Once we departed Etosha National Park for good, our next stop was lodging for dinner and sleep. Taleni Etosha Village is located just beyond Etosha National Park – only a fence separates the two from what I could tell. We weren’t sure what to expect as we entered the guarded gate and drove down the dirt road. Even upon parking, the reception was hidden behind some trees. It wasn’t until we started walking towards the reception that we realized how beautiful this lodging was and our excitement grew!!
Most everyone on our Chameleon Safaris Tour exclaimed how we felt like there had been a mistake with our bookings because this place was too luxurious and too nice for us! We arrived just after sunset, so the pathways were lit, there was an inviting swimming pool that was lit (but it was too cold to go in), and all of the little buildings/huts that made up the Village were gorgeous!
We walked into reception and were greeted with friendly staff serving us glasses of my favorite juice (it’s a Namibian juice that has guava and orange mixed). Have you watched those reality shows where all the contestants come together on the first night and arrive to their location and are greeted by drinks and a host that tells them what is going to happen? Well, this is exactly what it felt like. I was wondering if there was a hidden camera. We all stood there, in a row, sipping our juice, being welcomed, and then there was the passing out of the keys and room assignments. Kind of like the rose ceremony on The Bachelor. LOL. Except no one was sent home. It was unreal how this all felt – really felt like a Namibia Survivor show. We were in awe as we passed the dining area, the bar, and a fire pit on the way to our rooms. It was unsettling, though, that our key had a whistle attached to it. I think it was to blow in case there was danger, like in case a lion or a leopard jumped the fence and got into the Village area. It was a bit of a scary walk and not as lit as the reception area on the way to our cabin. Of course, our cabin was the furthest away from everyone else, which made it even scarier for me.
Once we walked inside, we must have spent at least 10 minutes oohing and aahing over how luxurious it was compared to any place we’d stayed before. We had some time to get ready before dinner, so I snapped some photos of our patio view and interior and then got ready.
Before dinner, I joined a couple of the other girls for a drink at the bar. Two of us split a bottle of red wine. The wine in Africa was so good and cheap. Our dinner was a buffet of fresh game meat (Kudu, Oryx, Gembok, Imapala, Beef, Pork, and Chicken). But don’t worry, there was no zebra, lion, elephant, or giraffe!!
They grilled the meats as we waited – we got to select up to 3 to try. I think I tried the Beef, Gembok, and Kudu. I didn’t really care for any of them, and I could tell a difference in the taste of their beef vs beef in the US. I definitely would not crave the meat enough to want to hunt any of these animals. We also had a stir fry station where we prepared a bowl with our ingredients, handed it over to the chef, and then squeezed in our own sauces when the time was right. There were other buffet items like breads, salads, and vegetables.
After dinner, I sat at the fire pit for a little while before we headed back to our cabin to sleep in the lap of luxury. All of us really wished we had more time to enjoy this lodge because it was so nice!!
The next morning, we had a nice breakfast buffet complete with an omelette station. I ate light this morning – just an omelette, fruit, and a few glasses of my favorite juice – because I knew we’d be on the road most of the day. After breakfast, we visited the gift shop to stock up on water and got to see the Village in the daylight in all its beauty.
We were all sad to leave Taleni Etosha Village. We all agreed it was a diamond in the rough in the middle of nowhere and it was nice to be treated so well after a couple of days on safari. I would love the chance to stay here again if I ever come back to Etosha! And I definitely recommend it. Unfortunately, I don’t know what our rates were for food or room because it was included in my safari tour package. We later found out that the owner of Taleni is from South Africa, and there are a few camps/lodges in Namibia that are of the Taleni brand.
I was not compensated for this review.
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