Namibia’s wide open spaces make for superb walking terrain, but dedicated trails camps in big game areas are a rarity. So, it’s good news to see the announcement of the imminent launch of Onguma Trails Camp. Onguma Private Nature Reserve, which protects about 35,000 ha of former farmland to the east of Etosha National Park, has long offered walks from its five lodges but the new trails camp is the first of its kind and unique to the area. Due to welcome guests at the beginning of April 2025, it is designed to meet visitor demand for a sustainable and close-to-nature experience, while maintaining the core comforts.
“Over time, we’ve noticed a growing desire amongst travelers to experience more than just a self-drive safari” says Onguma General Manager Marelize Conradie, “and our popular interpretative nature walk sparked the idea.” It’s certainly a landscape suited to exploration on foot as well as vehicle. The name Etosha refers to “great white place” in the Ovambo language, and the national park is centred on a vast saline pan. Around it are grasslands and mopane woodlands and Onguma is an extension of this ecosystem, and is habitat for similar wildlife. As well as appreciating the landscape, walkers can encounter elephant, lion, black rhino and a range of antelope; the prolific birdlife is a big draw too.
The trails camp will operate in the winter months from April to September, with departures scheduled every five days, and guests can choose two- or three-night stays. Four bell tents sleep a maximum of eight and are set in a prime spot with larger trees for shading and in close proximity to the natural game paths animals follow to get to water. The tents feature real beds and en-suite outdoor bathrooms with bucket showers, flush toilets and wood-fired hot tubs. A large communal tent provides shade for the dining area and for relaxing during the day. The aim is to provide a balance between adventure and luxury. As Marelize says, “it’s designed for those seeking authentic travel – where you don’t just observe nature, but become part of it, right in the heart of our reserve”.
The walking takes place in the mornings and is not too strenuous, covering up to 10 km in a landscape of arid plains, woodlands, riverbeds and shrubby thornveld. There’s plenty of time to stop for tracks, birds and other wildlife, and to enjoy a bush breakfast along the way. Guests return to enjoy a late lunch, and can then relax and see what wanders close to camp – antelope, elephant and perhaps the elusive black rhino. Dinner is taken at the boma, under Namibia’s unparalleled starscape. During the stay, there will be opportunities to learn from the reserve’s conservationist team in the evenings. A game-viewing vehicle at camp allows for a variation in the start location of walks.
Onguma guests reach the reserve by air charter, or by self-driving and taking it in during a tour alongside a visit to Etosha – the entrance is close to the park’s Namutoni gate. Check in takes place at Onguma Forest Camp and, from there, guests are transferred to the trails camp by game-viewing vehicle, a journey of around 30 minutes. Onguma Trails Camp is offered at around $700 per person per night and there is no single supplement. The minimum age is 16 and guests should be “walking fit” and bring a day pack.
After the trail days, visitors can stay in the Onguma reserve for game drives from one of the lodges, or carry on exploring the spectacular landscapes of north and northwestern Namibia. For overlanders, Onguma has a campsite and is a potential stopover on a circuit to the Caprivi Strip, Chobe and Victoria Falls.
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