#Little Ongava

[bobbinacrossafricatake2]

Farewell and Hello

May 22, 2024

It’s amazing how attached one can get to the staff at a wonderful camp in just a few days. Maybe it’s the difference between two and three nights at a place, but Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp was pretty special for their hospitality, warmth and the pride that the staff takes in the camp. It was clear several times that they are still getting over the 1 1/2 years of COVID (theirs and other camps closed, so everyone was unemployed). So many of the staff thanked us for visiting, even as we thanked them for the wonderful welcome we received. They sent us off with an equally wonderful song.

It was such a treat to be able to sleep in (to 6:30 AM!) and take our time getting ready. Seb ran to the lounge to get coffee/latte to have in the room, and then we went to breakfast a bit later. It was quiet with the group of eight already out on their morning drive. We finished packing and hung in the main lounge area for a while until Jo and Robert joined us for the short drive to the airstrip. Two flights brought us to the Ongava Game Reserve. 30,000 hectares (just over 74,000 acres) of protected land. There are several accommodations here: one tented camp, one exclusive camp with only three rooms, and the lodges where we’re staying (in the middle of exclusive and natural tented). Not bad at all for slumming, as we joked! We ran into Rebecca and Lance from Sossusvlei who shared our flight and were headed to Little Ongava, the snazzier place. We realized that between this and last trip, sometimes we were at the nice exclusive of twin facilities and sometimes at the older (but still fabulous) place, as here. The whole camp has the feel of Lewa Wilderness, a Kenya camp we stayed in on our last trip. Lots of stone, thatched roofs, paths to the bungalows. We have A/C here, but the air is fresh and it reportedly will cool down even more tonight, so we’re going with screens and fresh air!

As is the norm at camps, staff met us on arrival with cold, wet towels and a lemonade. We’re up on a hillside, so there are lots of stone steps - up to the lodge, down to the common area, down over and up to our bungalow #9. We had a late lunch in the open air restaurant overlooking an expansive vista and watering hole below. A small group of ellies, some springboks, blue wildebeests and close to us on the hillside a bunch of rock hyraxes. Lunch was delish and then we were escorted to our room. Rock hyrax babies on the way, peaking out from the rocks and making wild noises. Here, there’s WiFi in the lounge as well as the room. We found ourselves looking at email at lunch so made a pact that connectivity is off-limits in the common area - more fun chatting up the staff or other guests!!

Our room is very nice and comfortable, with a balcony overlooking the vista (through some trees). We settled in for a piece (not a lot of time) then headed back to the lodge for our afternoon game drive. We’re an international group for our vehicle: a young British couple, an older Aussie couple and us. Sylvanius is our guide for our stay. He’s very knowledgeable, if perhaps without the amazing style or sensitivity of our previous guides. Not intended as a big criticism, we guess that he’s simply less experienced in the subtler aspects of customer service and guest comfort (e.g., managing the vehicle for our comfort vice for optimal progress; relying on his colleagues’ spottings, rather than looking through binocs himself). At any rate, we recognize that every camp and every guide is different. We were out for about three hours. We did an overview drive of the private reserve. Early on, we didn’t see much, but it got better and better. The moon came out - full or almost full, and with the sun setting, the light was fantastic. First we had a group of about five white rhinos, including young ones. They were among the shrubs/low trees that one sees all over, so we only got a few clear views,but it was fun to see them between the branches, munching away. We caught some springboks and giraffes and then headed to catch “something interesting.” It turned out to be a male and female lion resting together just off a road. They were alternating napping and going into alert mode at sounds, a few yawns, and then they moved together. The girl made some fascinating grunting calls to the other three in their reported five-member pride who did not arrive by the time we took off. Sylvanius served us a sundowner so that we could hang watching them a while longer. We alternated holding each other’s drink and taking a camera to see lions and moon on one side and setting sun on the other. Let’s face it: lions in the wild simply doesan’t get old!

The drive back was chilly (ahhhh, love that feeling), and we were rewarded with cool cloths to clean up. Everyone was already seated for dinner, so we passed on a cocktail and sat down for dinner ourselves. Yay: first a rhino and then a baby rhino drank from the lighted watering hold - nice scope set up for optimal viewing. It was nice that several guests looked out for one another to make sure everyone noticed!

Dinner was yummy, a nice pinotage, and then the guy with the gun walked us back to the room, confirming on the way that yes, they’re real bullets, not tranquilizer bullets. Hard to imagine a big animal here on the hill, but who knows. We each made use of the fabulous outdoor shower, did a bit of blogging, and now off to sleep for us to be ready for an early start.

