Onguma The Fort — Hotel in Oshikoto

We singled the best 5 lodges in whole Namibia in 5 areas out and then made a route between them.||This was the best of all stays we had. It is not only professional first class but personal as well while not being intrusive. They just felt genuine. ||||Tip for making your stay the best. In safari areas the guide/tracker is most important. We did some reviews and one of the absolutely best guides is David. We requested him as our private guide 2 days and I recommend you ask to do the same at least one full day. Not only did he share his passion and it was the most true passion i ever seen going to different countries in africa for safaris. He had extensive knowledge and shared with us and helped half a dozen of younger guides during each day. Short example of his knowledge. The rhino we saw lying down. “The shade is not big enough. He will go up in 5 minutes or so.” The rhino did just that. “He will cross the plane and go down to the waterhole”. Exactly right which meant you got the best views before anyone else got to the crossing part. The vehicle the guide drove could be newer and less clattering, but we still saw all the animals closely.||||Bush dinner is a treat. Book in advance. Emma, who organizes, is very attentive to details and is so perceptive that what your likings and dislikes (without being explicit) is taking to account and organized about it. Super as a manager of the lodge and her quiet nature has a good influence on the rest of the staff. Not a show off to others (or customers) “i am managing” but quietly make things work. Liked that. Worked really well with the afministrative Petra.||||A big plus is the wine list which best i have seen in an African safari lodge and i only stay at the top in a country. ||||The outside bathtubs can be heated and I requested it daily. Very nice. None of the other lodges had that.||||Improvement is booking part. The 3 day package part does not include guiding. If you choose full package per day it is better to book private guide per day and 3 day package. Also the booking office did not really understand what a private guide tour actually meant. ||||Onguma is just what the word means dont want to leave or at...

This lodge consists of a central building and a small number of individual private lodges with wonderful views. All architecture is inspired by a northern African kashba, modern, tasteful and spacious. It is outside Etosha National Park, the must visit here, reached after a 30-45 min drive. The welcome was however rather disappointing, as our requested suite wasn’t available, which we had to find out ourselves based on the alternative lodge offering. Very strange, as we had written confirmation and still needed to push. We were compensated for the lacking nights prior to our stay in the suite at our final night. Not a nice start of our stay with high expectations. The staff really made an effort, while the manager seemed more business than customer/hospitality oriented. Apart from the start, our stay was very enjoyable. The lodges are beautiful, luxurious and very private. The lodges have an open air shower and a fireplace (which the super spacious suite hasn’t). The food is very good: lovely made to order breakfast and very nice three course meals. Great animal views from the terrace during the meals due to the nearby, illuminated water hole. Also the guides were professional and nice, especially Liberty. Don’t miss the photo hide if you want to watch animals from nearby and/or like to take pictures. Also not to miss is the small roof terras on the 2nd floor of the central building, for a romantic private sundowner. Between the lodges and the central building transport is offered, as walking in this wild animal environment is not advisable. I would certainly recommend a stay at Onguma The Lodge, but make sure you get the lodging you got confirmed by your agency. It’s recommended to check your bill upon departure (ours contained too much, which was refunded after a complaint). The airport strip is only a 15-20...

We stayed at Onguma The Fort for three nights during our 3 week trip through Namibia and had a fantastic experience. The location, right on the edge of Etosha, offers amazing views, especially during sunset. We stayed in the Sultan Suite, which overlooks the waterhole (highly recommended). The staff were great, especially our waiter Michael, who always had a genuine smile on his face and made our meals feel special. The food was excellent, too. We went on several game drives to Etosha with Nico, who was calm, knowledgeable, and great at spotting animals. We saw leopards, lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and cheetahs (among others). On our evening drive through the private reserve ("Onguma Game Reserve" in which the lodges are located) we didn't see that much and preferred Ongava Game Reserve for animal spotting in a private reserve (which is on the West side of Etosha). However, the drives to Etosha East were totally worth it and better than the West side Etosha drives because I felt they had more animals on the East. The sightings in Etosha can get overcrowded easily. Overall, Onguma The Fort offered the perfect mix of great service, stunning views, a VERY relaxing ambiance, and wildlife sightings. I heard from other people that we met during our Namibia trip that for a trip to Onguma you should either choose The Fort or Camp Kala. Highly recommend this place if you're visiting Etosha East. We will...