Okapuka Game Drive
Description
Escape the city for an afternoon and dive straight into the Namibian bush. Just 30 kilometres north of Windhoek, a massive 7,300-hectare wilderness awaits. This half-day trip takes you on a guided 4x4 open-view game drive through a pristine, scenic reserve, all the while enjoying views of the reserve's golden grasslands and winding riverbeds. You will come face to face with white rhino, giraffe, a wealth of antelope species, and much more, all while your guide brings the whole scene to life around you. Light snacks and refreshments are included, and the whole experience wraps up in around three and a half hours, perfect if you have an afternoon free in Windhoek and want to make the most of it.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Escape the city for an afternoon and dive straight into the Namibian bush. Just 30 kilometres north of Windhoek, a massive 7,300-hectare wilderness awaits. This half- day trip takes you on a guided 4x4 open-view game drive through a pristine, scenic reserve, all the while enjoying viewing the reserve's golden grasslands and winding riverbeds. You will come face to face with white rhino, giraffe, a wealth of antelope species, and much more, all while your guide brings the whole scene to life around you. Light snacks and refreshments are included, and the whole experience wraps up in around three and a half hours, perfect if you have an afternoon free in Windhoek and want to make the most of it.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up from all centrally located Windhoek city accommodation.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Reviews(44)
Great experience. Knowledgeable guide. Highly recommend this tour. It is only a short drive from Windhoek.
Great easy tour, transport is nice and driver safe , beautiful lodge where we wait for the safari amd jp our safari driver was awesome
What a fantastic experience! Our amazing driver Shaka picked us up and took to Okapuka Farm where we were met with game driver Presley. We saw so many amazing animals: rhino, giraffe, and lots of antelope. If you want a half day excursion I highly recommend this tour. At the end of the game drive we enjoyed delicious snacks, beers, and cocktails.
The Good: The experience itself of seeing the animals was amazing and I really enjoyed it. We had a picnic in the reserve surrounded by animals which was lovely and very peaceful. The tour group had communicated specific pick up times which was great as they were bang on time and the driver was super friendly. The Less Good: The duration of the actual safari, being out on the reserve is 1.5-2 hours. So not the 4 hours as advertised which was the understanding of everyone in our group. It is marketed incorrectly, although the time we were there we saw so many animals because it's a reserve and not out in the wild. I had no issue with paying for what we got, but it was mis-sold as the experience itself being double the length. Having been on a few safaris, I am used to guides pointing out animals we can't see, however the guide kept driving past animals and we were asking him to stop. He had the knowledge of the animals, but was not great at spotting them or providing anything more than the basics.
Great lodge about 40 minutes from Windhoek. The ostrich Lucy lives there almost as a pet and surprises you right upon arrival. The drive with the jeep into the reserve was very beautiful and informative. We saw various wildlife (no cats, but that was clearly communicated). The highlight was the encounter with the rhinos and the baby.... our guide Alpha made a great effort, and the little picnic before returning to the lodge was excellent (various drinks with/without alcohol, vegetarian/meat snacks). A great afternoon.
The experience was not as advertised. The advertisement was misleading regarding the length of game drive - more time was spent in the shuttle to and from the experience than on the actual game drive. In addition, our ticket listed our pick up time as “30-60 minutes before the start time” of the activity, which was 12:30. There was no follow-up communication with a specific pick-up time. We were ready at 11:30 a.m., and weren’t picked up until 1:00 p.m., 30 minutes after the stated activity start time. When we arrived at the lodge, only one of the four people on our shuttle were expected by the game park. There was also a profound lack of communication and customer care on the part of the tour operator, Chameleon Safaris. No redress or attempt to correct any part of the situation was made on the part of the company. Nor did they accept responsibility for the conflicting and confusing information provided. At the end of our game drive, lodge staff had to seek out our driver who had not noticed we had returned. This was after we waited at the lodge for some time and a member of our party asked when our shuttle would be departing. We want to clarify that the actual game drive at Okapuka was delightful, and our guide, Presley, was professional and knowledgeable. All incompetence, disorganization, misleading advertising, and lack of customer care lies with Chameleon Safaris.
