10 of the Best Luxury Lodges & Camps Around Etosha

By Anthony Ham

Etosha National Park in Namibia ranks among the premier safari destinations in southern Africa. It’s a magnificent world of wildlife and wild landscapes, with spectacular salt pans and large numbers of lions, elephants and so much more to enjoy as you explore this special place. Etosha also has a superb portfolio of high-end lodges and tented camps worthy of such a fantastic experience, and most of these add a whole new dimension to a safari. Most Etosha lodges and camps lie just outside the southern or eastern boundaries of the park, and some inhabit their own private conservancy areas, ensuring a strong sense of exclusivity. Below are 10 of the best.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

155 Etosha Safaris

1. Etosha Safari Lodge (Etosha NP)

Etosha Safari Lodge has modern lodge-style rooms in a great location close to Etosha National Park

Enveloped in a vast wilderness area under a seemingly endless northern Namibian sky, Etosha Safari Lodge has fine chalets with brick feature walls and wooden floors. The look is bright, modern and colorful, making use of the abundant natural light that floods the whole property. It’s a refreshing alternative to the darker old-style safari decor found in many lodges.

The blissfully quiet location will feel like your very own corner of Africa, with the convenience of being close to the park entrance. The swimming pools, restaurant and expansive lounge areas all take full advantage of this special location.

26 Etosha Safari Lodge Tours

2. Mushara Bush Camp (Etosha NP)

Mushara Bush Camp Sleep under canvas within easy reach of Etosha and enjoy the fine amenities

If you’re looking for a magical safari experience that blends luxury and high levels of service with accommodations that feel like a part of nature, Mushara Bush Camp is an excellent choice. The canvas safari tents let in cool breezes and the night sounds of Africa, while keeping you safe and allowing you to sleep in great comfort. The public areas, which include a swimming pool, restaurant and bar, are set in beautiful grounds. The restaurant is in a lovely open-sided building with soaring thatched ceilings. The location is also excellent, in a secluded stand of trees close to Etosha’s eastern gate.

15 Mushara Bush Camp Tours

3. Etosha Village (Etosha NP)

Etosha Village is ideally positioned next to Etosha and has a good mix of facilities and rooms

One of the closest places to stay to Etosha’s Anderson Gate, Etosha Village puts you in a prime position for entering the park early and staying until sunset. The rooms are bright and filled with understated luxury touches. Everything here, from the swimming pool and the restaurant to the public lounge areas, is surrounded and shaded by a thick mopane tree forest. It’s a beautiful spot, and you’ll love dining under the stars. In addition to excursions into the park, staff can arrange guided walks in the area.

12 Etosha Village Tours

4. Mushara Lodge (Etosha NP)

Mushara Lodge lies east of Etosha and is an excellent place to stay in luxurious surroundings

In a quiet patch of country east of Etosha and conveniently close for trips into the park, Mushara Lodge is a fine base for exploring this beautiful corner of Namibia. The chalet-style rooms and public areas have soaring ceilings of wood and thatch, which create a sense of spaciousness. The earthy colors throughout are also perfectly suited to making you feel a part of Etosha’s special landscape.

Facilities include a swimming pool, bar and restaurant. There are also plenty of shaded lawns on which to relax while you plan your next move, or you can simply do nothing at all.

12 Mushara Lodge Tours

5. Onguma Bush Camp (Onguma Private GR)

Onguma Bush Camp has appealing rooms in lovely grounds close to Etosha

Called a camp but really a luxury lodge, Onguma Bush Camp has rooms in bungalows that resemble traditional African huts with thatched roofs and mud walls. Wonderfully cool inside, the large luxury rooms have high ceilings. The whole place spreads across an area filled with palm trees, woodlands, lawns, swimming pools and ponds. The location just outside Etosha National Park is also a winner. The camp is beautifully set within exclusive Onguma Private Game Reserve, which draws many of Etosha’s most sought-after animals.

Onguma Bush Camp Tours

6. Mokuti Etosha Lodge (Etosha NP)

Mokuti Etosha Lodge sits right alongside the park boundary and is filled with luxury experiences

In a delightfully shaded and exclusive setting close to Etosha’s eastern boundary, Mokuti Etosha Lodge has a distinctly luxurious feel. The spacious suite-style rooms have a stylish, contemporary design, with exposed stonework, soothing color schemes and slick modern furnishings. The elegance spills over into the public areas, where the bar, restaurant, swimming pool and spa center provide wonderful places to spend your holiday. The only difficult choice is whether to go out and explore, or stay in and enjoy the pampering.

Mokuti Etosha Lodge Tours

7. Ongava Lodge (Ongava Private GR)

Ongava Lodge is at the heart of an excellent private reserve, with high-class rooms and facilities

Offering the best of all possible Etosha experiences, Ongava Lodge is located in the wildlife-filled Ongava Private Game Reserve. The reserve is known for its lions, elephants and rhinos, but it’s also right alongside Etosha National Park for easy access when needed. There are no fences between the park and the reserve, which means that staying here is like enjoying your own private Etosha. The luxury accommodations are in stone-built chalet rooms with high thatched ceilings. These enormous rooms come with equally well-sized private terraces that have views out over this beautiful ecosystem.

The swimming pool, lounge areas, bar, restaurant and service are all fantastic. Even the swimming pool overlooks a waterhole where gemsbok and elephant are among the animals that come regularly to drink.

Ongava Lodge Tours

8. Onguma The Fort (Onguma Private GR)

The castle-like Onguma The Fort looks out over Etosha Pan and has lovely rooms

Onguma The Fort rises from the sandy plains east of Etosha like something out of the tales of ‘Arabian Nights’. Beneath the earth-colored parapets and within cooling walls, the rooms feature plush cushions, fireplaces and four-poster beds. Swim in the pool, or relax with a drink while overlooking the waterhole. Wildlife sometimes wanders through the grounds. The sunsets over Etosha Pan are magnificent, and the big horizons will set your imagination soaring.

Onguma The Fort Tours

9. Ongava Tented Camp (Ongava Private GR)

Ongava Tented Camp has luxury safari tents in a private reserve alongside Etosha

Set against a pretty hillside and facing out across Ongava Private Game Reserve, the accommodations at Ongava Tented Camp aren’t your ordinary safari tents. These rooms are huge yet intimate, a combination forged using canvas and wood with strategically placed openings to catch the breeze and the beautiful light. This carefully crafted blend of natural materials and unmistakable luxury is at the heart of the Ongava experience.

Aside from the swimming pool, bar, lounge area and restaurant, it’s the little (and not so little) things that stand out: how animals often wander right past your tent, how rhinos turn up to drink from the waterhole most nights, and how the stars and silence turn every night into pure safari magic.

Ongava Tented Camp Tours

10. Toshari Lodge (Etosha NP)

Toshari Lodge Just outside the park but very much part of the Etosha experience, Toshari is a superb place to stay

South of Etosha, Toshari Lodge offers accessible sophistication amid the big-sky horizons that surround the national park. Understated luxury is the aesthetic at Toshari, which has large contemporary-styled rooms. Some have freestanding bathtubs, while others have cooling rammed-earth or concrete walls. All come with a nod to safari nostalgia in the antique writing desks and wooden chests.

The classiness continues throughout the public areas, with a delightful swimming pool, pretty grounds with plenty of shade, and a bar and restaurants. When darkness descends on the lodge, the soft lighting and bush silence bring a certain magic to the experience of staying here. The stars seem to go on forever.

Toshari Lodge Tours