Luxurious accommodation within a private reserve in central Namibia’s Erongo region
Lounge, restaurant, terrace, and swimming pool
Ten pleasantly furnished rooms and suites
Game drives, bush walks, trips to see Bushman rock art, and a range of excursions
The lodge provides an exhilarating assortment of things to do, both within the reserve and farther afield.
Game drives and bush walks in the reserve take place during the afternoon, and present exciting opportunities to encounter a wide range of wildlife!
Predators in residence include leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena, and bat-eared fox, while the herbivore count features white rhino, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, and Damara dik-dik.
There are lots of birds to see too. Both drives and walks are led by very experienced guides, who make sure you enjoy great sightings, all the while offering information and answering your questions.
Also within the reserve, you can visit the Epako cheetah boma – here, cats captured on farms are cared for before being returned to the wild, with the exception of two cheetahs born in captivity.
You can check out the reserve’s rock art too, created by San Bushmen thousands of years ago. The cave paintings at Twyfelfontein can also be viewed, on one of many excursions offered by Epako.
Other trips include tours of Etosha National Park, guided game drives in Waterberge Plato Park, days out in Walvis Bay for whale and dolphin spotting, and adventures in the Namib Desert featuring the immense sand dunes of Sossusvlei!
*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
The lodge is situated between Windhoek, Swakopmund, and Etosha National Park, and easily accessed via road transfer from all three areas. It’s possible to fly here too, aboard a light aircraft from Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport – Epako’s airstrip is located just 5 minutes’ drive from the lodge. The property is set within its own reserve covering approximately 110 square kilometres, and is close to a popular waterhole!
Guest accommodation comes in five categories.
These are Deluxe Room, Junior Suite, Loft Suite, River Suite, and Waterhole Suite, all designed to sleep a maximum of two adults. Located within two modern buildings, all are pleasantly furnished and include air conditioning, a satellite television, a telephone, well-appointed en-suite facilities, and a private terrace. The Deluxe Room and Junior and Loft suites contain either a king-size bed or twin beds, whereas the River and Waterhole suites provide a king-size bed. Option sizes vary too, from a minimum of 60 square metres (Deluxe Room) through to 80 (Junior), 95 (Loft), 150 (River), all the way to the Waterhole Suite’s super-spacious 200! As you’d expect, the Waterhole Suite boasts amazing views of the nearby waterhole, but it also has lovely vistas across a river. All other suites overlook the river, and guests staying in the Deluxe Room category choose between river and waterhole views.
The majority of communal areas at Epako are also found in a contemporary structure. The sumptuous lounge offers plenty of comfortable furniture around coffee tables, amidst smaller occasional tables, wildlife wall artwork, interesting plants, and elegant lighting. There’s a cosy fireplace too, for the chillier evenings! The property’s restaurant is equally well furnished, benefiting from windows onto the river and waterhole – the latter is floodlit at night. The food is generally a fusion of Namibian and international cuisine, using locally sourced ingredients where possible, and the lodge has a good stock of South African wines. Guests can also tuck in to delicious meals on the terrace, while watching the wildlife at the waterhole – species you can expect to see include rhino, giraffe, zebra, eland, kudu, oryx, and a pair of giant eagle owl! Epako also has a swimming pool, perfect for cooling off in between activities.
** Please be aware that the swimming pool here has no depth markings or ‘No Diving’ signs, so take care before you jump in!**
Okonjima Plains Camp provides beautiful accommodation with great facilities, a first-rate service, and a unique opportunity to witness big cats – and all without the high price-tag of other places!
In our view, Okonjima is a great way to start or end a trip – but it can feel a bit tame, compared with the rest of Namibia.
