The pool in the evening, with the open Lapa behind it: fireplace, bar, and lounge under a large umbrella.

Lodge in Namibia

Where Namibia's wide open spaces become home, our lodge in the Erongo Region awaits you, just 1.5 hours from Windhoek and perfect for the start or end of your trip.

Check availability See the rooms

Newly designed and furnished with a lot of love for detail, our lodge is where you arrive and find yourself right in the middle of it all. Animals cross your path as early as the drive in, and while the day holds adventure, the evening brings peace and quiet by the pool and in the Lapa. For families as much as for anyone who likes it a little wilder, it makes a perfect start or finish to your trip through Namibia.

What makes Okavandu special

More than a lodge

A set table in the Lapa in the evening, with the bar under the lit wooden ceiling behind it.

The Lapa, heart of our hospitality

In our Lapa, the restaurant and show kitchen, the bar, and the pool are so close together that everyone can follow their own rhythm, whether that means swimming, lying on a lounger, or enjoying a coffee in the lounge area. Our chef takes care of culinary highlights you would hardly expect out here. This is where our guests spend most of their time: by the water during the day, and over dinner and good conversation in the evening.

More about the Lapa

Chris and Manuel in Okavandu work shirts, arm in arm and laughing.

People you won't forget

There are many faces behind Okavandu, each with their own passion and their own field. Together they put their heart into making sure you feel well looked after in every way.

Meet the people

Ostriches run along the sandy track ahead of the vehicle, with the farm's hills behind them.

Wildlife, barely a step away

Warthogs and oryx already cross your path on the road in. On our game drives you get even closer to the animals and experience Namibia's wilderness firsthand.

More about the safari

A staff member drives the red Massey Ferguson tractor across the sandy farmyard, acacias behind.

From the farm straight to your plate

Our lodge is on a farm that we run ourselves. What grows and thrives here lands on your plate fresh and at its best, which makes for real enjoyment without any long journeys in between.

Discover our farm

Welcome to the Lapa

The Lapa is the heart of our hospitality, and here the bar, show kitchen, restaurant, and pool area come together in one place. Whatever you feel like, this is where you arrive, settle in, and meet the other guests at the lodge.

The bar

Our bar invites you to spend cozy hours talking about the adventures you had during the day. From the sundowner straight into the evening, the day winds down gently over a drink, with a view of the pool.

A place for a good time with family and friends, over a drink and in good company.

The Lapa's bar counter with its lit wooden front, bar stools, and bottle shelf.

The restaurant

Here you enjoy evenings you won't soon forget, with first-class food in a cozy atmosphere. Whether inside or on the terrace overlooking the pool, you sit back and relax in pleasant company wherever you are.

We're glad to cater personally to particular needs, especially your children's.

Set tables with woven place mats in the Lapa, with daylight falling in through the open front.

The show kitchen

Right at the counter we prepare food that whets your appetite, plus pizza fresh from our pizza oven. Here you can look over our team's shoulders while they cook, something our younger guests especially enjoy.

See it for yourself on your next evening in the Lapa.

The Lapa's pizza oven with its brick dome, a set table with glasses in front of it.

The pool area

Our pool is just a few steps from the Lapa, with umbrellas and loungers to relax on. Since the bar and restaurant are so close, we bring your drink right to your lounger.

Our heated pool is a special luxury in Namibia, and it means that everyone here can really make the most of it all year round.

The pool with loungers under umbrellas, the Lapa and the poolside rooms behind it in the evening light.

The Lapa and pool in detail

Two cocktails on the counter, one orange-red with ice, one creamy white with pineapple and mint.

Loungers under umbrellas by the pool, light ceramic bowls in front.

The Lapa's bar counter with wooden slats lit from below, bar stools, and the bottle shelf in the tiled arch.

Woven pendant lights under the Lapa's wooden ceiling.

A stainless steel cocktail shaker and bar strainer in front of the green-tiled wall.

A striped lounge sofa by the pool, with the Lapa's bar behind it.

The Lapa's bar at dusk, with a view into the lounge on the right.

Wine glasses on a wooden shelf in the bar cabinet.

A golden praying mantis as decoration next to a light stone bowl.

A pool lounger with a striped roll cushion, palm leaves in the foreground.

Corked oil and vinegar bottles against a wooden wall, black tins in front.

The Lapa's bar with its wooden-slat counter and stools, with daylight falling through the window front.

The lit bar shelf with bottles in the tiled arch.

