Place to stay · Sesfontein
Ongongo Waterfall Campsite
Nine private campsites in a small canyon at Warmquelle, south of Sesfontein, beside a spring-fed waterfall and pool that stay warm enough to swim in all year.
Ongongo is a campsite in a narrow canyon near Warmquelle, 6 km from the village and about 25 km south of Sesfontein. It sits roughly 90 km north of Palmwag off the C43. The draw is the water: a spring feeds a small waterfall and a clear pool that stays warm enough to swim in all year, which is a rare thing in the dry north-west. The name means magical in Otjiherero.
What to expect
There are nine campsites, each taking up to eight people and two vehicles. Every site has its own ablution block with hot showers, a wash basin and a shaded area.
On your own you can follow the creek upstream to where it rises, a spring under a large tree. The camp also runs two guided walks, of about one hour and two and a half hours, that climb out of the canyon onto the plain. The longer one carries on along the hills to a set of caves near Warmquelle. Take your own water and snacks on both.
Practical details
- The track in is rocky and slow. A two-wheel-drive bakkie or SUV can reach the parking area at the top with care, but the drop into the gorge is 4x4 only. Sedans cannot get there.
- If you are not in a 4x4, leave the car at the top and carry your gear down.
- Day visitors are allowed.
- Book ahead in season. Phone +264 61 239 643, email reservations@ongongocampsite.com.
- The nearest fuel is in Sesfontein or Palmwag.
Good to know
There is no dump site nearby, so the camp asks you to take your rubbish out to the next town. Loud music is banned, and after dark no music at all unless you have the place to yourself. Sound carries in the canyon. The same people run Sesfontein Guesthouse and its Hoanib drives.
Last updated 7 October 2026. Sources: Ongongo Waterfall Campsite, Ongongo Waterfall Campsite, 2027 rate sheet and campsite rules, Sesfontein Guesthouse.
