Linyanti Safari

If the call of an unspoilt, undisturbed and remote getaway tugs at your heart, the exclusive safari experience of Botswana’s Linyanti’s Private Reserve is the place to satiate that longing. This quiet wildlife sanctuary has a low visitor rate and a high concentration of wildlife. Linyanti’s birdlife is simply spectacular, and it is a mecca for birding enthusiasts, particularly during the wet season when thousands of migratory birds jostle for space on the banks of the Linyanti River and papyrus-lined waterways.

Together with the Selinda and Kwando private reserves, Linyanti is tucked away between Namibia’s Caprivi Strip to the North and Botswana’s Chobe National Park and Okavango Delta in the South. The private concession shares an unfenced border with Chobe, enabling the area’s renowned, massive elephant herds to rumble unhindered from one reserve to the other.

Easily accessible by air or road, the picturesque Linyanti is an ideal add-on for a Botswana safari package.

While Linyanti is probably best known for its burgeoning wild dog population and awe-inspiring lion prides, the region’s riverine forests, grassy floodplains, marshlands and lagoons overflow with a huge variety of other wildlife including Cape buffalo, hippo, leopard, hyena, cheetah, giraffe, crocodile, zebra and a range of antelope species. Counted among the smaller residents of Linyanti are big-eyed bush babies, bustling porcupines, long-legged serval and curious bat-eared foxes.

Accommodation at Linyanti includes a range of exclusive luxury lodge facilities, but many of the campsites are limited to only a few tents, to ensure visitors a private and authentic bush experience. Activities include game drives, guided bush walks, bird watching, helicopter flips and river cruises.

Best Time to Visit the Linyanti:

Unlike many other African parks, Linyanti retains water even during the driest months, and is ideal for excellent year-round wildlife viewing. The thinned-out vegetation in the drier season from May to October makes for easier game-spotting while the lush greenery, abundant birdlife, migrating zebra and plentiful newborns in the “green” season between November and March present superb photographic opportunities.