Enjoy a hearty Namibian breakfast before boarding your charter flight to Etosha National Park. The spectacular scenery of Namibia unrolls below you as you ponder the ancient geological forces that must have created such a dramatic landscape.
Touching down at the airstrip, a guide takes you on a game drive through the Onguma Game Reserve, a private conservation area bordering Etosha National Park. The reserve encompasses a number of habitats which are home to a wide variety of desert and savannah animals.
Set overlooking a waterhole where game regularly comes down to drink, this charming lodge is a beguiling mixture of sophistication and indulgence. Likened to the gentle Namibian breeze that blows against sharp thorns, Onguma Tented Camp is a study in contrasts. Textures such as stone, suede, linen and steel create a setting that is sleek and modern but also inherently of the earth. Settle into your luxurious suite before visiting the elegant main building for a delicious high tea. After sampling a few of the delicacies on offer, set off to explore the reserve with your guide.
The varied terrain of the reserve affords different views and aspects - open savannah blends into acacia woodland where a herd of startled kudu erupts before you, moving like dancers through the trees. Allow the ambience of Onguma to wash over you as the softening light bathes the world in gentle tones. But there is drama too: elephants and lions are often seen but nothing can quite compare to the thrill of encountering a black rhino in the wild - a prehistoric animal at one within its surroundings.
As the sun begins to dip towards the horizon, your guide selects a suitable viewpoint from which to survey this primal scene. With a chilled glass in hand, salute the setting sun as it leaves behind a kaleidoscope of colour- a fitting end to your first day in the wilds of Namibia.
Return to the lodge where a delightful evening meal awaits, served by attentive staff and accompanied by fine wines. And after dinner, as the sounds of the African night reverberate around the fire deck, sip a nightcap and survey the dazzling starlit sky before slipping between cotton sheets and drifting off, lulled to sleep by a lion’s distant roar.
Morning finds you up with the sun, coffee in hand as the world comes to life around you. After a light breakfast you set off on safari once more - this time to explore the Etosha National Park.
Etosha means ‘place of dry water’and refers to a flat calcrete depression or pan thousands of square kilometres in size. The ‘Pan’ provides a parched, silver-white shimmering backdrop to an area of semi-arid savannah grassland and thorn scrub habitats. Waterholes become a focal point for water-dependent animals in this dry landscape as well as their predators: scan the area closely for big cats, lurking in the shade of a tree, waiting for the unwary.
As the heat begins to build, return to the lodge for a hearty and wholesome brunch served on the terrace of the dining area. Cool down with an outdoor shower or a dip in the pool before settling onto your private veranda to watch the wildlife parade at the waterhole. Later in the afternoon you can decide what to do next - another game drive or perhaps a guided nature walk.