We first discovered the Okonjima Nature Reserve when searching for places to see the pangolin, Mason’s favourite animal. Although Okonjima has walking tours specifically geared towards searching for pangolins, participants must be sixteen years old. Despite this, the family-run conservation area piqued our interest as it is home to some of the more elusive species in Namibia, such as the leopard, brown hyenas, and white rhinos.

Okonjima is a full-service resort and guests must be accompanied by guides. There is no self-driving allowed. The Nature Reserve has several different activities including day and night game drives, animal-specific tracking tours (pangolin, rhino, and leopard), and an education centre.

Keep reading to learn more about our stay in Okonjima Reserve.

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Day 1:

We didn’t have to wait long before our first animal sighting. If there was ever a reason to always keep your eyes out for wildlife, this was it. We had not yet entered the designated conservation area when Jackson’s yelled “Rhinos!” After several false alarms in the past few days, Derek and I figured he had seen some large rocks, but we backed up to double-check. And there, hidden within some tall grass were four white square-lipped rhinos (according to Mason) on the side of the road.

The peaceful moment of observing these serene creatures didn’t last long. They seemed to sense our presence and two of the rhinos walked out of the bush onto the road, allowing us to see their enormity in full. Minutes later, a third rhino followed, leaving the safety of the brush. The small herd moved into the centre of the road, creating what looked like a defensive display. We soon realized why. A few feet off the road, in the deeper grass, was a baby rhino.

Derek was thrilled by the experience, whereas I was becoming more uneasy by the second. The threesome walked toward us, pushing us back from the baby. They continued to move closer as we reversed until finally, after a few tense moments, they walked to the opposite side of the road. It wasn’t until I saw them lay down that I felt the danger was over. It just goes to show that you can never forget that you are a guest in their habitat and not the other way around.

Campground Photo
Known for its luxury accommodation, with cabins overlooking the nature reserve and private guides and chefs available to hire, the Okonjima’s campsites did not disappoint. When on this campsite, you feel like you are alone in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nature’s beauty with only the rustling of the wind and little critters to keep you company. My favourite part was the peaceful open-air showers with plenty of hot water.

The accommodations are fenced off from the main reserve area. Small animals such as cape hares and antelopes do roam freely in the camping area, and there is no guarantee that large animals and predators won’t wander into your campsite.

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Once settled, Daniel, the campground manager, arrived to discuss our itinerary for the next three days, and after a quick chat we joined the Leopard Tracking Tour that was about to start. Some of the leopards in the park have radio collars to research their activity and promote conservation activities. Our tour guide, Felix, used the collar to track the leopard to an area of the park where we could begin our search.

We had to travel through rough terrain in the open safari vehicle. The boys huddled close to me as spiky branches attempted to slash us as we sped by. On our way, we saw a leopard turtle, waterbuck, and a family of giraffes with a two-week-old baby.

It wasn’t long until the truck stopped near a female leopard low in the grass. I turned my head looking around, but I couldn’t see it. Finally, Derek pointed down, and directly below, a pair of eyes stared back at me. The intense glare was unnerving, as though she had been planning an attack while I was unaware.

A few minutes later, we discovered a second leopard, a male. This is very unusual because leopards are territorial, often fighting to the death when they come across one another. The younger male was well camouflaged and kept his distance. Can you see him?

We spent about an hour watching them and taking photographs. The boys were great, staying still and quiet to avoid the predator’s gaze. To add to this, the guide had our youngest, Mason (age 8), sit between two adults to ensure his safety. At one point, the male leopard stood up and walked close to the truck, sensing that there were children, or small prey in the vehicle. Felix, always keeping a close eye on the cats’ behaviour, quickly turned on the truck and reversed slowly, scaring him away.

Day 2:

For our second day, we booked a tour of the education centre, the AfriCat Foundation Carnivore Care & Information Centre. The AfriCat Foundation was established in the early 1990s to educate locals and promote conservation efforts for endangered species in Namibia, particularly carnivores.

The boys loved the interactive tours of the rescue centre and medical clinic. Our, Felix,
explained how and why the conversation center was developed. The boys were interested in learning about the conversation efforts and the human-animal conflicts that have occurred between farmers and wildlife in the area. We visited the education room where we could read about the current and past research projects, and then toured the clinic where we learned how injured animals are cared for.
Look for pictures from the education center
The tour ended with a drive through the AfriCat enclosures to see what they call animal ambassadors, meaning animals that have been rescued and are unable to be returned to the wild.
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There were five cheetahs in the enclosure we visited, four of which were siblings that were rescued at three months old when their mother was killed. It was incredible to see cheetahs up close, much it was much more zoo-like.

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Our final activity at Okonjima was a Night Drive. It was pitch black with only the Milky Way lighting our path when we left camp that evening. Jackson took advantage of sitting up front with Felix, asking him millions of questions, while Mason, who is afraid of the dark, snuggled close to me in the back.

The bumps and drops created by the uneven road were thrilling in the dark until we drove over a massive dip leading to a flat tire. It turned out that we hit a large aardvark hole. Felix quickly changed the tire, but it was unnerving having him outside the truck in the night.

Unfortunately, we had limited animal sightings. It was a very windy night, so most of the animals were hiding deep in the brush. We did see the brown hyena, which was new as well as giraffes, wildebeest, impala, greater kudu, and jackals. Despite this, we all enjoyed the night drive, a first for the boys. It is such a different experience exploring the parks in complete blackness, searching for sparkling eyes among the bushes and trees.

Conclusion: Our time in Okonjima went quickly and we all had an amazing time.