Setting the Scene
Hiding in mopane woodland, Encounter by Ongava is an eight-tent camp with its sights set firmly on one thing: a waterhole busy enough to keep you glued to your seat. Being on a private reserve beside Etosha National Park, you get the best of both worlds — proper exclusivity, plus permission to misbehave and chase tracks off-road. Throw in access to Etosha’s vast salt pan and the impressive wildlife that gathers there, and you’ve got a serious address.
Nesting arrangements
The eight tented suites (including a two-bedroom family unit for those travelling in a pack) sit up on raised wooden platforms, dressed in pale wood and fabrics the colour of the landscape outside — tan, stone, the works. Mesh windows flood the space with light, so the overall mood lands somewhere between airy retreat and treehouse for grown-ups.
Out on the deck, cushioned wicker chairs wait for you to do absolutely nothing in them, several with a front-row view of the waterhole. Round the back, the outdoor showers go one step further — one side left wide open to the bush, meaning a passing waterbuck might catch you mid-lather. Consider it part of the experience, and easily the most memorable audience you’ll ever shower in front of.
Food philosophy
Meals happen in the stone-and-thatch dining area, with waterhole entertainment included, of course. Afternoon tea gets the same treatment: teas, coffees, a homemade cake, and possibly a savoury something, because a mid-afternoon slump is no match for cake with a view.
Breakfast is a proper buffet spread — fruit, cereals, muffins — plus hot dishes cooked to order. Lunch keeps things light with salads and sandwiches, sensible fuel for an afternoon that may or may not involve more elephants. Dinner is where the kitchen shows off: a set three-course menu, hearty and often built around local game, for when a day in the bush has earned you something substantial.
Secret sauce
Being in a private game reserve, there’s many a perk to staying at Encounter. For one thing, there are way fewer vehicles to contend with, compared to popular Etosha National Park next door. For people who prefer a quieter safari experience, this will be a big attraction.
Not that Etosha is off-limits — you can still nip in for a morning game drive, or go all in with a full-day excursion, packed lunch and all, if the park’s famous salt pan and its resident wildlife are calling your name. But the reserve is where the rules get interesting. This is where you get to do the things the national park won’t allow: night drives to see the nocturnal bunch up to mischief, bush walks that let you track wildlife on foot (at a very respectful distance), and off-road driving whenever your guide finds something worth investigating.
One more thing…
The camp has set up a motion-triggered camera trap by the waterhole to catch all the action – even when you’re fast asleep at night. Check the footage in the morning to see if nocturnal visitors included prowling lions, a shy brown hyena or a solitary leopard. Because the camp is unfenced, any of the reserve’s inhabitants could wander by for a midnight refreshment.
