Linyanti, Africa Safari In Botswana

The Linyanti River traces its origin from Cuando River in South Central Africa flowing from Angola into Namibia and then Botswana as Kwando River and finally turning into the Linyanti.

The Linyanti region is sandwiched between the Okavango Delta to the south and Chobe to the east. The area is generally composed of two sectors:

1. The Northern Linyanti area consists of a private concession area outside the western Chobe National Park boundary and a public one within the Chobe park boundary. There are couple permanent camps in the Northern Linyanti private area such as Linyanti Bush Camp and Linyanti Ebony. Part of the Northern Linyanti Ecosystem extension also includes Kwando Reserve covering 573000 acres (232000 hectares) of open Linyanti wilderness. It boasts of the Lagoon area in northern Kwando and Lebala in the southern Kwando based on the location and names of its two camps

2. The Southern Linyanti also referred as Linyanti Wildlife Reserve or simply the Linyanti Concession is shared by three main camps i.e. DumaTau, Kings Pool and Savuti Camp. There is also the enthralling Selinda Reserve part of Southern Linyanti Ecosystem extension covering 320000 acres of pristine Linyanti wilderness. The reserve is centered on the Selinda Spillway, a primordial waterway that was normally dry for many years. Selinda has 2 main camps: Selinda Camp and Zarafa Camp for traditional safaris and specialist horse riding safari camp - Motswiri Camp.

Northern Linyanti
The Northern Linyanti area is located at the farthest western corner of the Chobe National Park bordering Namibia to the north and Selinda Reserve in Botswana to the west. This secluded Eden with its networks of waterways and lagoons triggers remembrance of the Okavango delta. Its waterways laced with high, towering trees and shrubs are constant sources of adventure. 

The Northern Linyanti is one of the ecologies of the Chobe National Park that boasts of a rich ecosystem coupled with breath taking views, amazing floodplains and giant riverine trees lining the banks of the Linyanti River.

Southern Linyanti (Linyanti Concession)
The Linyanti private concession covers an area of 125000 hectares. The Linyanti River, inland woodlands and the Savuti channel are an essential part of the concession. These combined parts of the concession are considered of having the densest concentrations of wildlife with the elephants having the most number during the dry winter season. The diversity of the Linyanti Concession’s habitat i.e. its watercourses, riverine jungles, marshes., woodlands and grasslands offer a contrasting experience to the Okavango Delta by displaying its abundant and varied wildlife and remarkable scenery.

Visitors staying within Linyanti Concession have access to two-thirds of the Savuti Channel offering abundance of game teeming at the banks of the channel for a drink, bath or a hang out. The Savuti channel has a mystical past of drying up and flooding easily, a characteristic of the channel that kept the scientists fascinated over the mystery for many years. In 1885, the channel experienced inconsistent flooding and long spell of drying up until 1982 when it finally dried up. In 2008, the channel experienced a flow that returned its waters embracing the myriad assortments of aquatic life from hippo, crocodile, fish to waterbird.

Fauna
The Linyanti wildlife has similarities and differences with that of the Okavango Delta in terms of its physical layout, the makeup of wildlife and vegetation. The distinct features of the Linyanti are it access to drier land making accessibility to more areas to game drive and its migratory wildlife patterns of the elephants, buffalos and zebras.

The area between Linyanti River and Savuti Channel boasts of floodplains, lagoons and woodlands that are home to predators like lion, leopard, wild dog, cheetah, hyena, crocodile etc. They are also terrestrial herbivores such as lechwe, zebra, elephant wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, sable, eland, giraffe, baboon, monkey, warthog, hippo, buffalo and many more.

Linyanti offers an admirable stage for the enthusiastic bird watcher such as the egret, babbler, skimmer, crane, roller, hornbill, cuckoo-shrike, woodpecker, bee-eater and many more.

Flora
The Linyanti is covered with jackalberry, sausage trees that are enormous in sizes, papyrus, fan palms mopane woodland and many more. A small part of the Linyanti is similar to the Okavango delta with its tree-lined inland bodies of water and networks of marshes and waterways.

When to Visit Linyanti For Your African Safari in Botswana
Visiting time in Linyanti is all year round and parts of the Linyanti have migratory wildlife seasonally traversing. It all depends on what you prefer to see. If you like to see a large concentration of games then go during the dry winter season. If it is the greening scenery of the place you want to experience and birdlife, then the wet summer season is preferable. Linyanti experiences the similar dry winter and rainy summer seasons as with the rests of the ecosystems found in the Chobe National Park and Okavango delta.

From May to October which is the dry winter season, the Linyanti is concentrated with large numbers of game gathering in the river banks for water. The hottest months are October and November.

Rainfall and hot sunshine saturate the Linyanti from November to April giving rise to robust greening of the area as trees and shrubs renew. Engulfing of the Linyanti Marsh is a common occurrence during this season and some of the flora is submerged.

Linyanti Safari Activities During Your Africa Safari In Botswana
The Linyanti boasts of varied Africa safari adventure that attracts multitudes of visitors. Some activities are dependent on the location of your accommodation and seasonal availability.

Game Driving Safari
During the game driving safari, guests are exposed to the large concentration of the game of varied species. You can opt for a morning, afternoon or night time game driving on an open 4x4 vehicle that will let feel the African wilderness breeze and enjoy uninterrupted views of ecosystem.

Boating Safari
Boating on the Linyanti River or The Savuti Channel is an excellent way to see game up, close and personal. Viewing the behaviors of aquatic and bird life is best accessible on a boat. The boating is done in the network of waterways traversing swamps, lakes, lagoon with small islands offering spectacular game viewing and birding opportunities all year round. The boating safari offers a picture-perfect way to end your day observing the African sunset concluding its day down on the waterway while sipping your cocktail.

Fishing Excursions
The Linyanti offers superb bream, pike, tiger-fishing, catfish and other species. The normal policy is “catch and release” with a preference of having a single catch for dinner or lunch.

Walking Safari / Nature Walks
At Linyanti, you can experience a nature walk safari escorted by an armed guide. Walking safari allows you to observe, whiff and hear the flora and fauna surrounding you.

Canoeing Safari
Canoeing safari is different from mokoro safari on offer at the Okavango Delta. The mokoro safaris are normally done on shallow water while canoeing safaris are done on deep channels. The activity is offered seasonally at selected camps and water level permitting and subject to elephant concentration. You will witness the thriving flora lining the boundaries of the waterways and the lush foliage embraced by diversity of African fauna from birdlife, aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. You can explore the Linyanti River or The Savuti Channel on a canoe under the guidance of an experienced canoe guide.