Linyanti & Khwai

West of Chobe National Park and north of the Okavango Delta, you can find a number of very large, privately run safari-concessions in Linyanti and Khwai. They are bordered by the River Chobe to the north, and the most northernly branch of the Okavango Delta, the River Khawi to the south, and they offer some of the best safari experiences in the whole of Africa. The landscape here is a mosaic of open grass savannah, savannah with widely dispersed trees, forest, wetlands with high papyrus reeds and open stretches of water on the river and its lagoons. You can find many animals here all year round, as water is always available, and the flora and fauna features the vast majority of animals you can find in both Chobe and the Okavango districts.

Here you can find unusually dense populations of all the well-known carnivores: Lion, leopard, spotted hyena and the otherwise rare African Wild Dog. The population of the latter is also spread out over neighbouring parks and reserves, and competes with the population of Wild Dogs in the Selous in Tanzania, to be the largest remaining stronghold of this highly endangered canine. The spectacular marbled pattern of white, brown and black patches seen on these is different for each individual, making it possible to recognise individual animals. Besides being famous for its many predators, the area is renowned for the frequent conflicts that arise between them, the species of animal that emerges as victorious can vary greatly, depending on the situation and number of animals involved.

There is naturally also a wide range of prey animals for these carnivores. These include, for example, zebra, which appear in large herds during the dry season, and a number of different antelope species. The area is also home to many of the larger game animals such as giraffe, buffalo, elephant and hippos as well as an impressive number of birds.

Apart from the fantastic scenery and wildlife, the area is well known for its excellent, and rather expensive, range of camps. Here great service, a high level of comfort and beautiful locations go hand in hand with sublime guiding on game drives during both the day and night, walking safaris and boat safaris.

Nearly everybody flies into these camps in light aircraft, but you can also find more modest accommodation in Khwai, which is accessible to four wheel drive safari vehicles.

Highlights:

• Large numbers of many different predators, and frequent conflicts between them
• Superb guided safari activities on foot, on the river, and on both day- and night game drives
• Exclusive camps and really first class safaris with few other tourists

High Season: June to October