• Botswana wildlife safari: Wild Dog

Highlights and main attractions of Linyanti Wildlife Reserve

Highlights and main attractions of Linyanti Wildlife Reserve

Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, occupying a total area of 275,000 acres, is located on the southern banks of the Linyanti River where the landscape changes from marshland to lagoons and meandering waterways, leading to open grassland and riverine forest. 

Botswana wildlife safari: Elephant

Linyanti Concession and Selinda Concession

The reserve has a high population of animals, lion and spotted hyena as the principal predators, with leopard being sighted primarily on night drives. Game densities improve as the season progresses into the drier months and the wildlife migratory species move closer to the water source of the Linyanti River. Herds of elephants can be seen congregating at waterholes and rivers. Zebra also stay in the Linyanti region during winter before moving on to Savuti around October and November.

Linyanti Concession


A prime dry game viewing area between June and October, this remote concession incorporates the Linyanti River and its shady mopane forests, wetlands and open savannahs. Elephant viewing is particularly strong and at points offers the world’s highest density, although a myriad other wildlife congregates here, including red lechwe, kudu, sable, impala, zebra, wild dog, waterbuck and giraffe. Four of the main camps in this area include Linyanti Tented Camp (an old style safari camp with simple, modest comforts), King's Pool (a Wilderness Safaris Camp and one of the most luxurious in Botswana), Duma Tau (luxurious tents on wooden platforms) and Savuti Camp (located alongside the Savuti Channel with Meru style tents). The Savuti Linyanti is the site of an annual zebra migration, with unbeatable wildlife viewing. 

Selinda Concession


Including a significant section of the Selinda Spillway that links the Okavango with the abundant wildlife of the Linyanti Marshes, Selinda covers an area of 1,350 square kilometres in northern Botswana, sitting adjacent to Linyanti. Its topography is similar to that of Linyanti, but offers more floodplains in addition to its waterways and dry woodland areas. The spillway that winds through the area is a magnet for wildlife, as the waters from the Okavango pour in, and during the winter months elephant herds can be numerous, along with wildebeest, zebra and giraffe, as well as predators such as wild dog, cheetah, lion and leopard. Selinda Camp is a luxurious camp with tents on raised platforms offering superb game viewing within the heart of the concession.

The Linyanti region has the benefit of having a private and exclusive feel, with accommodation being shared between a very small number of camps, which means that guests are able to experience the wildlife in relative seclusion, adding to the authenticity of the safari experience.



Kwando Concession

An unfenced and remote wilderness of 2,320 kilometres in the far northern section of the country bordering Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, Kwando offers 80 kilometres of pure river frontage and incredible game viewing. Particularly noted for its high concentration of elephant and buffalo herds in the dry months, predator sightings are also common here and the lions of Kwando are renowned for their buffalo, hippo and elephant stalking, alongside hyena, wild dog and cheetah and various plains game along the Kwando River. Kwando Kwara Camp, Little Kwara and Kwando Lagoon Camp are all expertly positioned camps to spot big cats and the other prolific wildlife.

Linyanti Marshes

These picturesque marshes are formed as the Kwando River flows south from the Angolan Highlands through the Caprivi Strip, hitting the Kalahari Sands and dispersing into swampland and river frontage. The patchwork of waterways and papyrus-lined lagoons are not dissimilar to the Okavango; an unfettered and remote area that attracts large herds of Kalahari elephant, as well as lions, leopards, wild dogs, roan antelopes, sable antelopes, hippo, red lechwe, sitatunga and crocodile. The intimate Linyanti Bushcamp overlooks the banks of the marshes, with excellent viewing of the water and desert-adapted wildlife drawn to this important water source. 

Chobe Forest Reserve

A separate triangular enclave that is flanked by the interior Chobe National Park on two sides and the Linyante Marshes to its northern side, this reserve is filled with shady riverine forests, open savannahs and vast mopane woodlands that provide similar game rich habitats to Chobe and Linyante, with a vast array of wildlife to be seen.  A community trust concession, the local communities live and run livestock here, benefiting from tourism activities and playing an active role in decision-making. Linyanti Bushcamp is located within the private reserve, putting you in the heart of the region with unrivalled expert naturalists.

BOOK YOUR BOTSWANA SAFARI

Contact one of our Destination Specialists to start planning your journey to Botswana. Please note we recommend a budget of from £7,000 / $10,000 USD per person for our style of trip to this destination.

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