Onguma Forest Camp

OVERVIEW:

Onguma Forest Camp is the second-oldest property in Onguma Reserve! Regularly receiving superb reviews, it has been awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. 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 guests staying DB&B for three nights, and to children aged 7–11 sharing with adults. Please note, youngsters aged 9 years and younger are not permitted on game-drive vehicles, due to safety concerns. Additionally, the lodge is unfenced, so we recommend constant supervision.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

Situated only 15 minutes from the eastern entrance gate into Etosha National Park, Onguma Forest Camp can be accessed via air or road transfer from Windhoek. Onguma Reserve has its own airstrip and is approximately 12 minutes’ drive off the B1. The property has a lovely location amidst tamboti trees.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT ONGUMA FOREST CAMP:

Guest accommodation here consists of eight bungalows and three bush suites. The bungalows come in three categories – Heritage, Explorer, and Honeymoon. All are mounted on a sturdy stone plinth, and also feature timber supports, glass windows, and a thatched roof. The Heritage bungalows are smallest, but very well laid out. A timber-framed glass door leads immediately into the air-conditioned bedroom, which has a double bed or twin beds, bedside tables and lighting, a writing desk and chair, and storage space for clothes and other belongings. This space flows through to the en-suite facilities, comprising flush toilet, washbasin, and shower cubicle. Additional amenities include mosquito nets, a tea-and-coffee station, a mini-safe, and a mini-bar.

Each Explorer bungalow resembles the Heritage option almost exactly – the key difference is a larger bedroom, sufficiently spacious for additional lounge furniture. There’s a private parking space too! The Honeymoon bungalow is the same as the Explorer, but it also benefits from an outside shower and bathtub, and a particularly secluded location. All bungalows have a lovely private veranda, set with a small table and a couple of campaign chairs. Finally, each bush suite offers a large bedroom and a separate living room, which can be used to sleep a maximum of two children.

The communal lodge at Onguma Forest Camp is linked to all the suites and bungalows along neat stone-lined pathways. Also constructed from timber, glass, stone, and thatch, this structure houses the property’s pleasant lounge, which contains comfy chairs and sofas around coffee tables. This space adjoins the restaurant and bar, featuring tables of various sizes flanked by smart upright chairs and a line of barstools. The walls are adorned with artwork, mostly landscapes, and overall we really like the classic style. The lodge is open sided, and you can enjoy views over a nearby waterhole while relaxing and tucking in to delicious meals. A buffet breakfast is available daily, and includes both hot and cold dishes. Lunch involves a set menu, either sandwiches and salads or a hot option, while dinner consists of three courses and is often served under the stars. Onguma Forest Camp has a wine cellar too, as well as a curio shop and a library. The large fire-pit area is the perfect place for getting to know your fellow travellers and swapping safari stories! And the lodge’s swimming pool is fabulous for cooling off in between activities, whether within Onguma Reserve or in Etosha National Park.

ACTIVITIES AT ONGUMA FOREST CAMP:

• Onguma Forest Camp offers both vehicle and walking safaris in the Onguma Reserve, and guided drives or self-drives within Etosha National Park.
• Both locations boast impressive concentrations of wildlife! You can expect to see all Big Five – lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo – and numerous other predators and herbivores. Cheetah, brown and spotted hyenas, silver and black-backed jackals, caracal, giraffe, blue wildebeest, zebra, eland, impala, kudu, gemsbok, springbok, steenbok… every excursion into Onguma or Etosha brings a fresh sighting, and fantastic photo opportunities abound!
• The walks in Onguma are ideal for taking a really close look at the smaller lives in the region – the plants, insects, and birds.
• The entire area is a haven for feathery friends, with specials such as brown snake eagle, pale chanting goshawk, pygmy falcon, black-faced babbler, violet wood hoopoe, white-tailed shrike, short-toed rock thrush, and, in green season, the vibrant blue crane!

*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