Onguma Treetop Camp

An intimate and authentic stilted lodge with a One Tribe ethic and great game viewing

Each of the Onguma camps and lodges has a distinct character and beauty. What makes Treetop Camp so unique is not just the stilted design (which hoists you up to the level of the surrounding acacia treetops), nor its diminutive size (it sleeps just 8 in 4 beautiful tented huts), but rather the way life is lived en famille with your fellow guests and the camp staff.

The heart of the matter is the lofty main lodge where you'll find a big table, cosy sitting area and an open-plan kitchen where meals are prepared before your eyes by the cheerful staff. The open-sided design, with drop-down canvas sides, is just yards from one of the Onguma Reserve's largest water holes: during the dry season this is as popular a haunt for wildlife as a Fleet Street pub is for journalists. The hide-like nature of the camp, the boma fires at night and the natural intercourse with those working here together make for a wholly unique Namibian safari experience.

Highs

• If anywhere's going to make you feel at home in the bush, it's this camp
• The superb quality of guiding at Treetop means you'll not only see plenty of wildlife, you'll learn a lot about it, too
• The design of the camp - it's like one huge hide - means you should see plenty of water hole action
• There's masses to see in the Onguma Reserve (game drives will be a highlight), and you're within easy driving range of Etosha's eastern gate
• The food is excellent and it's fun to see how it's prepared

Lows

• The one table, one family way of doing things would only suit travellers of sociable ilk
• There's no swimming pool though staying in such a uniquely beautiful surroundings you'd hardly miss one
• Tarif only includes 1 game drive a day; if you want to do a second one, you'll have to pay extra
• The Onguma Reserve is a 5.5 hour drive from Windhoek, albeit through fabulous scenery, or a 1.5 hour flight in a light aircraft