Zannier Omaanda

This property recently opened in Namibia and my husband and I were very excited to experience Omaanda during our honeymoon. We previously stayed another Zannier property, Phum Biatang in Cambodia, and knew this hotel would live up to the hype; it did not disappoint. 
Located only about 45 minutes from the airport, Omaanda feels very secluded as it is set inside a private game reserve (which does amazing work supporting wildlife). The drive is very scenic through the N/a'an ku sê Reserve, and yo... This property recently opened in Namibia and my husband and I were very excited to experience Omaanda during our honeymoon. We previously stayed another Zannier property, Phum Biatang in Cambodia, and knew this hotel would live up to the hype; it did not disappoint. 
Located only about 45 minutes from the airport, Omaanda feels very secluded as it is set inside a private game reserve (which does amazing work supporting wildlife). The drive is very scenic through the N/a'an ku sê Reserve, and you are able to spot many animals. We drove ourselves, as we were self driving through Namibia, but the hotel offers airport pick up as well. The hotel is jaw droopingly beautiful. Approaching, it looks as though it is a traditional village, but that is far from what it is. Although brand new, it feels as though it has been there for years and blends into its surroundings with its natural earthy tones and chic design. The design and furniture selection truly resembles a “restoration hardware” catalog. The rooms are private huts built in traditional Namibian style and offered us a wonderful view of the watering hole. Inside is modern and clean, a large and comfortable bed, even larger walk in closet area. The bathroom is very spacious with a bathtub and shower. We took advantage of the indoor fireplace as it was chilly in the evening. There is also an outdoor terrace overlooking the magnificent reserve. The room offers all the modern amenities you would expect at a 5 star hotel. Spa - We opted for a couples massage. The spa manager was WONDERFUL and we recommend the spa to everyone who stays. We got to choose from a selection of local oils for our massage which added to the experience. After 3 weeks in Africa on Safari - we truly enjoyed every moment of the traditional Namibian touch massage. The spa is located in another traditional “hut” so it is very private and removed from the lobby area. Activities: The hotel offers an array of activities for guests during the day, as well as morning and evening game drives which is included, with an amazing guide. We partook in the evening game drive, which was amazing! As the sun set, we enjoyed signature cocktails of our choice, (Manhattan’s all around) and snacks in the middle of the reserve. Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all stellar. Not only was the taste amazing, but what made it 5 star was the manner and execution put into each dish. Everything was served in unique ways with so much attention to detail. We did not go hungry, the food was plentiful and divine. The only problem we faced was controlling ourselves to NOT eat that much so we could enjoy dinner! We enjoyed the fact that there is no buffet at Omaanda and everything is made with fresh ingredients. The chef is absolutely wonderful, and we had a great conversation with her about local food, as well as her preparations and inspiration for meals. She prepared the best meals we had during our entire one month in Africa. Breakfast consisted of of an assortments of breads and morning pastries, meats, cheeses, a wellness shot of juice (great touch), fresh fruit and whatever you preferred to have as your main meal (eggs, pancakes, avo toast). Lunch was a a large mezze platter with an assortment of amazing Mediterranean inspired food. We ate outside by the pool overlooking the stunning views. Dinner was local and fresh. We had beef, lamb, fresh vegetables, polenta, and lasagna during our stray. The chef offered 3 choices of entree, and the meal consisted of amuse bouche, starter, entree and desert. Staff - Our impressions of the hotel are enhanced by the graciousness of the staff who went above and beyond to fulfill our every request. Vivian and Olga both made our experience memorable, both were so helpful and friendly, but everyone on the staff blew us away with their kindness. During our honeymoon we stayed at many top-rated hotels in Namibia, however, no hotel could compare to this property. Omaanda executes a level of “luxury” that is hard to find in within Africa. We recommend this property to anyone would wants ultimate luxury in the heart of the desert.