Green cast-iron teapots on a wooden shelf.

A view through palm leaves of the Lapa's lounge under the umbrella.

A brass wall lamp with a glass shade next to the tiled arch.

A snifter with an amber drink lies tilted on a glass full of coffee beans.

A golden beetle as decoration on a dark wooden table.

Wine bottles lie in a wooden rack in front of the tiled wall.

Woven rattan trays, stacked inside each other.

A tin with a metal lid in front of the green-tiled wall.

A look into our kitchen

Four plates seen from above: steak with herb sauce, braised meat, T-bone steak with vegetables, and filet with fried onions in a dark sauce.

Braised meat on the bone with mashed potatoes, dark sauce, carrots, and fresh herbs.

A colorful salad with strips of chicken, croutons, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and boiled eggs, served with a dressing.

Roasted bell peppers, carrots, and tomatoes in a cast-iron pan.

Grilled T-bone steak with sautéed vegetables, a glass of tomato salsa behind it.

Yellow cream soup with herbs and toasted slices of bread in a soup bowl.

Jansen, our chef, in an apron and a backward cap at work in the kitchen, black-and-white photo.

Beef steak with green herb sauce on mashed potatoes, with cherry tomatoes.

Grilled halloumi with grill marks on a lettuce leaf.

Your retreat at Okavandu

Poolside room with a double bed, a woven leather bench at the foot, and warm light from the bedside lamp.

The Farmhouse

You can choose between two room categories, both furnished with a lot of love for detail: the fully redesigned historic farmhouse, which sits in a slightly quieter spot, or our new house right by the pool.

Discover our rooms

Rendering of the planned Villa in the evening light: a wooden facade with a dark roof and large glass fronts, a wide terrace with steps in front, and a pool, loungers, and a fire pit beside it in the savanna.

Opening 2027

The Villa

From 2027, our Villa will welcome you right at the waterhole, with a view of animals in the wild and room for up to ten guests. We rent it out exclusively as a whole, including its own kitchen and bar team, for special days with family and friends that you will remember for a long time to come.

When can we welcome you?

Ask us directly about availability for your preferred dates, or take a look at our rooms first.

Check availability Rooms at a glance

A day at Okavandu

Your day starts at an easy pace with a delicious breakfast in the Lapa. Then you head out for your first safari experience, a game drive where you'll soon meet your first animals, such as oryx, zebras, various antelope species, or giraffes.

Back in the Lapa, a small snack is waiting for you before you relax by the pool or sit out the midday heat with a coffee in the lounge.

In the late afternoon you head out once more for a sundowner on our hill, a cool drink in hand and a view across the wide expanse of the farm.

Back in the Lapa, you start with an aperitif at the bar, followed by an exceptional dinner in our restaurant. You spend the rest of the evening relaxing in our lounge and let the day wind down peacefully.

Two giraffes in the grass in front of green acacias, one lowering its head to the ground.

The Lapa's lounge by day, with sofas, fireplace, and bar stools.

Glasses on a set table in the Lapa, the bar blurred behind them.

A gin and tonic with cucumber against the glowing evening sky over the bush.

Loungers under large umbrellas by the pool, backlit.

Stories from our guests

We only wanted a few quiet days, but we ended up sitting by the pool every evening, swapping stories with other guests. A place you love coming back to.

Isabelle from the Allgäu

The sundowner on the hill was the high point of our trip, but the quiet hours by the pool and the evenings in the Lapa will stay with us too. Okavandu simply has the right thing for every moment.

Steffen from Volkach

Our room was furnished with so much love for detail, and the food in the Lapa surprised us again every night. What stayed with me most, though, was the game drive and how warmly the people on the farm welcomed us. You can just tell that everyone here loves what they do.

Vera from Würzburg

Your activities at Okavandu

View from the open vehicle of zebras and antelope at the waterhole.

Safari & game drives

Whether as a shared experience or out of pure passion for wildlife, a game drive at Okavandu is always an adventure. Our experienced guides take you to where the animals show themselves, so that you can experience real wild animals in their natural habitat.

More about the safari

Two men walk through the farm's fenced garden, surrounded by garden beds and acacias.

Farm tour

On a relaxed walk, you get to know our farm and life here up close. You might even meet the animals in our care, right now a little giraffe and a young oryx, both of which we rescued and are raising.

More about the farm tour

Red evening sky over the savanna, with the silhouettes of bushes on the horizon.

