We all slept well at Onguma the Fort, and thoroughly enjoy their delicious breakfast. Adults have the eggs benedict:
While kids have pancakes:
They use honey instead of maple syrup, which the kids do not enjoy. Ah, well. Better luck next time.
We spend a few more minutes watching impalas visit the watering hole – and occasionally fight amongst themselves:
But then it’s time to head out.
We’ve very much enjoyed our time here, and hope to return to Onguma for a longer stretch. Our only criticism would be the shower – it takes a long time to heat up, and then the hot water only lasts for around 5 minutes before it runs cold again. Then hot, then cold. Not what you’d expect from a property of this calibre (or price point).
Otherwise it’s been excellent – the game drive was great, it has a lovely aesthetic, and service is top notch. Shame we only get to spend a single night here.
Instead we’re off to Okinjima Plains Camp – where we’ll also be spending a single night.
I’ve mentioned my disdain for our breakneck pace, but it’s largely a function of the number of days which we have to explore Namibia. If you want to reach both Sossusvlei and Etosha then you’re looking at more than a thousand miles of driving, much of which is on washboard roads.
The only solution is dilution – add in extra days in each site so that the driving is a lower percentage of the total trip. But our end date was already fixed, so we were stuck with the current pace.
Anyway – at least we’re on tarmac for much of this stretch, which takes us past the Weinberg plateau.
The scenery is pleasant, as ever:
Along the way, we pass one of the shanty towns (not pictured). Ewald explains that these properties are not provided with power or sewer services, though the government does provide potable water for everyone in this community.
We take a moment to point these out to the kids. It’s obviously not an ideal way to live, but it is good to see that the Namibian government is doing something to assist these communities. Many of these people were nomadic until recent multiple-year droughts impacted their way of life and they’ve been gravitating towards the larger towns.
Despite the smooth road it still takes us over five hours to reach our destination. (It would have been more than seven if we’d just continued on to Windhoek – hence why we’re making the stop.)
But Okinjima is more than just a midway point – it’s also a vast game reserve and home to the Africat Foundation, which provides a home for cheetahs, lions and leopards that are no longer able to live in the wild.
Unfortunately, the last forty minutes or so of our journey is spent revisiting an old friend – washboard roads. The damage from the recent flooding is pronounced, and Ewald regularly needs to slow down before crossing washed-out sections. Again I’m glad that someone else is doing the driving.
We reach Okinjima Plains Camp shortly before 2 pm, which means we’re still in time for a late lunch.
The outdoor patio offers a nice view:
And we have some delicious burgers:
There’s also a Southern Masked Weaver building one of its signature nests:
We spot something moving through the grass, but can only make out its faint shape.
Could it be a lion? Seems unlikely that it would be this close to the Lodge, but both lions and leopards got closer at Dulini.
We briefly head back to our rooms to unpack and freshen up. We have two of the “view” rooms that overlook the same plains as the patio:
Nothing fancy – and no air conditioning – but still very pleasant. It’s a bit warm in the heat of the day, but it should be much cooler in the evening. No pool here, which may be why it’s rated at three stars instead of four.
Back to the lodge for some coffee and cakes in advance of our evening activity – a visit to the Africat Centre followed by a brief sundowner drive.
On the way, we spot some warthogs – including a mother:
And a juvenile:
I can’t say for certain, but I’d wager this is the low shape I saw in the grass earlier.
On to our evening tour. We had rushed from Onguma because we’d been told that they would be feeding the cheetahs at 4 pm – but it turns out that’s simply when the tour begins.
This is a bit disappointing as we might otherwise have been able to squeeze in one more game drive, though in the grand scheme I think we’re better having slept in this morning. Back-to-back game drives – with hotel transfers in between – feels overly ambitious at this stage of our trip.
Okinjima has quite the fleet of safari vehicles – more than a dozen
It’s just us on our tour tonight, which is always appreciated – and we soon head off to the Africat Centre.
On the way, our guide explains that Okinjima used to be a cattle farm but that the owners were losing a significant portion of their herd to leopards. The owners attempted to hunt the leopards, but without success. Eventually they realized that they would be better off turning their land into a conservation area.
We reach the Centre, and our guide explains the purpose behind the Centre using a large mural that shows the various fenced in regions around Namibia:
Animals come to the Africat Centre for a variety of reasons – some might become habituated to humans, and seek us out for food. Some might have a parent that’s killed by hunters or farmers. And others because they’ve been injured and are unable to fend for themselves.
Daniel steps us through some of the medical procedures that have been carried out on the cats here, particularly the cheetahs:
And he also shows us the evolution of Okinjima’s radio collars. These are used to assist in the scientific research being done regarding the leopards in the larger conservation area.
Apart from monitoring their location, the staff does not interfere with the leopards – they are not fed by staff. Only the animals within the Africat enclosures who are habituated to humans are fed and provided with medical attention. Even so, tracking the radio collars during game drives still feels like cheating.
We then visit an information centre with touch-and-feel elements, and view this exhibit that cleverly demonstrates nature’s hierarchy:
I think the kids might reproduce this for science class at some point.
Off to see the rescued cheetahs, which have their own enclosure. That is still a lot of land and – despite them being rescued – there is still no guarantee that we’ll actually see them.
But we luck out, and find three of the five cheetahs soon after entering:
A portion of all revenue received from Okinjima goes to support the Africat Foundation, which covers the cost of food, veterinary care, and so on. These cheetahs lost their mother when they were very young, and so would not be able to survive in the wild.
After visiting the cheetahs, we head around for a brief game drive – but we don’t spot much of interest, apart from various birds and antelope. Another vehicle sights a leopard, but we’re too far away to make it in time.
Eventually we stop for sundowners:
This is the first time we’ve actually managed to park the vehicle before the sun goes down, so we simply enjoy the more leisurely break.
On the way back, we spot some amorous kudu:
As well as some giraffe, though the light is dim enough to make photography difficult.
Dinnertime – there’s some bread and feta:
Followed by bacon-wrapped beef filet:
And finished off with a pancake with cream and citrus:
It’s a lot of food, but very tasty.
The manager comes by at one point – due to the portion sizes, we haven’t eaten the vast quantities of food, so she asks if they can make something else for us. We’re fine with what’s on offer, but it’s a kind gesture.
Back to the rooms – we’re in a fenced-in area so no night porter here. It’s nice being able to walk ourselves back.
Time for the final round of Namibian night photos:
Then off to bed – another game drive tomorrow to try to spot one last leopard, then back to Windhoek. This will be our final full day before our lone night in Zimbabwe, and then our flight home.