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African Safaris and Tours
Linyanti Lodges
Linyanti Lodges – Lagoon Camps in the Linyanti and Selinda Reserves
Botswana's far north is a world of papyrus-fringed channels, quiet lagoons and mopane woodland, where the Linyanti River forms the border with Namibia's Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi). The Linyanti Marsh lies on the western edge of Chobe National Park, and the private reserves beside it reach west towards the Okavango Delta. Elephants come down to the water in big numbers, and northern Botswana holds one of the few remaining large populations of the endangered African wild dog. Our Botswana mammals page covers what else to look out for.
Most of the lodges and camps we feature sit on two private reserves:
- Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, on Chobe National Park's western border – Kings Pool, on a lagoon of the Linyanti River, and DumaTau, on Osprey Lagoon near the source of the Savuti Channel, both run by Wilderness.
- Selinda Reserve, Great Plains Conservation's corridor between the Okavango Delta and the Linyanti and Savuti – Zarafa Camp and the Dhow Suite on the Zibadianja Lagoon, Selinda Camp, Selinda Explorers and the Selinda Suite on the Selinda Spillway, and Okavango Explorers in the reserve's south-west.
Camp Linyanti is the exception: a small tented camp on a Linyanti lagoon, deep in the north-western corner of Chobe National Park itself.
Private reserves can usually offer more than a national park allows. Depending on the camp, you may be able to add night drives, guided walks and off-road driving to follow a sighting. Boat trips and canoeing depend on water levels, which change from year to year. For child policies, inclusions and how to choose between areas, see our Botswana lodges guide.
Tell us how you like to travel and we'll build the Linyanti into a safari around you, as we've done since 1999. That might be a lagoon-front suite with its own plunge pool, a canvas Explorers camp with walks and canoeing, or a two-bedroom private suite with your own guide and chef.
Linyanti and Selinda Lodges and Camps
Camp Linyanti
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Camp Linyanti is a small tented camp on a Linyanti lagoon, deep in the north-western corner of Chobe National Park. The emphasis is on guiding and wildlife rather than frills, with morning and afternoon game drives and boat trips on the lagoon.
DumaTau Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
DumaTau sits on Osprey Lagoon near the source of the Savuti Channel, in the private Linyanti Wildlife Reserve. Suites have plunge pools, the Osprey Retreat adds a spa, gym and lap pool, and day and night drives are joined by boating when water allows.
Kings Pool Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Kings Pool, a Wilderness camp, overlooks a lagoon on the Linyanti River in the private Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, which borders Chobe National Park. Each suite has its own plunge pool, so the lagoon stays in view between morning and afternoon activities.
Okavango Explorers Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Okavango Explorers Camp lies in the south-west of Great Plains' private Selinda Reserve, where the Selinda Spillway meets the permanent waters of the upper Okavango Delta. This 1920s-style canvas camp offers drives, guided walks, and canoeing when water levels allow.
Selinda Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Selinda Camp sits where the Selinda Spillway enters the Linyanti River, in Great Plains' private Selinda Reserve, the corridor linking the Okavango Delta with the Linyanti and Savuti. Suites come with private plunge pools and brass bathtubs.
Selinda Explorers Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Selinda Explorers Camp is a small canvas camp on the banks of the Selinda Spillway, near where it flows into the Linyanti River. Expect drives from morning into evening, guided walks, and two-person canoes on the spillway when water levels allow.
Selinda Suite
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
The Selinda Suite is a two-bedroom private suite where the Selinda Spillway enters the Linyanti River, with its own pool and deck. Your own guide, vehicle, chef and butler come with it, so drives, walks and boat trips run to your timetable.
The Dhow Suite At Zarafa
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
The Dhow Suite at Zarafa is a two-bedroom suite under canvas overlooking the Zibadianja Lagoon, the source of the Savuti Channel, a few minutes' walk from Zarafa Camp. It comes with a plunge pool, a private guide and vehicle, a chef and a butler.
Zarafa Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Zarafa Camp overlooks the Zibadianja Lagoon, the source of the Savuti Channel, in Great Plains' private Selinda Reserve. It was Botswana's first Relais & Châteaux property, and each tented suite has a plunge pool and a claw-foot copper bathtub.
Linyanti Lodges – Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve and the Selinda Reserve?
