Okaukuejo Camp Etosha National Park

If you enjoyed my review of Etosha National Park and the photos of the amazing wildlife, you will need a place to stay. The Okaukuejo Camp we stayed at during our trip is a great option for independent travelers! We loved our stay there and you have options for any budget to make this your base for the exploration of all that Etosha has to offer!

Screen Shot 2015-06-08 at 1.38.46 PMLocation: The Okaukuejo Camp is at the Southern end of the national park, 17km from the Anderson Gate. It’s about 6 hours drive (on pretty good roads) from Windhoek, making for a pretty long travel day! It is located next to a floodlit waterhole, so you can walk from your tent or room to watch animals whenever you like, no guide or jeep required! You can also drive yourself or arrange game drives to other water holes in the park, the stunning salt pan or the other camps in the park! There is plenty to see at the camp or in its close vicinity, making this a very good home base!

Screen Shot 2015-06-08 at 1.42.12 PMService: We visited Okaukuejo Camp as part of our tour and our guide dealt with most of the service aspects of our stay. It is a government run camp, so the experience is somewhere between national park camps in other countries and private luxury camps elsewhere in Africa: Service is friendly and professional, but not as attentive as you might like. And, as our guide pointed out: “TIA – This is Africa!” and you are in a very dry, remote corner of Africa, so you might have water shortages or electricity outages and maintenance might take time due to parts issues, so the best way to have a great experience is to adjust your expectations, relax and focus what you came for: The amazing wildlife!

Rooms: We stayed in the tents provided by the tour group at the camp site. You will have access to shared washrooms, showers and toilets that are in pretty good shape, considering that you are in the middle of nowhere – I have had worse in locations much closer to civilization! If you are coming on an independent trip for the experience of a lifetime, you should check out their rooms and chalets that offer a more luxurious environment. All of them offer comfortable beds and your ensuite bathrooms.
Screen Shot 2015-06-08 at 1.42.39 PMMy favorite choice and first recommendation, if your budget allows for it, are the Waterhole Chalets with double rooms or two bedrooms (premium) that allow for game viewing from their private patio or balcony. The best ones are close to the water hole with perfect views from their second floor balconies! I didn’t stay at one, so the photos are from their web site to give you an idea of what to expect!

Amenities/Restaurant: Regardless of what accommodations you choose, you will have access to the hotel amenities: There is a large pool to relax after a dusty game drive, a restaurant for your meals, as well as the iconic tower for great views of the surroundings and a curio shop, desk to arrange private game drives and a gas station for self drivers! All of the facilities were in good condition and we didn’t have any issues!

Overall, the Okaukuejo Camp is a great place to experience Etosha National Park – and at prices starting at under $10 per person for camping and topping out at $107 per person for  the marvelous premium chalets, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you can afford with any budget!


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