[logi1974]

Little Ongava is perched on the crest of a hill commanding magnificent vistas of the plains stretching for miles to the horizon, offering an extraordinary experience as the focal point of an Etosha journey. This intimate camp has only three spacious suites each with its own plunge pool, en-suite bathroom, “sala”, and outdoor shower. The lounge and dining areas have wonderful views of a productive waterhole below the camp, the open deck allowing for relaxed, stylish dining under the African sky. Guests at Little Ongava share a dedicated guide and vehicle, ensuring the best possible nature experience at one of Africa’s great wildlife destinations. Day and night wildlife-viewing drives, visiting hides overlooking waterholes, walks and rhino approach with experienced guides can all be enjoyed exclusively on this reserve. Game drives and day trips into nearby Etosha National Park are also offered.

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Little Ongava thront auf dem Kamm eines Hügels und bietet herrliche Ausblicke auf die Ebenen, die sich kilometerweit bis zum Horizont erstrecken, und bietet ein außergewöhnliches Erlebnis als zentraler Punkt einer Etosha-Reise. Dieses intime Camp verfügt über nur drei geräumige Suiten mit jeweils eigenem Tauchbecken, eigenem Bad, „Sala“ und Außendusche. Die Lounge- und Essbereiche bieten einen herrlichen Blick auf ein produktives Wasserloch unter dem Camp, das offene Deck ermöglicht ein entspanntes, stilvolles Essen unter  afrikanischen Himmel. Gäste von Little Ongava teilen sich einen engagierten Guide und ein Fahrzeug, um das bestmögliche Naturerlebnis an einem der großartigsten Wildtierziele Afrikas zu gewährleisten. In diesem Reservat können Gäste Tag und Nacht Wildbeobachtungsfahrten unternehmen, Verstecke mit Blick auf Wasserlöcher besuchen, Spaziergänge und Nashornsichtugen mit erfahrenen Führern unternehmen. Pirschfahrten und Tagesausflüge in den nahe gelegenen Etosha-Nationalpark werden ebenfalls angeboten.

[markus-s-lang]

the lion sleeps tonight....🎶 #nature #wilderness #beautyofafrica #beautyofnature #wildlife #wilderness #safari #wildlife #afrika #africa #ongawa #etosha #namibia #lion #lionking #lions #etoshanationalpark #etoshapan #nikon #nikond500 #d500 #wanderlust #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephoto #monochrome (hier: Little Ongava)

[tagamark]

Goto Namibia

New Post has been published on https://tagasafarisafrica.com/safari/goto-namibia/

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Namibia Safaris, Tours and Accommodations

Accommodations

CategoryAllDamaralandEtoshaKunene RegionSkeleton CoastSossusvlei

Anderssons Camp

Damaraland Camp

Desert Rhino Camp

Doro Nawas Camp

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp

Kulala Desert Lodge

Little Kulala Camp

Little Ongava Lodge

Ongava Lodge

Ongava Tented Camp

Palmwag Lodge

Serra Cafema Camp

Sossusvlei Desert Lodge

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Top Jungle safaris in the world

Well, get your gears on. Exploring wildlife is one of the most beautiful things in life. Observing the animals and knowing about the end number of species that exist will astonish you. Exploring wildlife is adventurous and challenging at the same time. Entering the woods open is dangerous, although, on safari, you will have guards with you on the jeep. Here is a list of favorite safaris in the world

  1.Okavango Delta, Botswana

Okavango is popular for being in the top list for Jungle safaris in the world. This is the best place to explore the real wildlife. The safari is done on elephants. Most importantly, It gives you a real-time experience.

  2.Ranthambore Park, India

One of the deserted looking areas in India. The safari is done on a jeep and the view is just amazing. The yellow tint over the sunset makes the jungle look so beautiful. There is a possibility of finding tigers here. Other animals are free and harmless. The paths are safe and one can enjoy the sense of wildlife with patience here.

  3.Ongava Park, Namibia

Africa’s best kept secret places. The safari ride is amazing and feels authentic. The place is not famous to find lions, rhinos or elephants although you can certainly stay in their little camps to observe the wildlife in the night.

  4.Kruger, South Africa

One of the best safaris in the jungle of Kruger. You can big mammals here. All the place is covered by heavy bushes and the birds chirping gives the actual sensations.

  5.Yala Park, Sri Lanka

Known for its leopards, the place is situated in the parklands of Srilanka. It’s closer to the capital Colombo and is filled with a lot of elephants around.

  6.Jim Corbett Safari, India

Jim Corbett safari in India is one of the beautiful safari’s. The jeep safari and the jungle filled with a lot of different animals give a thrilling sensation. The birds chirping and the animals making their sounds. So, if you’re a wildlife enthusiast, this is one of the best places to visit in India.

  The post Top Jungle safaris in the world appeared first on Travellers Point.

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[tourismtattler]

Namibia Commemorates Ongava Lodge Anniversary

Namibia Commemorates Ongava Lodge Anniversary

To mark the anniversary of the official opening of Ongava Lodge by His Excellency President of the Republic of Namibia Dr Hage Geingob on the 20th of March 1993 – at the time Prime Minister – Ongava Game Reserve was honoured to host Namibian dignitaries at Little Ongava.

Header image: Commemorating the official opening of Ongava Lodge were (seated) His Excellency The Right Honourable Dr. Hage…