Guest reviews Okonjima Plains Camp, Otjiwarongo

by tchamber0118

Make sure to stay at least two nights!

Okonjima is often booked as a stop-over between Etosha and Windhoek and originally my travel company only had me there for one night. After reading the reviews, I've decided to ask for two nights and I'm certainly glad I did....there is really nothing I can fault with our stay: the people who took care of us were the friendliest, warmest, most dedicated (shout out to Emcee, Suzannah and Rohan here! You guys are the best!), the facility itself beautiful and well maintained, the meals tasty and the wine delicious. We stayed in the beautiful "honeymoon suite" a huge stand-alone chalet which also features an outdoor shower. It was so delightful to wake up and watch the springboks and the giraffes stroll through the early morning light just on the other side of the glass. Each room has a jar with birdseed in the desk...be aware that if you feed this to the guinea fowl they WILL wake you up the next morning by pecking loudly against the sliding door...or even throwing themselves against the glass after a running start!! We had a small waterhole just next to our porch and while we were hanging out a jackal came right up for a sip...simply magical! Our stay coincided with the first heavy rain in Namibia and we were treated to the sight of previously completely dry riverbeds turning into rushing streams before our very eyes (we have the video of the water rushing down, it's quite something). We still could participate in the planned afternoon game drive and were fortunate to follow one of the female leopards for over an hour as she looked for a suitable crossing spot to the other side of the water. We had already done a six day safari in Botswana earlier in the trip (in fact we were at the very tail end of a 3 week swing through the region), but the sight of all of this wildlife just never gets old...and had a very different feel to it in Namibia than it had in the Okavango Delta. If we find ourselves back in Namibia (a lot more likely than I had ever imagined!) we would definitely stay at Okonjima again.

by Sarhas Southampton, United Kingdom

A must visit!

We loved our time at Okonjima! A beautiful, well thought out place with very helpful and attentive staff. We stayed in the Garden Rooms and they were delightful! Lovely swimming pools, comfortable accommodation and lots of opportunities to see Leopards and cheetahs. The food is great and there is the added bonus of afternoon tea and cake and an early coffee and muffin if going on a game drive! Both drives are worth the money. The cheetah excursion is more educational and highlights the good work of AfriCat. The leopard drive was an absolute thrill our driver John was determined to succeed and drove us over some very rough terrain!! A fantastic experience that we will never forget!

by Peter3101 Edinburgh, United Kingdom

A unique place

We stayed at Okonjima Bush Camp for two nights in October, at the end of a three-week trip to the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania and various locations, particularly Etosha National Park, in Namibia. Okonjima is a major supporter of Africat, whose operations are incorporated in the same areas. We have long known Africat as an organization supporting and rehabilitating various animals. The headline animal in this programme was the cheetah, but Africat has since abandoned the rehabilitation and release of orphaned and rescued cheetahs, since they found that 80+ % of released cheetahs were being killed by other animals (lion, leopard, hyena) within a very short time of their release. Africat still retain some of their ‘historic’ cheetahs, but research species now include leopard, brown hyena and pangolin and we were lucky to see all of these in our visit. The staff at the Camp were very helpful and welcoming. Our room (actually two rooms, including a separate ‘sala’ or viewing lounge) was excellent. The guide who took us out for game viewing was very good and knowledgeable. A few of the leopards at Okonjima are collared and so are relatively easier to find, but, even so, it cannot be guaranteed. We saw a number of white rhino and, eventually, found a female leopard, who walked across the road ahead of us. Close behind her was her juvenile son, who was a bonus. So, that’s now six leopards that we have seen in our lives in various African countries…. We had earlier asked to be taken out to track pangolin that night and were very fortunate to be guided to one by a tracker. We followed her on foot for some time with red torches (to avoid startling her) – and felt really privileged to have seen one of these very rare and highly endangered animals in the wild and acting naturally. Also pointed out to us during the walk were some small scorpions, which we were advised to give a wide berth to, since otherwise hospital treatment might be required. We also avoided the angry ants disturbed by the pangolin. The African bush is not a safe place at night…without expert guidance! The food at the camp (dinner and breakfast) was very good. A laundry service was available, but we did not make use of it. Wi-Fi in the room and public areas was very good. There are a number of self-guided walking tours available from the Camp and we tried one of these, which was theoretically signposted but, after a few hundred yards, we ran out of signposts and felt that it was unsafe to continue randomly wandering in the bush, amongst the jackals that we occasionally met. So we retraced our steps. Good idea, but poorly executed….

by AidanEmily Singapore, Singapore

Serene Luxurious Camp

The room was super spacious. Around the room is glass panel which is an excellent material choice for us to view any possible timid creature trotting by. Once at night, we saw a kudu and it looked at us face to face before it ran off realising it's human. Most memorable. The room amenities are sufficient and beds big enough to accomodate 2. The shower attached to the room has no doors but it's ok for couples. A little cold when drying oneself. Wifi was good as well. There is a short walking path to lead you to the lobby at night. You can practically sit in your room to gaze out if you want since views unblocked for short distance. Otherwise, head to the lounge for wider views and warthogs are common sight. There is a shop in the hotel that sells a whole range of safari apparels and souvenir. The outdoor sitting at night to view stars are great if you are well covered otherwise wind chill even during summer. The dining sitting is mostly indoor, though some areas may feel some wind chill near the openings. Food is definitely good here in Namibia. Overall, the resort is amazingly spacious, good for reading and relax. There is also an outdoor pool. Need impro

by TAMAN1951 Liberty Lake, Washington

Okonjima Villa

Exquisite lodge with first class staff and service. Kind of a small place on the grounds with only a few rooms. Very intimate. Natural water hole right off the pool and deck area. Lovely meals. Game drives are easy access and very nearby. Very restful stal. Highly recommend this place.