Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Botswana.
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Botswana.
Anthony is the author of the Lonely Planet guide to Botswana.
The mopane woodland across the Linyanti Concession means you may need to work a little harder for your wildlife sightings, but it’s still an exceptional safari destination. Linyanti is among the best places in Botswana to see elephants, and with no borders between the concession and neighboring Chobe National Park, animals pass freely between them. The lodges in Linyanti are run by Wilderness Safaris, which means exclusivity, impeccable service and superb guiding. The public campsite is also remote and wonderfully quiet.
The Linyanti River and the Savuti Channel attract big herds of animals in the drier months, from May to October. Elephant are particularly prolific, but so are other herbivores, such as red lechwe, Burchell’s zebra, blue wildebeest, impala, waterbuck and buffalo. Lion, wild dog and leopard are often seen. Night drives give an opportunity to spot bush baby, genet and other nocturnal species.
Linyanti has a fantastic range of landscapes. In the north, there’s the waterway, lagoons and marshes of the Linyanti River, while the Savuti Channel, which often has water, runs along the south and southwest of the concession. Both attract lots of animals. In between the two, there’s classic mopane woodland interspersed with waterholes and stands of Kalahari apple-leaf tree, all set on an underlying platform of Kalahari sands.
Activities
Early morning and late-afternoon guided game drives are the main activity here, but you can also enjoy night drives, boat trips and walking safaris. Boat trips are a great way to explore the Linyanti River, especially at sunset, but the presence of hippos means that trips by mokoro are not permitted.
Weather & Climate
The Linyanti Concession, like other areas in the Okavango Delta, is generally warm but sees a dramatic drop in temperature in the middle of the Dry season (April to October). Wrap yourself up in warm clothing if you’re going on early morning game drives or scenic boat trips. The temperature peaks in October, just before the Wet season (November to March) delivers some refreshing rain.
Wildlife watching in Linyanti is at its best in the drier months, from May to October, particularly when it comes to elephants. That said, the landscape is at its most lush during the wetter months. From November to April, the rains also attract lots of migratory birds and herds of zebra to the region.
Anthony is a photographer and writer for travel magazines and Lonely Planet, including the guides to Kenya and Botswana & Namibia.
Home of the Wild Dog
4/5
Just beyond the boundaries of Chobe National Park, east of the Okavango Delta, these private concessions have the best of Chobe’s wildlife and the pick of the delta’s scenery but with a far stronger sense of isolation. Luxury lodges...