Kwando-Linyanti area: in detail

Beside the Kwando-Linyanti river system, four large private reserves (Kwando, Selinda, Linyanti and the Chobe Enclave) protect high concentrations of wildlife. Like the exclusive safari reserves around the Okavango Delta, these offer more remote, private safaris than are possible in the busier national parks. Walking and night drives are both allowed, as well as off-road driving (which makes finding predators much easier).

We have split this Kwando-Linyanti region into four completely separate areas:

Selinda Reserve

This protects the Selinda Spillway which links the Okavango and Linyanti river systems. With wide, dry grasslands dotted with small palm-forest islands, it's a picturesque environment. When dry, we regard the Selinda Reserve as one of Botswana's best areas for predators. There are two luxurious camps here, Selinda and Zarafa, as well as the less opulent Motswiri, which specialises in horseback safaris.

Kwando Reserve

North of Selinda, Kwando is another huge private reserve covering 2,300km². Most of its western side is dense mopane forest, but along the Kwando River is a band of lush riverine forest, interspersed with open plains. Kwando is a wild reserve and attracts lots of big game. There are two safari camps here:

Linyanti Reserve

The reserve covers 1,250km², within which three private camps operate. In the north, beside the Linyanti River, there are open floodplains beside the water, an adjacent band of riverine forest, and then dense (mostly mopane) forests stretch away south.

Chobe Enclave

The Chobe Enclave stands north of Chobe National Park, on the edge of the Linyanti marshes. Although largely dry for many years, heavy summer rains in the catchments of the Kwando and Linyanti rivers in 2008, combined with shifting faultlines, caused the Linyanti River to flow into the marshes, and it looks like the water is there to stay for a while. This attracts large populations of game during the dry season.

Wildlife in the Kwando-Selinda-Linyanti-Chobe Enclave areas

There are no fences here, so the animals move freely between the four reserves and the surrounding national parks. During the dry season, when concentrations of elephant and buffalo are very high, the permanent water of the Kwando-Linyanti riverfront is a big attraction. Near the water, you'll also find plenty of red lechwe, impala and sometimes sable antelope. Meanwhile, in the riverine forest and on the plains, wildebeest, kudu, zebra, baboon, warthog, giraffe and tsessebe are common. Further from water, the highlights of the drier forests are herds of eland and roan antelope.

The predators are numerous: lion are everywhere, whilst leopard favour the wooded areas in more broken country and cheetah prefer open plains. Wild dogs range throughout these reserves, and in the last few years, there have been several dens in these areas. The dogs are relatively easy to follow when hunting across the open plains.