The Journey to Onkoshi Lodge

If there’s one thing I love to do on birthdays, it’s celebrate. And my choice was to head out of town and experience the joys of nature in its finest form. Some friends and I had a couple of options courtesy of Namibia Wildlife Resorts, and we opted for Onkoshi Lodge at Etosha – the photographs online were too enticing to ignore.

The votes were in – 13 July would be D-Day.

Two friends decided to take a private lift while the rest of us opted for a comfortable ride on Intercape and we’d stay at Tsumeb at an uncle’s house. After six hours of dozing in and out of sleep, midnight arrived and we managed to meet the others who had… a fairly interesting afternoon.

Around 07h00, it’s time to get up, shower and drive to Onkoshi. Now, we had a game plan – hire someone to drive us there, because we didn’t have a private car. So we hoped that a civil gentleman in the town would lend us his driving skills and be at our disposal. Until we heard he was charging N$5 000 from Tsumeb to Onkoshi, which was less than 200km. “It’s no problem, I can take you there,” he said with a straight smile on his face. If there’s something about my friends and I, it’s that we’re good negotiators.

But since he wasn’t budging, we told him that his services were appreciated, but not needed. Because really, we’ve travelled for less. Since connections were a thing, my uncle hooked us up with a guy who offered to drive us to the border of Namutoni for N$500. That was good enough for us. Around 10h30, we were off – the plan was to make sure we were inside the gates before 16h00 and pay what we needed to, otherwise a camping session would be in order and no one planned for that!

As we get to the border, we realise that the lodge didn’t have cars available which meant we were basically stranded – for 15 minutes. Men in a bakkie offered to take us, but they were on their way to Omuthiya first, and only then could we get transport to our destination. Thank goodness they were guides, because we couldn’t hop in just anyone’s car – not in the kind of world we live in. After lugging our bags in the street at Oshivelo because our host changed cars, hours later, we arrived at our destination despite bookings accidentally being cancelled. That’s a story for another day.

Destination Loading

Heading into Etosha is one of the most magical things you’ll ever experience. The savannah is golden and vast, almost like you’re staring at another world. No buildings, no structures, just land and animals casually grazing in herds. Once you enter the forest, the road to Onkoshi Lodge is rocky and full of turns and turbulence. If you’re lucky, you might spot a giraffe or two. After what seemed like hours, we finally arrive at the paradise that is Onkoshi – and it’s exactly how my friends and I imagined it to be, except the pan is not as full as it usually is.

Our host leads us to our rooms, giving each of us a thatched chalet, and it’s only fun and sun from there.

The view from your room gives you exclusive access to the pan and you can watch the sunset from your bed which is key for incredible photos. Each chalet features a lounge, balcony, tub and shower as well as an outdoor shower if you’re feeling frisky. The bed is huge and comfortable too, so you are guaranteed a peaceful night of rest with mosquito nets fitted around it. The room screams Africa – from its natural colours to its wooden furniture, and the same can be said for the lounging area where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served.

An infinity-like pool sits on the deck where you can relax, especially when the sun is out. Not in the mood to swim? Head out for a game drive in the early morning or go in the afternoon. 06h00 was our choice as we were eager to see some animals in the dark and watch the sunrise from the waterhole. Let me advise you: Wear something warm and I mean, really warm. It’s not a joke to have the cold wind blowing in your face and your entire body slowly diving into pneumonia without warning.

But once you get over the cold, it’s an enlightening experience – we witnessed the largest buck in Africa, the great eland, majestically taking its stand, zebras, lions, more giraffes and a glimpse of an elephant behind the trees.

It’s advisable to stay in your car at all times, though. There was a point we had to stop and warn a family of four who were parked in the game reserve to stay in their vehicles right after we passed some wild animals. And mind you, they were parked at a sign that says ‘do not leave your vehicle’. The absolute irony.

Our guide also explained to us that “animals have their spots” in the reserve, so we have to go around and find them. But man-made waterholes have been created as well. According to our guide, “rangers open the tap and the water flows”.

He was as surprised that we didn’t have many questions once our tour was over – but it was probably because we were freezing our butts off the entire journey. Watching the sunrise was absolutely worth it, though.

One of the highlights of the meals at the lodge included the vegetable soup, fish, steak, pudding and ice cream. And as silly as this may sound, our favourite was truly the bread. There’s nothing like fresh, baked bread to fill your stomach, and honestly, this did it for us. The breakfast is the usual buffet which includes various yogurts, fruits, cornflakes and omelettes sent from the heavens.

The staff are friendly and are willing to assist you with anything you need – just don’t make noise and disturb the other guests.

According to the guide there, some tourists specifically come to the lodge to record animal sounds at night, so it would throw them off if a random person was happily shouting in the midst of it all.

Otherwise, the stay is comfortable and it’s advisable to go with a private car, preferably a bakkie, to make things 10 times easier. For bookings, feel free to visit nwr.com.na.

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