Conserve

Immerse yourself in the marvels of our ecosystem

While a sighting of a predator will quicken your pulse, and a gathering of elephant at a waterhole will widen your eyes, the wonders of Ongava are just as likely to captivate your senses on a smaller scale.

Covering over 323 square kilometres — more than 125 square miles — Ongava is the African bush in microcosm

Our thriving ecosystem is home to more than 300 species of mammal, over 340 bird species, and an abundance of amphibians, reptiles, and insect-life.

Equipped with our handy checklists of fauna and flora, you’ll be ready to discover the true meaning of biodiversity, and appreciate the wonders of a world where nature comes first, and we are privileged to be in its company.

Open your senses to a life of wild surprises

As the first rays of dawn light up the land, every day at Ongava unfolds to the prospect of new discoveries and adventures.

Maybe today will be the day that you catch sight of a lioness on the prowl in the tawny bush. Maybe a turn in the road will reveal an aardvark, snuffling at the foot of an anthill. Maybe the crash of a branch will signal a herd of elephant, settling in for a feast.

Maybe, on the wide expanse of the savannah, you’ll see a congregation of zebra, springbok, oryx, wildebees, and giraffe. And beyond, browsing in the shade of a mopane tree, a rhino and her calf, emissaries of the still-endangered species from which Ongava takes its name.

Here, on any drive in an open game-viewing vehicle, on any close encounter on foot, in the company of an expert guide, only one thing is for certain.

No two days in the wild diversity of Ongava will ever be the same.

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For Ongava’s skilled and knowledgeable guides, this timeless landscape is more than a sanctuary, more than a reserve. It’s home. Their calling and duty is to share their love of the wild, making sure that every experience broadens your horizons and leaves you with memories to last a lifetime.

Get closer than ever to nature at Ongava

Download our checklists and get to know the remarkable species of Ongava

Birds Checklist

Amphibians Checklist

Ongava Grasses Checklist

Ongava Mammals Checklist

Ongava Reptiles Checklist

Ongava Trees Checklist

Ongava 'Specials' Checklist

At one with the wonders of nature

The African bush is an ancient realm where wonder springs to life. And the more we learn about the intricate web of connections that binds its fauna and flora to the land, the more it stirs our curiosity, our quest to wonder why.

At the Ongava Research Centre, an independent, privately funded institution attached to Anderssons Lodge, scientists and researchers from around the world set out daily to explore, observe, analyse, and unravel the mysteries of the wild.

Their findings, published online and in international journals, are helping to enhance our understanding of natural ecosystems, while forging stronger bonds between humanity and the environment.

On your visit to Ongava, take time to discover their valuable work, by exploring our fascinating interactive visitor centre.

Activities & experiences

Learn about our projects to protect and preserve the land, in harmony with its people

Research at Ongava

Building partnerships in research and conservation

We have formed research and conservation partnerships with local and international organisations, to better understand the environment and help to meet its needs.

Supporting local communities

We are working on sustainable development projects that will help to support local communities, while ensuring the conservation and protection of the environment.

Conserving and protecting wildlife

As a private game reserve, we are implementing a range of measures to safeguard and protect our precious wildlife species.

Keeping a close watch on the land

Through our ecological monitoring and research activities, we aim to understand the impact of human activities on the environment, and learn how to best to protect and conserve the wildlife in the region.

Indulge in a Life of Luxury in the Wild

At Ongava, you can spend your day in the wide-open spaces of the wild, and come home to the embrace of comfort and luxury.

Our four lodges, distinctive in style and character, have been carefully designed to harmonise with the landscape that surrounds and inspires them. Each is a special retreat that will advance your appreciation of nature.

A place to call your own, in the Realm of the Rhino.