Onguma The Fort

Spread out either side of the main building, each suite at Onguma The Fort offers a beautifully designed space in which you can unwind after days spent traversing the wilderness around you. All eleven Bush Suites give you exquisite views of the sunset, in a spacious and thoughtfully designed private chalet to call your own. Each is fitted with air-conditioning for the summer heat, and a fireplace for the winter months, all complete with a terrace from which you can spot wildlife as a far as the eye can see. Enjoy complimentary teas, coffees and snacks, before catching a ride on the electric shuttle that takes guests to the main building.

The Sultan Suite provides you with a safari stay like no other. Situated in the Main Tower of Onguma The Fort, here is where luxury and the wild intertwine to make one truly unforgettable experience. The large, peaceful bedroom leads into a generous living area where you can relax and soak up all you’ve seen. In the lounge is a television, minibar and telephone, as well as air-conditioning to combat the heat of the summer sun. Finally, the suite’s spacious bathroom offers a relaxing bath and fabulous open-shower. It’s easy to see how each feature of this magnificent suite has been designed for your relaxation, so you can sit back on the suite’s private viewing deck and bask in all the private Onguma reserve has to offer.

For a more romantic experience, why not choose the Honeymoon Suite? Equipped with all the amenities of the Bush Suites, as well as the addition of a spectacular outdoor bath. Couples staying in Honeymoon Suite have exclusive access to The Fort’s romantic turn-down service that provides you with sparkling wine, a bubble bath and delicious snacks!

As the animals drink from the watering hole just steps from The Fort, you can sit down to dinners filled with flavour and colour, sipping on wine from the extensive wine cellar. You can dine on three course meals under the stars, with different menus every day, as lion calls remain in earshot.

The highlight of a stay at The Fort will always be the game drives. Whether setting off after breakfast or chasing the sunset, you can spot cheetahs, lions, impala and so much more as they trek the land of this private reserve. The guides are experts at tracking animals that seem impossibly hidden, so as you travel the Onguma Private Reserve and the Etosha National Park you are promised some priceless sights – just remember to bring your binoculars!

To balance the exhilaration of spotting lions in the wild, back at The Fort you can indulge in massage therapy to relax and rejuvenate your muscles. Johan, the specially trained massage therapist with over 15 years of experience, tailors each treatment to your specific needs for an intuitive, invigorating experience. After exhilarating days spent out exploring the reserve, treat yourself to peace and tranquillity at The Fort’s very own sanctuary.

Onguma The Fort offer you the chance to get closer than ever to the wilderness around you there, on one of the early morning Bush Walks. Setting off at 6am, you will trek the land, getting to know the intricacies of the landscape around you, just as people have done for thousands of years. From a respectful distance you can spend your morning watching the beautiful wildlife of the reserve, from the big cats to the scuttling insects. Also, get to know the vital vegetation that sustains life across the reserve.

The beautiful Namibian weather makes for incredible evening skies, providing ample opportunity for unforgettable outdoor dining adventures. The word Boma is rooted in the practice of rural communities using wooden stockades to secure in livestock and homes. A trip away from the Fort, a small group can enjoy delicious meals prepared alfresco by the chefs on open flame. Surrounded by romantic lanterns hung from the stockades, after dinner you can gather around the fire and tell stories and marvel at the stars. The Boma Evening can be arranged as a single even or the beautiful ending to an incredible sundowner game drive.

Custom built into a Land Cruiser, The Fort’s very own ‘Dream Cruiser’ offers guests a romantic adventure out in the bush. Deep in the wilderness you can camp in seclusion and safety, with a ranger on call through the radio so you can have a tranquil night’s sleep. Enjoy al fresco dining as the sun sets, as well as beautifully chilled drinks to toast any celebration you might have, even if that’s just the beauty around you. There is a full bathroom, shower and toilet below the upper open deck, with a double bed and 360° views. Under the stars, out in the bush the Dream Cruiser makes for one unforgettable experience.

In cooperation with the local Oshivelo community, the Onguma Group have founded the Oshivelo Farming movement. This is in an effort to provide the communities that live in and around the Onguma Private Reserve with dignified purpose, increased economic and food security, and increase community cooperation. Starting with nothing but bushland, professional farmers Jan and Lizette Cronje developed the farm into what is now one of the top five vegetable producers in Namibia!

The produce is solid both locally and to big name markets too, and the movement currently employs around 180 locals, 80% of which are women. All people employed were previously unemployment and living in poverty, but through these jobs they have been able to thrive and gain economic independence. The movement has been able to get involved with wider community projects and local schools, and is even in the beginning stages of building a village soccer field. For the remote Oshivelo community this movement has meant so much positive change!

The illegal hunting of rhinoceros across African and Asia countries has caused the dramatic fall in population numbers, to alarmingly low levels. The situation is sadly no different in Namibia and within the Onguma Reserve, which is why the Onguma Group have founded their own anti-poaching unit (APU) to combat the violence. Since the APU have been operating over the reserve, there has been a drastic decrease in poaching. At the core of your stay at Onguma The Fort is the team’s own passion for nature, but also their passion to protect it!