Okonjima Plains Camp

Plains Camp honours the Hanssen’s family cattle-farming heritage with its three-tier accommodation facility of 11 spacious View Rooms, 14 spacious Classic Rooms.

The Hanssens were dedicated to cattle farming until the necessity of addressing escalating livestock losses, combined with the post-independence (1990) recognition of Namibia as a sought-after tourist destination, brought about a transformation for Okonjima. For more information about the history of Okonjima, see:
An Account of a Namibian Farm and the Family who started it all.

Plains Camp offers stunning sunset vistas. Its design pays homage to the Hanssen family’s cattle-farming heritage, presenting a two-tier accommodation setup featuring 11 spacious View Rooms, 14 roomy Classic Rooms. The camp is family-friendly and wheelchair accessible.

The Plains camp barn:

At the heart of Plains Camp lies the Barn, the hub and social gathering space that includes:

  • An inside- and outside dining area
  • A roomy lounge space with various secluded nooks, perfect for a private family gathering.
  • WiFi connectivity; mobile-phone reception and ample workspace
  • A well-stocked bar
  • Inviting swimming pool
  • Curio shop
  • Overlooks a natural waterhole and the Okonjima Plains
  • Undercover, private parking at each room
    700 meters from the lodge airstrip.
  • It is family-friendly and wheelchair accessible.
  • Plains Camp Lapa/Barn Size: 1015m2
Fact Sheet
okonjima plains camp barn

View Rooms

The 11 expansive View Rooms derive their name from the stunning vistas they offer across the Okonjima grass plains. Positioned at distances ranging from 20 to 70 meters apart, these rooms provide a serene haven removed from the entertainment hub at the Plains Camp Barn. Unit number one and the generously-sized family unit (consisting of rooms three and four) are located nearest to the Barn.

Each View Room features:

  • A spacious veranda, complete with a day-bed and two loungers
  • Wheelchair ramp for accessibility
  • Two double beds
  • WiFi connectivity; mobile-phone reception,
  • A functional desk with a telephone for reaching out to reception; and a comfortable reading chair
  • A tea and a coffee station equipped with freshly ground coffee and a
    French press (plunger) for your early morning ‘cup of java’.
  • A small fridge or minibar (Kindly inform your host during check-in about your preferred soft drink and beverage choices for minibar servicing).
  • Dual roof fans
  • Twin basins and an expansive twin shower
  • A secure safety deposit box
  • Private, undercover parking
  • View Rooms Size: 88m2
okonjima plains camp view room

Classic Rooms

The 14 Classic, standard Rooms also offer views of the Okonjima grass plains, but they are slightly smaller compared to the View Rooms.
Among them, four rooms combine to create two spacious family units. The family unit comprising rooms 1 and 2 is located nearest to the barn, while the second family unit with rooms 13 and 14 is situated about 600 meters away.
The rooms are thoughtfully spaced 10 to 15 meters apart, ensuring a degree of privacy from the entertainment area at the barn.

Each Classic Room features:

  • A compact veranda equipped with two director’s chairs
    Wheelchair ramp for accessibility
  • Two double beds
  • WiFi connectivity; mobile-phone reception.
  • A table, and two director’s chairs
    A tea and a coffee station equipped with freshly ground coffee and a French press (plunger) for your early morning ‘cup of java’.
  • A small fridge or minibar (Kindly inform your host during check-in about your preferred soft drink and beverage choices for minibar servicing).
  • Dual roof fans
  • Twin basins and a spacious twin shower
  • A secure safety-deposit box
  • A telephone for reaching out to reception 
  • Private, undercover parking
  • Classic Rooms Size: 77m2

General Information

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.

Plains Camp Gallery

View Room Gallery

Classic Room Gallery