They are separate private reserves with different operators. The Linyanti Wildlife Reserve runs along the Linyanti River on Chobe National Park's western border and is home to Wilderness's Kings Pool and DumaTau. The Selinda Reserve, run by Great Plains Conservation, links the Okavango Delta with the Linyanti and Savuti, around the Selinda Spillway and Zibadianja Lagoon.
Which Linyanti camps are closest to the Savuti Channel?
Zarafa Camp and the Dhow Suite are closest: both overlook the Zibadianja Lagoon, the source of the Savuti Channel, in the Selinda Reserve. DumaTau sits on Osprey Lagoon, near the channel's source, in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve. The channel can flow for years and then dry up, so how much water it holds varies.
How do the Explorers camps differ from Selinda Camp and Zarafa?
Selinda Explorers and Okavango Explorers are small canvas camps with an expedition feel, and Okavango Explorers is styled on a 1920s safari. Both add guided walks and canoeing when water levels allow. Selinda Camp and Zarafa lean towards classic luxury, with private plunge pools, brass bathtubs at Selinda and claw-foot copper baths at Zarafa.
Which Linyanti camps offer walks, canoeing or boat trips?
Guided walks are offered at Selinda Explorers, Okavango Explorers, the Selinda Suite and the Dhow Suite. Canoeing on the Selinda Spillway runs from the two Explorers camps, and both private suites add boat trips or lagoon cruises. DumaTau and Camp Linyanti offer boating too. Every water activity depends on water levels, which change from year to year.
Is Okavango Explorers worth combining with another Selinda camp?
Yes. Great Plains suggests pairing Okavango Explorers with Selinda Explorers and Duba Explorers. Okavango Explorers sits where the Selinda Spillway meets the permanent waters of the upper Okavango Delta, while Selinda Explorers lies further along the spillway towards the Linyanti River, so together they show two contrasting sides of the same reserve.
What is Camp Linyanti like?
Camp Linyanti is a small tented camp deep in the north-western corner of Chobe National Park, on a Linyanti lagoon along the border with Namibia. It suits travellers who put guiding and wildlife ahead of polish. Game drives run in the morning and afternoon, boat trips go out on the lagoon, and evenings end around a fire.
Map of Lodges in and around the Linyanti Region
Botswana Travel Topics
10 Reasons To Visit Botswana
Ten reasons, from the Okavango's flood and Chobe's elephant herds to the Makgadikgadi salt pans, Kalahari lions and San trackers, wild dogs in the Linyanti, mokoro trips, and a low-volume tourism policy that keeps vehicle numbers down.
Best Botswana Safari Lodges
Our pick of Botswana's safari lodges, region by region: Mombo and Xigera in the Delta, Chobe Game Lodge on the river, Jack's Camp on the pans and Savute Elephant Lodge, plus how to choose between them.
Botswana Chobe National Park
A practical guide to Chobe: getting there from Kasane, river cruises versus game drives, where the elephants come down to drink, the lodges we use, and how to add Victoria Falls on the way in or out.
The Perfect Okavango Delta Honeymoon Safari
Planning a honeymoon in the Okavango Delta: the camps that suit couples, from Camp Okavango to Mombo, with sunrise boat cruises, mokoro trips, and private dinners and helicopter flights where the camp offers them.
10 Reasons To Visit The Savuti
Ten reasons to put Savuti on your route: bull elephants, big lion prides, wild dogs, the Savuti Marsh, San rock art in the Gubatsa Hills, and a channel with a habit of drying up for years at a time.
5 Best Lodges In The Chobe National Park
Five lodges in and around Chobe National Park that we would happily send you to: Chobe Game Lodge with its all-female guiding team, Ngoma, Muchenje, Chobe Chilwero, and &Beyond Chobe Under Canvas, which moves camp to follow the game.
How Much Does It Cost to Go on a Safari in Botswana?
What a Botswana safari actually costs, and why: camping versus mobile versus lodge, the season you travel, flights between camps, park fees and tips, and where a few honest savings can be made.
10 Best Lodges In Okavango Delta
Ten Okavango Delta camps we rate, from Eagle Island and Xigera to Jao, Jacana and Duba Plains, with what each does best, from mokoro trips on the water to family suites and walking safaris.