Okonjima Campsites
Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and rhythms of Namibia’s wildlife.
Experience the essence of an authentic African safari by tracking leopards through the expansive 20,000ha Okonjima Nature Reserve, guided by your knowledgeable Okonjima guide.
Following your Okonjima bush adventure, enjoy an African sundowner and a cozy bonfire, before drifting off to sleep beneath the stars, serenaded by the symphony of jackals, zebras, and cicadas.
Camping at Okonjima, offers an authentic African safari encounter. Embrace the natural world as your small group or family engages in activities such as visiting the AfriCat Carnivore Care Centre, leopard tracking, embarking on the Off-The-Beaten-Track experience to learn about local cultures, or exploring the nature reserve through its walking trails.
Our private campsites, five in total, are thoughtfully equipped and situated in the 2000ha park. These campsites share access to a swimming pool nestled at the base of the Ombokoro Mountains. The secluded swimming pool is designated for the exclusive use of our Campers.
Notably, four out of the five camps offer ‘sundowner, scenic overlook,’ situated at elevated points along the mountain range’s edge, providing panoramic vistas.
The fifth campsite has a private waterhole.
To Travel is to L I V E...
Each of the 5 private, self-catering campsites offers:
- Fixed lighting and versatile power points (including a dedicated socket for your camper-fridge and separate power outlets for electronic devices).
- WiFi connectivity; mobile-phone reception and ample workspace.
- Private, indoor, hot-water showers.
- Private, flush toilets.
- A sheltered, undercover area for dining and washing up with a 2-plate gas-cooker.
- A vantage point for sundowners. (excluding the PAWS campsite)
- Two bundles of firewood per night (additional firewood can be arranged with your guide for a fee)
- P.A.W.S (People And Wildlife Solutions) hosts larger, overland-travel-groups and student groups visiting AfriCat and is available for larger families or groups of friends. It’s the sole ‘tented’ campsite with 10 standard, rustic dome-tents and a natural waterhole frequented by local wildlife.
- Camp Chimelo and P.A.W.S accommodate multiple vehicles and larger groups, while Camp Koshi, Kendi, and Chilala are designed for smaller parties.
General Campsite Information
“Ombokoro Campsite is Excellent”
We stayed our final night in Namibia in the Omboroko campsite at Okonjima. The pitches were huge with individual washroom facilities, washing up area, a large covered platform and a good brai area for which wood was provided. We purchased a brai meat pack together with some beers from central reception and had a great evening under the stars,including seeing porcupines and genets around the site. During the night, you could hear the lions roar. Boy, did they sound close……….
We joined the tour of the Africat Foundation, had a brief encounter with a leopard and a good while with some cheetahs. The following morning we joined a leopard tracking trip which brought us into close proximity to one of these magnificent cats whilst it was hunting warthogs. And the shop at Bush Camp has some really good souvenirs for bringing home……..It is well worth staying at Okonjima
“Beautiful Campsite”
Beautiful campsite, very spacious each site can accommodate 4-5 campers. Large kitchen setup with propane burners. The brai is the best I have seen in Namibia. Great fire pit that big groups can surround. The ablutions are about 30 metres away, it’s an odd set up but in retrospect it’s for big groups. Toilet paper is provided.
“Very Nice Spot”
Very nice spot. We had a huge campsite just for ourselves! Not far from a little pool and small mountain where you can climb to see the whole park and a beautiful sunrise. It has kitchen stove, bathroom, toilet, campfire place, electricity. Recommended!
“Nice Establishment”
Very nice campsite establishment. As you arrive at your allocated campsite the camp manager comes and says hi and checks that everything is in order. Each camp site has its own bathrooms and kitchen area with hot water. There is a really nice pool. At sunset take a hike up the mountain to look out over the beautiful property. The camp sites are very far apart from each other and has a very quiet and private atmosphere.
