Wildlife conservation in action at Anderssons at Ongava

Come to Anderssons at Ongava to immerse yourself in wildlife conservation. The luxury camp is the perfect example of eco-tourism in action, built on a 30,000-hectare reserve on the border of Etosha National Park, which was once cattle ranching land where farmers hunted predators. Now, we’re proud to be one of Namibia’s largest private reserves and a sanctuary for the animals who live here, from rhinos to big cats and black-faced impalas.

The camp was built with natural materials and colours to blend into nature, with just seven luxury suites and one family unit. Each has a 180-degree panoramic viewing deck and outdoor shower to build that connection with the wild. The key hubs at the camp are our waterhole and underground photographic hide, where you can spend hours watching animals and birdlife undetected – the images you can capture are just stunning.

Our waterhole gets a lot of traffic, especially at key times of day; in the mornings, it’s full of impalas and oryx, and then the baboons and elephants come in for their morning drink. It picks up again at sunset and the rhinos come like clockwork around 7.30-8 pm, which adds to the excitement. We even have a leopard that visits fairly often – guests love that. There’s a live feed on the TVs in the guest rooms, so you can head down to the waterhole if an exciting animal appears.

Just a short walk from the camp, we have our Ongava Research Centre, where you can explore a self-guided exhibition about our conservation and biodiversity work. It’s been designed to bring science to the people in an accessible way, and guests can meet the scientists, conservationists and rhino security staff to learn about their work. Currently, there’s a big focus on reducing human-wildlife conflict in Namibia.

Spend your days on nature drives and bush walks with our guides – unlike Etosha, there are a limited number of safari vehicles in the reserve, so you can enjoy peaceful, private wildlife sightings. In between activities, you’ll spend a lot of time in the infinity pool or relaxing on our observation terrace, where you can watch animals around the waterhole; in the evening we light the firepits, so it’s super cosy. Then there’s our open-air boma and bar, where you can dine beneath the stars.