You are being picked up from the airport by friendly staff (Vivian the Front Office Manager and Blue the Driver)in a very nice van with all the care you can think of. After a mere 20 mn drive, you pass a highly secured gate and enter into a savanna paradise: the ride to the lodge takes about 15mn with encounters with nursing giraffes, galloping zebras, funny warthogs, shy oryxes, and all the usual suspects of the area. As you arrive, all the staff is here with Steeve, the General Manager, to gre... You are being picked up from the airport by friendly staff (Vivian the Front Office Manager and Blue the Driver)in a very nice van with all the care you can think of. After a mere 20 mn drive, you pass a highly secured gate and enter into a savanna paradise: the ride to the lodge takes about 15mn with encounters with nursing giraffes, galloping zebras, funny warthogs, shy oryxes, and all the usual suspects of the area. As you arrive, all the staff is here with Steeve, the General Manager, to greet you with a warm welcome. The settings and the view are breathtaking, all the details are fine genuine decoration with an extremely good taste, that all design and architecture lovers will be delighted with. This is the Zannier touch. The villa is so perfectly filled with all you may need, including games for the kids, art books, 3 fireplaces, beautiful furniture with this so typical great choice for interior fabrics and antiques. Your host has even thought of nice embroidered caps to protect your head from the sun and flip flops to walk to the infinite pool. The towels, robes and slippers are so fluffy and soft, the amenities are all you could desire. The service is at the outmost, all the staff is very friendly without being intrusive and above all, they all keep their own personality, which makes you feel like staying in a “long-time no see” family. Annelie, the Chef, is the fairy of the place: she is cooking exactly what you are dying for, taking great notice of your tastes and potential diet or allergies. The only problem is that she is afraid you might not have enough of something so the dishes are lavish! All the food is mouthwatering, fresh, seasonal, farm raised locally and homemade. Even the cookies and snacks you can enjoy at sunrise and sunset in the middle of the savannah. The spa is definitely worth a treatment a day: all the products are local, organic and very efficient, with no chemicals. Too bad you cannot purchase them yet to bring back home! Even the herbal teas there have a custom-made taste! Twice a day you can enjoy a delightful trip with Ginnie, the ranger of the reserve, he knows where the animals are and can tell you all about them. He would walk you out of the 4-wheel car for a silent close-out with the rhinos, the elephants or the cheetahs, all in very safely way. Be prepared for sceneries you can’t even imagine. There are only positive things I can think off, the only thing I got annoyed with was the door knob of the villa, I was just unable to open it, but my kids could!! We were there in August, the light was perfect for beautiful pictures, but as soon as the sun was out, you would definitely need a fleece plus a down jacket. A one-week stay at Omaanda is the most relaxing break we had for a long long time, taking us beyond our imagination, boosting our mood with energy and friendship. We are so looking forward to go back there once the second Zannier hotel will be opened.

Was picked up in a nice new safari green van, waited in line for over an hour at immigration so sparkling water, cookies & fresh fruits in the car were a great way to start the trip. 45 minutes later, checked into room 8, one of ten “huts” with an unobstructed & mesmerizing views of the savannah, the fantastically comfortable room came with coffee machine, plush slippers, toothbrush, sunhat, a luxurious big bathroom with a spotless tub, motion detector bathroom light, fireplace... everything her... Was picked up in a nice new safari green van, waited in line for over an hour at immigration so sparkling water, cookies & fresh fruits in the car were a great way to start the trip. 45 minutes later, checked into room 8, one of ten “huts” with an unobstructed & mesmerizing views of the savannah, the fantastically comfortable room came with coffee machine, plush slippers, toothbrush, sunhat, a luxurious big bathroom with a spotless tub, motion detector bathroom light, fireplace... everything here is thoughfully done. This amazing place just opened and there weren’t many guests around so it felt almost like my own private retreat. I’ve stayed at Phum Baitang + 1898 the Post and really like Zannier hotels, here at Omaanda I was especially impressed with the conservation collboration by Zannier & n’a'an ku sê. Didn’t expect to see lots of animals as this is more a sanctuary vs. a game drive type of place, the foundation does lots of rescue & release, the 9000 hectares bought by Zannier was almost going to be turned over to urban developers, but now is an enormous ideally temporary refuge for animals, such as two juvenile elephants. With this in mind, was incredibly happy after hours of tracking to see a pregnant & injured rhino taken care of by the reserve’s vet Kobus, seeing a 1.8 ton damsel in distress & the amount of care taken by the rangers/trackers/vet to help her was really quite a humbling experience (& standing mere yards from her a sheer privilege). The other animals were also elusive, but while not abundant in numbers there was a good variety of sightings: giraffes, warthogs, ostriches, jackals, long horned oryx, springboks, steenboks, kudus, baboons, red hartebeest, mongoose etc & a pack of relaxed wild dogs after their successful kudu hunt ! Almost as good were the stories told by guide Balon, his love of the animals very obvious. This is a place to relax, recharge & pig out. The meals were delicious, service was warm & excellent, even walking back to the room was an adventure when you can see shooting stars! I really enjoyed talking to the f&b manager Annelie, she recommended the “behind the scene” visit which I didn’t have enough time for but did manage to squeeze in a quick visit to feed a one month old orphaned rhino @ the Shiloh wildlife sanctuary. As a short 4 day break this place was perfect. Only regret— I would have loved to stay an extra night for the BTS visit, try their spa /heated pool but just never got around to it. Oh, & faster wifi would be nice.