Sundowner

In the late afternoon you head up our sundowner hill, a cool drink in hand and a view across the wide expanse of the farm. A moment to pause before the evening begins.

More about the sundowner

Ernfried in a camouflage shirt and Okavandu cap looks through binoculars into the bush.

Hunting

Hunting is important for running the farm and for sustainable wildlife management. If you would like to come and hunt here yourself, you are very welcome, and you will find more about it on our hunting page.

More about hunting

Perfectly placed for your trip

Okavandu lies near Wilhelmstal in the Erongo Region, about 1.5 hours from Windhoek and about 2 hours from Hosea Kutako International Airport. It is far enough out for the real Namibia and close enough for a relaxed start or end to your trip.

The classic northern route starts in Windhoek and takes you via Okavandu to the coast at Swakopmund. From there it continues through Damaraland, with the Spitzkoppe and the rock engravings of Twyfelfontein, all the way to Etosha National Park, where elephants, lions, and giraffes gather at the waterholes. You then drive back to Windhoek via Otjiwarongo. Okavandu is the ideal first night on this route, because after your flight you can arrive here at your own pace before the trip really begins.

The southern route also starts in Windhoek and takes you via Okavandu to Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. From there you continue to the red dunes of Sossusvlei, where you see Dune 45 and Deadvlei at sunrise. If you like, you can go on to the Fish River Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world. You return to Windhoek via Mariental. Here too, Okavandu is a perfect first stop before you head on toward the coast and the desert.

Location and directions in detail

Common questions

Lodge in Namibia, in the middle of the Erongo Region

What grows and lives on our farm

Coming from Windhoek, you can see the Erongo Region begin just before Wilhelmstal: the land opens up and the hilltops turn red. In your first minutes at Okavandu, warthogs, springbok, oryx, and blesbok cross your path. Our just under 6,000 hectares are also home to giraffes, eland, zebra, mountain zebra, klipspringer, a good-sized kudu population, and many more species. Then there are cows, sheep, goats, chickens, and horses, because besides everything else, Okavandu is also a real livestock farm, where we grow our own hay for the animals too. Even a leopard roams the farm. Hardly anyone has seen it, but its tracks turn up all the more often.

Climate and best time to visit

We have the climate of the Namibian highlands, with distinct seasons. Winter runs from about May to August, with pleasant days of 20 to 25 °C and bright sunshine, although at night it can drop to just below freezing. In spring, around September and October, the days get noticeably warmer, the land starts to turn green, and the first young animals appear. Summer falls between November and March, when the days get much hotter at 30 to 35 °C, but the evenings stay long and mild. In fall, around April, it slowly cools down again, with plenty of sun and clear views. Rain is rare but heavy when it comes, as is typical of the Namibian dry savanna.

Lodge or hotel: what sets us apart

Unlike a classic hotel, a lodge in Namibia often has a real working operation running in the background. Okavandu is no different. While you stay with us, our teams keep working on the fence and the waterholes, look after the animals, and keep the farm running. That is exactly what sets a lodge on a farm apart from an ordinary hotel. Among other things, our kitchen cooks with what thrives on the farm. Even so, guest and working areas stay clearly separate, so the farm work stays visible without disturbing your peace.

Perfectly placed for the start and end of a tour of Namibia

As a lodge in Namibia, we are the ideal place to start or end your tour. Your overnight flight from Frankfurt lands in Windhoek in the morning, and after ten hours on the plane, another four to five hours behind the wheel is not a good way to start your vacation. Okavandu, on the other hand, is only 1.5 hours from Windhoek and about 2 hours from the airport, far enough out for the real Namibia and close enough for a relaxed first day. If you want to see Namibia on a tour, you can continue from Okavandu to the coast at Swakopmund in about 2.5 hours, on paved road all the way.

We recommend at least two nights: one for a game drive and dinner, a second with nothing planned at all. On the way back from the coast, too, Okavandu is perfect for your last night before your flight home. If you like, we can also plan your entire tour of Namibia. Just get in touch with us.

A wide view across the savanna to the mountains on the horizon.

Send an inquiry now or get the details

Newly designed rooms, genuine hospitality, and a piece of Namibia you won't soon forget are waiting for you here. Part of the revenue from your stay goes straight into our foundation and benefits the people who live and work here. Just send us your travel dates, and we'll get back to you with available rooms and rates.

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Our rooms All activities Safari on the farm Hunting at Okavandu The farm and how it runs The foundation's work Who's behind Okavandu Location & contact