Dear Traveler Warm Greetings from Chameleon Safaris, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are pleased to read that you found the actual Okapuka game drive delightful, and that Presley was professional and knowledgeable. Okapuka is a wonderful wildlife experience close to Windhoek, and we are glad that the game drive itself was enjoyable. We are sorry that the day’s logistics left you frustrated, and we would like to respond to the points you raised for both clarity and future travellers. Regarding the timing, Okapuka Game Reserve is located outside Windhoek, roughly a 30–45 minute drive from the city's central area. The listed duration of around four hours refers to the full excursion, including collection in Windhoek, the transfer to and from the reserve, and the game drive itself. In practice, the afternoon runs approximately as follows: the pickup routing usually starts at 12:30, with guests collected from their hotels, guesthouses, or confirmed pickup points between approximately 12:30 and 13:00. We do our best to complete this routing within about 30 minutes, although exact collection times can vary slightly depending on traffic, the number of pickup stops, and other practical circumstances on the day. Once all guests have been collected, the transfer continues to Okapuka Game Reserve outside Windhoek, with the game viewing experience beginning after arrival at the reserve. We can see how the booking platform ticket note, when read alongside a single listed start time, could have suggested being ready from 11:30 rather than from 12:30. This is, however, the first time this interpretation has been brought to our attention, and guests have generally boarded expecting the 12:30–13:00 collection window. That said, even a single instance of confusion is reason enough for us to review the wording again. We are therefore grateful that you brought your experience to our attention, as it gives us the opportunity to strengthen the clarity where needed and ensure future guests understand the pickup window, transfer time, and game drive portion as clearly as possible. We are reviewing the listing with the booking platform to make sure the pickup window, transfer, and game drive are each presented clearly without any ambiguity, regardless of how a traveller comes across the information. Regarding your remark that only one of the four guests appeared to be expected by the game park. To give some context, reservations with Okapuka are often held administratively under one booking reference per operator for a specific date. That reference is opened under the name of the first guest received for that specific date, while the full number and names of guests is recorded under the same booking. This does not mean the remaining guests were unaccounted for. All four guests were booked and provided for, including transfer seats, and places on the open game viewer. On the wait at the end of the drive: our driver was in fact waiting at the vehicle for your return, but we understand there was a breakdown in communication around where guests should meet the driver after the drive. This should have been clearer. We have addressed this with our team so that drivers confirm the return meeting point with guests before the game drive begins and, where needed, align this with lodge staff as well. That said, we do take your feedback seriously. Clear communication and reliable follow-through are very important to us. We have welcomed travellers across Namibia for more than 30 years, and it is exactly this kind of feedback that helps us keep refining both the experience and how we describe it. Thank you again for acknowledging the quality of the actual Okapuka game drive and Presley’s guiding. We regret that the surrounding logistics did not meet your expectations, and we appreciate the opportunity to clarify our side respectfully. Feedback like yours is genuinely useful to us in that respect, and we'd welcome the chance to hear from you directly should you wish to discuss anything further. Kind regards, Chameleon Safaris Management
Our driver picked us up on time at the hotel. At the lodge, we had a short time to look around before we got into the all-terrain vehicles. Our guide was able to show us many animals and told us a lot about them in his entertaining way. A great tour. Definitely worth recommending. Angela and Werner from Germany
Hi Angela and Werner, Thank you so much for your lovely review and for joining us on a Game Drive. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that everything started smoothly with a punctual hotel pick-up. It is also great to know that you had some time to look around the lodge before heading out on the 4x4 game drive. We are very pleased that your guide was able to show you many animals and share interesting information in such an enjoyable way. Seeing wildlife in a natural setting is always special, and we are happy the experience was memorable for you. Thank you again for recommending the tour. We truly appreciate it and hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Namibia. Warm regards, Gavin
Excellent game drive. We saw a range of animals, including giraffe, zebra, rhino, various antelope and birds. Simon was helpful and very knowledgeable. We all had a great time. Transfer from hotel to game reserve was about 30 minutes and efficient.
Warm greetings from Chameleon Safaris, Thank you so much for your lovely review and for joining us on the Scenic Game Drive. We are delighted to hear that you had such a great half-day experience and enjoyed the wildlife sightings, including giraffe, zebra, rhino, antelope, and birds. It sounds like a wonderful outing. Simon will be very happy to read your kind words. We are pleased to know that his helpful nature and knowledge added to the experience and helped make the game drive enjoyable for everyone. Thank you also for mentioning the smooth hotel transfer. We are glad everything ran efficiently and that you all had a great time. Warm regards, Gavin
Easy pick up and went to the Okapuka Lodge. Great guides and picnic provided by them. The lodge ia super nice with wifi available.
Hi Sierra, Thank you so much for your lovely review and for joining us on the Scenic Game Drive. We are pleased to hear that the pick-up was easy and that you enjoyed your time at Okapuka Lodge. It is great to know that the guides, picnic, and lodge facilities all added to a relaxed and enjoyable experience. Thank you again for booking with Chameleon Safaris. We’re glad you had a good time and hope to welcome you on another Namibian experience in the future. Warm regards, Gavin
The original venue was not available due to flooding as a result of heavy rain the previous day. The tour operator did a fine job to find an alternative and today was a beautiful sunny day.
Hi Thomas, Thank you for your kind review and for your understanding regarding the last-minute game drive change due to the heavy rains and flooding. Nature can sometimes be unpredictable, but we always do our very best to adapt quickly and make sure our guests still have a memorable experience. We’re delighted to hear that the alternative game drive arrangement worked out well and that you were rewarded with a beautiful sunny day in the end. Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back for more adventures in Namibia in the future. Warm regards, Gavin
