘Great White Place’. Around the edges of this old lakebed are numerous waterholes, giving rise to grasslands and mopane forests that attract and sustain a huge array of wildlife, including lion, elephant, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, and springbok.

Semi-Tented (Hybrid)

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Classic

From AU$1,521 – AU$1,521 pp

Min age 6 +

An authentic, well-located camp in a private reserve bordering Etosha National Park

Lounge, bar, dining area, firepit, and swimming pool

Just nine Meru-style tents, including one family unit

Game drives, walking safaris, and night drives

Our Yellow Zebra Opinion
  • Great all-rounder
My personal favourite of the four properties in the reserve due to the more authentic, close-to-nature style of the camp. It does have more of a wild feel compared to the other properties on the reserve – the waterhole right in front of the camp makes you feel right in amongst the action.
James Shortt Sales Director

Activities

As the camp is situated within Ongava Private Reserve, you can enjoy more activities here than are allowed within Etosha National Park

Expertly guided game drives

Walking safaris

Night drives

  • Two game drives a day are offered, during the morning and the late afternoon. It’s possible to do a full-day trip and go farther into Etosha National Park, if another couple wishes to join (just in terms of vehicle numbers and availability). Among the highlights are lion, leopard, rhino (black and white varieties), elephant (if you head into Etosha), hyena, and occasional cheetah, while the large herbivore collection features giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, oryx, eland, and an assortment of other antelopes.

    Rhinos, Ongava Tented Camp, Etosha National Park, Namibia

  • You can also head out into the bush with an armed guide. As well as enjoying animal tracking and the area’s phenomenal birdlife, you’ll take a closer look at the reserve’s insects and plant life. As mentioned, you can have great encounters with rhino at this camp! The guiding is excellent, with rangers trained to approach rhino for some scintillating encounters. Different levels and distances are offered, depending on the ages of your group. Classic walking safari has a minimum age requirement of 13 years here. However, to track rhino it’s 16 years.

  • Why not head out at night when all the big predators come alive? It’s always an unforgettable experience, watching what goes on in the dark of the night! You might see all manner of nocturnal beasts, and occasionally a larger predator with its prey.

    Night Drive, Kigelia Ruaha, Tanzania

*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.

Access & Location

Encounter by Ongava is located in the Ongava Private Reserve, which borders the southern boundary of Etosha National Park. While benefiting from the more intimate experience of being in a private reserve, you also have great access to the best game-viewing areas within Etosha itself, since the Andersson Gate is only a short drive away. The camp is accessed by scheduled light aircraft into Ongava airstrip, and from here it’s a 15 minutes’ drive to camp, depending on what wildlife you might encounter along the way. Chat to your safari consultant about when’s best to incorporate Ongava into a Namibia itinerary.

Make an Enquiry

Facilities

The main part of the camp is a lovely building, made of stone and thatch, and housing the dining areas, bar, and campfire that overlooks the floodlit watering hole.

Make an Enquiry
Bar

Bar

Firepit

Campfire

Wifi

Wi-Fi

Swimming pool

Swimming pool

Often you will get distracted during your meal as wildlife make their visits to drink! There is Wi-Fi at the camp, although speeds can be intermittent given the remote location. The camp has real charm, the food is excellent, the staff attentive, and it’s really well run. A nice touch is that they have a camera trap located by the waterhole, so whenever movement is detected it takes a pic (even at night) and you can check to see what has passed through.

Amenities

The rooms are classic Meru-style tents on stilts – spacious, well appointed, and luxurious without being showy.

Make an Enquiry
Overhead fan

Ceiling fan

Shower

Indoor and outdoor showers

Drink Station

Tea-and-coffee facility

Family room

Family unit

As the tents are set well apart, you have good privacy, and there’s a little decking area at the front with table and chairs, where you can relax and see whatever wildlife might wander past. Each tent has a double bed or twin beds, en-suite facilities with flush toilet, twin washbasins, indoor and outdoor showers, a writing desk, a small sofa area, tea-and-coffee-making facilities, and an electronic safe. The rooms can get quite hot in the middle of the day, but there is a great swimming pool within sight of the watering hole – this offers great relief from the heat in the hotter months! At night you have a ceiling fan, but the natural breeze from the gauze-sided canvas tents also helps maintain a good sleeping temperature. The family unit is simply two tented rooms that are closer together and connected by a little walkway. So you still have privacy from the kids!

