African Monarch Lodges

Not easy to find lodge in the middle of the nature reserve. Access only via 4WD passage to a hidden clearing where the transfer boat was waiting for us. After... read more a 30-minute boat ride, arrival at the lodge, which is located entirely on 4-6 m high "stilts" and was integrated into a group of trees so as not to impair a given elephant path ....
Perfectly equipped lodge; Bar and terrace with viewing platform and viewpoint on a waterhole - in the middle of the steppe. Luxury tents with open bathtub, separate spacious shower, spacious toilet, dream double bed, own living area and sofa! Heart, what do you want/expect more?
Super attentive, nice, friendly and fast operating staff, who anticipates your every wish. And top food, whether for dinner (really perfect), for breakfast or in the afternoon for "in between".....
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And also the game drives on water or on land, here we got our money's worth. Too bad - our stay was only planned for 2 nights.....
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For this lodge clear 10 out of 10 points; Greetings to Christian and Lisa (management), we had a really great time with you, which I/we will look back on fondly. This lodge is something you should experience.

Wonderful stay. - Staying here was the absolute highlight of my trip to Namibia. Located in the lesser-known Bwabwata NP, this camp was the perfect spot for both adventure and relaxation. ... read more Even going from my room to the common area was an adventure, passing along an elevated walkway where animals can be and were seen down on the ground going about their business. Game drives in the reserve were outstanding as were boat excursions along the Kwando river. The room was spacious and comfortable. Food was delicious and plentiful. Would love to stay here again!

Nambwa Campsite Caprivi - Spent two nights at new campsite next to Longlagoon. Very clean, hot water, 220v power and comfortable setup at camp. Unbelievable friendly staff and manager Christiaan and wife Lisa will... read more go beyond the extra mile to assist and make one’s stay at Nambwa Campsite special.

Excellent lodge - Superb stay in luxury tents surrounded by wildlife. We loved our stay here. You could lie in bed and hear elephants and hippos! We were on an all inclusive package.... read more The communal areas were lovely places. We also enjoyed spending a little bit of time chilling in the pool area. The staff are wonderfully welcoming and attentive. Our guide Eustace was excellent. Really enjoyed the variety of land and boat safaris. Would recommend being picked up at the park entrance and leaving your car there. We did this and it was like having a safari on our way to the lodge without having to worry about finding the right track! So glad we did

Simply magical & stunning - A truly magical place. Stunning location with fabulous rooms and views. Abundant wildlife, especially elephant, antelope and hippos. Fish eagles and other birds galore. Cats elusive, but about.
Staff were... read more great; and the guide Eustace, a local, was fabulous. A very special location. Two small suggestions where others have excelled are: 1. Improve the food quality and choice - do benchmark Onguma tented. Perfectly adequate, but some small choice would be fabulous. 2. Do start the Nambwa experience at the tar road. I’d suggest all pick ups start there so the safari begins on the high ours did. I hope we can return one day.

Just amazing! - I said to my husband after 45 minutes of driving 4x4 in deep sand to get to the lodge, I hope this is worth it. We were NOT disappointed. Hidden... read more amongst the trees were the most beautifully designed and furnished tented rooms providing us just the luxury we needed after camping 2 nights in the bush. Joanne was there to see to our every need and couldn’t be more helpful- even loaning me a crutch for my sprained ankle. On the eve of my daughter’s 13th birthday, the camp was visited by 5 elephants munching on leaves underneath the walkways. We could almost touch them. It was so beautiful!

This was our final stop on our trip in Africa and man oh man did we save the best for last (without knowing it of course, lol). Everything about this... read more place is wonderful....the views....how freaking neat it is to be in the trees....the incredibly friendly staff...the food...the wine....and of course the adventures. We got lucky to get Eustiss (best guide EVAH) take us on three different excursions. I am so glad I did not take once second of any of them for granted. Everything about the bush was magical....and then being able to come back and rest at such a wonderful lodge was the icing on the cake. I can not recommend this place enough. We will surely come back some day.

Stunning - Okay the last 14 km are a challenge ( 4x4 only ) but the reward is so much worth is! The lodge is situated between the trees and is hardly... read more visible. Not just between the trees but also on a high level so elephants can pass. No kidding. You do experience elephant under your lodge on their way to I don’t know where
The lodge itself is stunning. The service and hospitality are outstanding. Need I say more? Go there yourself.

Well worth the stress of the sand road - Many people have mentioned the road in as a challenge, but there are others who choose this location partly as a fun opportunity to try out their 4X4 skills. ... read more We have no skills, but did it anyway. Our mistake going in is that we tried to drive too quickly and kept losing steering control. We were too afraid of getting stuck. Right before the lodge, there was water that looked fairly high so I called to make sure we were supposed to drive through it. They told me that there were sandbags underneath. We made it, but the water was surprisingly high.

All that said, despite the stress of getting in, we would happily do it again and again. The hosts were amazingly friendly; the lodge and tents were beyond beautiful and the boat trip out to visit the hippos was magical. If I was going to restructure our itinerary, I'd take a day off of Chobe and add it to Nambwa. The accommodations were so unique and the setting felt secluded.

We definitely recommend this camp.

