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,
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