The luxurious Ongava Lodge sits elevated on a small hill in the game reserve of the same name. The view from there of the wild animals at the waterhole is endlessly fascinating. But the lion safari is also something to write home about!
Ongava Private Game Reserve is considered one of the largest and best private game reserves in Namibia. It borders Anderson Gate, the southern gateway to Etosha National Park (link to our report).
Here roam elephants, lions, giraffes, white and black rhinos, various antelopes and numerous bird species on more than 70,000 acres.
Skittish elephants and a panicky moment behind the camera
Walter and I are on the road today, riding through the game reserve with our guide Pascalis in a Land Cruiser. After only a few hundred meters we encounter graceful giraffes and grouchy elephants.
Pascalis stops the safari jeep right next to two pachyderms plucking leaves from high up in the trees with their trunks by indiscriminately snapping off whole tree branches!
We watch them, fascinated – until the younger of the two beasts spots us.
Although we don’t make a peep, something seems to be upsetting the pubescent pachyderm. He starts shaking his head, spreading his ears, and making earsplitting trumpeting noises.
From a standstill, he suddenly charges at us!
Stirring up a lot of dust and trumpeting, he stops just a few meters short of our jeep.
Walter nearly drops his camera. He was shooting the elephants and so got much more of an eyeful of the elephant’s charge in the viewfinder than I did!
The video turned out a bit shaky at that point, I’m afraid…
Pascalis laughs and calmly turns the ignition key. That was a typical “mock charge,” he assures us, designed to merely scare us away and instill fear.
Well, the young bull definitely succeeded in that!
But when the big bull elephant suddenly charges at us, Pascalis is quick to tromp on the gas and yield the field…
Shortly after, we discover five lazy lionesses just lolling about nearby.
Pascalis recognizes from the teats that two of the lionesses must have cubs.
Straight away we go in search of the lion cubs.
Pascalis follows many signs, listens, and suddenly he hears the cubs. He says the calls of the little ones sound a little like babies crying.
To Walter it sounds more like frogs croaking. Not exactly fitting for the king of the animals, as I see it.
In any case, the guide is sure he’s found the baby lions and drives us straight to where the sounds are coming from.
And lo and behold, before long we find the cute little guys!
Really adorable, how the lion cubs squawking loudly shamble to and fro between their mothers ;-)
[The video is still in the editing suite…]
Sunset in the Ongava private game reserve
As in most safari lodges, the sundowner is de rigeur in the Ongava Game Reserve.
In keeping with tradition, we opt for a gin & tonic. Anything to help ward off malaria. as the libation is supposed to do.
Your home base: The Ongava Lodge at Okaukuejo
Ongava Lodge consists of the main building and 14 African-style thatched-roof chalets that blend into the surrounding landscape.
The main building houses the restaurant and a lounge with bar and fireplace furnished like a cozy living room with comfortable armchairs and couch tables…
You instantly feel as if you’ve landed in an earthly paradise!
Elegant lounge with bar and fireplace:
“The Hide”: Concealed wildlife watching at the waterhole
We sip our welcome drink contentedly in the lounge and then move to the veranda for lunch.
The view that greets us is beguiling. We immediately spot the waterhole and some kudus and gazelles lining its edges.
Tuly, our waiter, tells us that the elephants usually come at noon to drink at the waterhole.
“Aha … well then,” Walter says with a wink”, we’ll wait and have a drink too,”
No sooner have we made ourselves comfortable that a great commotion ensues around the waterhole: Thirsty impalas and springboks are warily drinking from the pool when a huge bull elephant appears out of nowhere and chases them all away!
The pachyderm does not tolerate any other animals at the waterhole…
We follow the animal spectacle with rapt attention: every time the antelopes approach, the elephant sucks up water with his trunk – and whoosh – he sprays the antelopes until they scatter!
Talk about snarky!
Tuly asks us if we wouldn’t like to go down to the “Hide” – a manmade blind from where you can watch the animals at the waterhole up close.
You bet we want to! The meal can wait. Let’s go!
We walk to the blind from the main lodge along a fenced path. This is also a must because those are wild animals running around everywhere out there!
It is a fantastic experience to watch the animals from so close it seems you could touch them.
In the evening we return to the “Hide” once more. Because that’s when the rhinos come out to the waterhole – with their young!
We also encounter rhinos the next day. You can read Walter’s report about the (exciting) rhino safari here.
Once again on our Namibia trip, we are blown away!
Just like the next morning, when thousands of birds raid the waterhole with a cacaphanous noise.
They swoop in by the flock, because there is safety in numbers. It’s the best camouflage!
Supposedly, this makes the larger animals think they are dealing with something gigantic. And how!
Walter and I briefly have the feeling of suddenly having landed in the Hitchcock thriller “The Birds”!
Fortunately, after a few minutes the eerie spectacle is over and a deafening quiet now envelops the lodge again.
More pictures from the Ongava Private Game Reserve
