Ongava Lodge — Hotel in Kunene Region

We had been so looking forward to our stay at Little Ongava following a week of camping along the Skeleton Coast. Unfortunately our experience did not live up to expectation or other reviews. The main issue with this hotel is it is NOT worth the price at R83,000 for 2 nights and definitely not on par with other luxury hotels in the area which charge far less and offer far more. ||We arrived at 6pm after 12 hours of driving to find no hot water in our room. The staff didn't really know what to do and after hoping the water would run hot they moved us to another room while we went to dinner prior to showering. We then went to our new room after dinner to find all the lights in the living room were switched off and a bed was just inside the front door. This bed was for a child for another family who were arriving the next day. The room was not freshly made up and there were clearly marks on the bathroom taps and the furniture was not straight in the living room.||On the second night the room was again all dark when we got back and the fire hadn't been lit and the hot water bottles had been put on the top of the blanket and not inside the bed. It is the small details that leave a lasting impression and we did not give house keeping a good review on departure. The only thing I would mention in their favour is they did a fantastic turn around of laundry in a day at no additional charge. ||The room was very cold and when I asked about heating I was told the heating system was broken so we had to keep asking staff to light our fire and bring logs to keep the room warm. The phone then didn't work in the room the next day so any enquires you had to walk to reception. This was fixed the next day. There was also no lighting in the shower so at night or early morning you couldn't tell the difference between the different products. On our final day the power went off and the generator did not come on so thankfully we had finished our breakfast but were unable to take a coffee with us on our game drive as the machine wasn't working. ||We were also told to be out of our room by 10am which is far earlier than other lodges, especially given we were going on a game drive so it meant we had to pack up by 7am so our bags could be moved to reception. When a lodge is charging over R40,000/night the least it can do is allow you a decent check out time. ||The room itself was beautiful and has fantastic views over the bush. The food was lovely but only 3 course meals are on offer, while the other lodges all offer 4 courses and as I said are much cheaper and by far more luxurious. The wine list is very average and any wines not on the included list are charged at an additional R400, while the other lodges, namely Onguma and closer to Windhoek - Otjiwa Safari Lodge have premium SA wines included in their list and their prices are more R17,000 - R21,000/night so a big difference to R40,000.||The staff were often in the kitchen talking so you had to go and knock on the door - there wasn't a reception area or any clear sign of management. I would definitely suggest Onguma as the best hotel for staying at Etosha as we saw so much game. ||The highlight at Little Ongava without a doubt was the guide, Michael who is one of the best we have had and really knows his birds and is incredibly knowledgeable on all aspects of wildlife. He was fantastic and to walk with rhino was a bucket list experience. Emanuel was very attentive during meals and a great person to chat to.||We have made our disappointments known to our agent who has been in touch with the CEO of the company but sadly has not had a response as of the time of writing this. We have stayed in some of the most expensive hotels in the world and Little Ongava should not be in the same price category. I hope others will have a better...