Similar Lodges

View all lodges in Namibia
  • firepit boma anderssons namibia yellow zebra safaris
    Namibia
    •
    Permanent lodge
    •
    Classic

    Anderssons Camp

     From AU$2,023 – AU$2,023 pp

    A fabulous little camp next to the famous Etosha National Park, Anderssons has just undergone a huge refurbishment! It includes the Ongava Research Centre and a photographic hide, and it has an admirable conservation and eco-tourism focus. Anderssons at…

  • Lounge, Ongava Tented Camp, Etosha National Park, Namibia
    Namibia
    •
    Semi-Tented (Hybrid)
    •
    Classic

    Ongava Tented Camp

     From AU$1,521 – AU$1,521 pp

    Located in a quiet valley in its own private reserve, Encounter by Ongava is an excellent option for a more traditional safari experience at a camp with an elevated feel in Namibia. The country is famous for its extraordinary landscapes – the vast dunes of…

  • Onguma The Fort 1799
    Namibia
    •
    Permanent lodge
    •
    Classic

    Onguma the Fort

     From AU$1,381 – AU$1,256 pp

    Onguma The Fort – a striking name and a striking building, with lavish communal areas in a Moroccan style. If you are looking to spend a bit more for a bit of luxury, the opulent Fort with its raw textures and earthy tones is the right place to be! This truly…

  • Onguma Tented Camp Watering Hole 0247
    Namibia
    •
    Semi-Tented (Hybrid)
    •
    Classic

    Onguma Tented Camp

     From AU$1,367 – AU$1,242 pp

    Onguma Tented Camp is perfect for travellers who prefer an intimate little lodge to the larger properties. It's a well-positioned lodge and wonderful as a romatic safari destination.

  • 046 Mushara Lodge 1103
    Namibia
    •
    Permanent lodge
    •
    Classic

    Mushara Lodge

     From AU$363 – AU$363 pp

    The beauty of Mushara Lodge is that you have the best of both worlds. The focus is most definitely on the relaxation and luxurious surroundings of the property itself, but you can also take advantage of the guided game-viewing excursions into Etosha, which is…

  • mushara bush lodge namibia yellow zebra safaris
    Namibia
    •
    Semi-Tented (Hybrid)
    •
    Essential

    Mushara Bush Camp

     From AU$279 – AU$279 pp

    Guests at Mushara Bush Camp can expect a carefully crafted experience that is tranquil, warm and welcoming. The property provides the perfect location from which to explore the exciting bush and surrounding reserve. With wildlife on the doorstep, Marc and…

  • fireplace, little ongava, etosha national park, namibia
    Namibia
    •
    Permanent lodge
    •
    Luxury

    Little Ongava

     From AU$4,254 – AU$4,268 pp

    Set at the top of a hill, Little Ongava has a jaw-dropping location. The rooms and the main area all have uninterrupted views as far as the eye can see.

  • firepit, onguma forest camp, etosha national park, namibia
    Namibia
    •
    Permanent lodge
    •
    Essential

    Onguma Forest Camp

     From AU$377 – AU$335 pp

    Onguma Forest Camp is the second-oldest property in Onguma Reserve! It regularly receives excellent reviews. The accommodation can be booked on a B&B or DB&B (dinner, bed, and breakfast) basis, including parking and Wi-Fi. A reduced rate is available to…

Talk to someone who’s been there

Real expertise doesn’t come from a few trips to Africa. All our specialists have either been guides, run the camps, or grown up and lived in Africa. That’s over 600 years of genuine safari experience.
Make an Enquiry
+61 1800 841 726
Matt Gammon
Sales Manager

As Seen In