Fabulous Camp and lovely location - A very special place where you can enjoy the best nature has to offer. The tents are absolutely beautiful, the food delicious and the staff incredibly helpful. We had a... read more fantastic stay and loved all the activities - especially the boat cruises. Thank you to everyone for looking after us so well and making our stay so special.

HF Nambwa Christmas 2021 - Excellent stay at Nambwa even thought it was during the safari off-season. Planning to visit again between July and October. Still have to witness for myself the rumours that this... read more part of Namibia teems with the largest elephant herds - more than Khaudum :-).

Great tented lodge high in the trees - ATTENTION IMPORTANT: This lodge is great, but can only be reached via a nasty, worn sandy road 10km in about 1 h drive. The lodge is located in a "national... read more park" and you have to pay for it at the entrance (2 adults 2 nights for 500N$). Actually, the national park administration should take care of the road together with the lodge owner. BUT NOTHING happens, so the road is quite broken. 4x4 is mandatory and a proper car is also necessary (wheelbase + ground clearance). But that alone is not enough some off-road experience is needed or the drive turns into a nightmare.
We almost got stranded and stuck several times, luckily only sand and no stones and it was just about possible with a decent sized Toyota! The lady at the cashier's desk does NOT report the guests to the lodge. The lodge does not know that you are on the road and does not know if you get stuck. There is no mobile reception along much of this trail. From a junction about halfway up there are two trails, the one near the water is the less bad one. Signs are almost all missing, elephants seem to have knocked them down and taken them away. Continuing on foot is not a good idea, we drove right through a pack of wild dogs of about 20 rather large animals.
There is a pick-up and drop-off service from the lodge to the car park outside, by big game drive car, but it costs 700N$ per person return.
IMHO a good investment for a stress-free arrival.

The tented lodge is really top class for this type of lodge, no question about it.
Food, excursions, etc. all fit. Friendly staff. Great fireplace and well-designed furnishings.
The "tents" are very spacious with lots of room and very nicely and coherently furnished.
But as always with real tented lodges: there is no air conditioning, only a fan. You have to take that into account in the hot season.
In summary, a great lodge, but not for self-driving beginners.
There is a one star deduction for the road !

Best way to start a honeymoon! - This lodge managed to find the perfect balance between two extremes, 1) luxury and comfort and 2) being in the bush and middle of nowhere. This was our first stop... read more on our honeymoon and we were spoilt rotten everyday we were there, from champagne and bubble baths to candle lit dinners and a final photoshoot. One truly feels special when staying here and the staff adds a personal touch to everything and are very proud of their work. The food is amazing and service was exceptional. The guides have a broad spectrum of knowledge and even shares some traditional history and stories. You will not find the views from the tents and the sounds of elephants at night anywhere else.

Location, Location, Location - This lodge is the only lodge operating in the Bwabwata National Park, which means it’s of bird and animal sightings. We saw hippos, Urdu, impala, Buffalo, sable antelope, elephants... read more and more, as well as numerous birds. Harry gave us great boat rides through the waters, watching carefully for hippos.

Oliver the hippo hung around the camp, coming onshore at night and making noise. As the camp is on stilts, there was nothing to worry about.

The rooms had mosquito meeting and were quite comfortable. The food was good, too. Service was excellent. Christian and Lisa went out of their way to please us. During our small group tour our guide, who was vaccinated, came down with Covid, forcing us to find a replacement. They were quite helpful in getting our new guide to us by boat, as he arrived after the park closed, rescuing the day!

I cannot recommend this more highly, especially if you begin your visit to Namibia here, as we saw more wildlife here than in Etosha.

The last frontier? - We have stayed in Nambwa lodge previously and I am continued to be impressed. The whole lodge is built on stilts. Although the rooms are luxurious with exceptional views, staff... read more is friendly and the booking experience a pleasure – however this is not what I believes sells this lodge - it sells an experience – an experience to experience Africa (and Namibia in particular) as it should be. As it is the only lodge situated in the Bwabwata National park and close to the famous horseshoe, wildlife roams freely with everything from hyenas, kudu and elephants on the vast lands. Morning sounds include elephants crossing the channels of the Kwando river, fish eagles calling and an overall peace that is meant to be found only in the afterlife. It was a treat, a highlight after a highly enjoyable trip throughout the Caprivi region.

Our last evening included a visit from an elephant herd of almost 50 walking below the stilts and literally a meter or two below you. My kids were left in awe as this is something we have experienced here and only here – to be able to see a bunch of wild elephants going through and below the camp, so close, is amazing.

The game drive, with a sundowner at the horseshoe, sees elephants crossing through the horseshoe, magnificent Kudu herds and bulls and even Sables.

The management couple, Christiaan and Lisa, again deserves accolades trying to please in every way and really making it a most memorable experience.

What continues to impress is that the lodge still offers competitive pricing for Namibians (given this experience) and treating them with the same attention as foreign (and higher paying) tourists, which is different what we experienced with some of the other lodges we visited in Namibia.

NAMBWA TENTED LODGE - We spent 10nights in the Caprivi and this lodge was definitely one of the highlights ! The main area is open with magnificent views of the surrounding bush, the rooms... read more are very spacious and comfortable with all necessities, the food was delicious and the service warm and friendly - we had only one regret! Leaving too soon!