We had been so looking forward to our stay at Little Ongava following a week of camping along the Skeleton Coast. Unfortunately our experience did not live up to expectation or other reviews. The main issue with this hotel is it is NOT worth the price at R83,000 for 2 nights and definitely not on par with other luxury hotels in the area which charge far less and offer far more. ||We arrived at 6pm after 12 hours of driving to find no hot water in our room. The staff didn't really know what to do and after hoping the water would run hot they moved us to another room while we went to dinner prior to showering. We then went to our new room after dinner to find all the lights in the living room were switched off and a bed was just inside the front door. This bed was for a child for another family who were arriving the next day. The room was not freshly made up and there were clearly marks on the bathroom taps and the furniture was not straight in the living room.||On the second night the room was again all dark when we got back and the fire hadn't been lit and the hot water bottles had been put on the top of the blanket and not inside the bed. It is the small details that leave a lasting impression and we did not give house keeping a good review on departure. The only thing I would mention in their favour is they did a fantastic turn around of laundry in a day at no additional charge. ||The room was very cold and when I asked about heating I was told the heating system was broken so we had to keep asking staff to light our fire and bring logs to keep the room warm. The phone then didn't work in the room the next day so any enquires you had to walk to reception. This was fixed the next day. There was also no lighting in the shower so at night or early morning you couldn't tell the difference between the different products. On our final day the power went off and the generator did not come on so thankfully we had finished our breakfast but were unable to take a coffee with us on our game drive as the machine wasn't working. ||We were also told to be out of our room by 10am which is far earlier than other lodges, especially given we were going on a game drive so it meant we had to pack up by 7am so our bags could be moved to reception. When a lodge is charging over R40,000/night the least it can do is allow you a decent check out time. ||The room itself was beautiful and has fantastic views over the bush. The food was lovely but only 3 course meals are on offer, while the other lodges all offer 4 courses and as I said are much cheaper and by far more luxurious. The wine list is very average and any wines not on the included list are charged at an additional R400, while the other lodges, namely Onguma and closer to Windhoek - Otjiwa Safari Lodge have premium SA wines included in their list and their prices are more R17,000 - R21,000/night so a big difference to R40,000.||The staff were often in the kitchen talking so you had to go and knock on the door - there wasn't a reception area or any clear sign of management. I would definitely suggest Onguma as the best hotel for staying at Etosha as we saw so much game. ||The highlight at Little Ongava without a doubt was the guide, Michael who is one of the best we have had and really knows his birds and is incredibly knowledgeable on all aspects of wildlife. He was fantastic and to walk with rhino was a bucket list experience. Emanuel was very attentive during meals and a great person to chat to.||We have made our disappointments known to our agent who has been in touch with the CEO of the company but sadly has not had a response as of the time of writing this. We have stayed in some of the most expensive hotels in the world and Little Ongava should not be in the same price category. I hope others will have a better...

This lodge surprised us in a few ways. ||One, there are many uneven steps from the parking area up the crest and down to the lodge, then down to the rooms. While the lodge boasts that it’s set on a hill, it did not state there are many tricky steps. They do not have handrails throughout as they should, so accessibility was a bit of challenge for our friends. ||Second, the meal options were limited and unappealing for us. One lunch, for example, was caramelized cauliflower croquettes with chimichurri sauce; salad of black beans, zucchini, spinach, green beans and onions or chicken tacos with slaw, pickled onions. That was the entire menu. However, I discovered I could ask for pasta and veggies. ||Third, Ongava is touted for its watering hole. Well, during our visit in May, it seemed to us to be a puddle at best, viewed from the lodge’s extensive decks.||However, it was a great magnet for wildlife! Elephants, kudu, lions and rhinos came to drink during our two nights, including a lioness with cubs at 5 a.m. one day. ||Ongava has an excellent hide, from where you can see the watering puddle and creatures close-up. It’s a bit of a hike to get there, down the steps and over rough planks for maybe a quarter of a mile. We dashed from meals twice, panting both ways. We met some return visitors who come because of this watering puddle!||The rooms were fairly roomy but motel-like (not luxurious), with a desk, coffee maker (no fridge), closet and shelves. The bathroom was roomy but the shower sprayed all over (and there was a small outdoor shower, too.)||We were in room 2 and had views of the puddle from the porch and bathroom. They put down mosquito netting over the beds at night, which were tricky to maneuver to get to the bathroom. The lounge area was large and comfy; there was a good-sized pool, where some guests were sun-bathing.||Ongava had more rhinos than we've ever seen in one place. We were told Etosha had relocated them to Ongava as a more secure environment. During our afternoon drive in the Ongava Game Reserve, the driver was very excited about finding an elephant. We were amused as we had seen many many ellies in other camps before this. ||After a few hours seeing many rhinos and hunting for leopards, we heard a lion pack was spotted and we “Ferrari safaried” across the park. As dusk fell, we found the pack, and were not even 10 feet away from four young lions frolicking on a tree branch. This was probably the closest we’ve even been to active (vs dozing) lions!||Our drive into Etosha the next morning was, for us, a bust. It was our first trip to Namibia so we felt we had to visit its premiere park. But in May, there was limited wildlife at the watering holes, which are the highlights of the park. And it seemed we had to drive long, bumpy distances between them on the main road. Based on our previous experiences throughout Africa, even our Namibia tour expert had suggested it wouldn’t be worth our time. Obviously, others will report different, more favorable encounters, and I suspect deeper into their winter would be a better time to visit.||Ongava’s watering hole/puddle is a definite winner. They need to upgrade the facilities and food, and add...