“We Really Enjoyed Our Stay”
We really enjoyed our stay at this campsite. Each camp is spacious and good distance away from the other campers so you get your own space. Very good amenities there – own shower with enough hooks and shelves which is connected to a covered area where there is a large sink, gas stove and dining table supplier. There are few spots for fire pits and bbq spots. The toilet is in a separate block slightly away from this main building. Good electrical lighting is supplied on the camp site. There is a camp site manager who makes sure you’re ok and gives a warm welcome.
There is a dedicated clean swimming pool for the campsite but we used the main one at the Plains Lodge as this had sun loungers and umbrellas. The large reception hall is near the pool which is the meeting point for tours and also restaurant. Their homemade cakes and pastries were delicious!
Highly recommend a stay here!
- Shower, including hot water per campsite
- Flush toilet per campsite
- Undercover scullery and dining area per campsite
- Two fixed spotlight per campsite for cooking and dining
- A ‘stand-alone’ electrical socket to charge your camper fridge and separate power-points for all your electronic gadgets.
- Wood
- Private, sundowner’, view-point for 4 campsites. (PAWS, instead has a water-hole close by, for wildlife)
- Shared campsite swimming pool for all campsites
All Activities
- ACCC (can be booked prior)
- OTBT (can be booked prior)
- Leopard Tracking (can be booked prior)
- Game/Night Drive (can be booked prior)
- Guided Hiking Trails (See Rates for Trail Options)
- Lunch at Day Centre (book only on arrival)
- Dinner/Breakfast at Plains Camp (book only on arrival)
- Park fees
Children from the age of 3 are allowed.
Please note we offer a child friendly environment, but due to the nature of our activities that focuses on carnivores, certain activities are restricted.
AGE 3 – onwards
AfriCat Carnivore Care & Information Centre
AGE 5 – onwards
AfriCat Carnivore Care & Information Centre
Off The Beaten Track and a short game drive
AGE 6 – onwards
Park Activities
AfriCat Carnivore Care & Information Centre
Off The Beaten Track
AGE 8 – onwards
Guided Hiking Trails
AGE 12 – onwards
Park Activities
AfriCat Carnivore Care & Information Centre
Please NOTE: Children need to be controlled by their parents, in and around the lodge and surrounding areas. They are prohibited to swim unaccompanied. Noise levels need to please be kept to a minimum. Regrettably no “CHILD-MINOR-CARE” is available. Okonjima cannot look after children while parents are on an activity. Parents will be responsible for their kids safety at all times.
The Okonjima Experience
Spanning 220km² of undulating acacia , mountainous outcrops, and riverine thickets, the Okonjima Nature Reserve serves as a thriving habitat for leopard (Panthera pardus), known for their remarkable adaptability among wild cats.
AfriCat takes pride in maintaining one of Namibia’s longest-running leopard monitoring projects.
Discover more about our Leopard Research initiatives.
These intelligent, solitary predators thrive in high concentrations across the diverse terrain of the Okonjima Nature Reserve. Over the course of three decades, the reserve’s predator research programme has yielded profound insights into leopard behavioural patterns, offering an optimistic outlook for their sustainable future in modern Africa.
A minimum two-day stay at Okonjima, provides the prime opportunity to witness wild leopards in their natural habitats, including those collared for research purposes.
Researched leopard are actively tracked, and their collars prove invaluable in locating and safely returning cats that have ventured into surrounding farmland, where they might be perceived as a threat to livestock.
Situated within the rugged commercial farmlands of central Namibia, the expansive Okonjima Nature Reserve stands as a protected expanse that embodies a diverse ecosystem, encompassing both large and small mammals native to Namibia. Additionally, a significant proportion of the country’s endemic bird species finds refuge within these borders.
Visitors can partake in game drives and guided bush walks, offering an intimate and up-close encounter with Namibia’s wildlife, particularly its most guarded species.
Within the Okonjima Nature Reserve, extensive research initiatives are conducted concerning rare and endangered species, both large and small.
