Botswana Linyanti & Delta Adventure
Tour Introduction
Designed to highlight the best wildlife of the Linyanti and Delta areas, this itinerary seeks out some of Botswana’s brightest wildlife stars. A large amount of time is spent in the vast Kwando Reserve in the Linyanti concession, famed for its wild dogs which are particularly easy to see when they den to raise their young in June and July. Outside these months, the chances of sighting are still high as we travel between two sister lodges spanning a large part of the wild dog range. In addition to wild dogs, the area is home to plenty of other carnivores plus large number of elephants, particularly during the dry season months of June to October. You finish this superb tour with one of the best all-rounder small camps in the Delta, giving a good balance of game drives and water activities throughout the year. In the green season months (mid-November to end of March) the welcome rains stimulate a flourish of regrowth with amazing bird activity, lush landscapes, dramatic skies and many baby animals being born. There are no single supplements at this time of year, making this an increasingly popular option for solo travellers.
Full Itinerary
Arrive in Maun. Clear immigration and customs then fly by light aircraft to Kwando Airstrip in the Linyanti area. Met and transfer (15 minutes) to your lodge. Afternoon safari activity.
Staying at Lagoon Camp. Includes Lunch and Dinner.
Morning and afternoon safari activities. The lodge is renowned for its game tracking by vehicle and the Linyanti area is famed for its large herds of elephants and its wild dog dens.
Staying at Lagoon Camp. Includes All Meals.
Morning and afternoon safari activities. Perhaps venture out on the camp’s specially constructed double-decker river boat for some excellent birdwatching and game viewing and finish with a spot of fishing (catch and release).
Staying at Lagoon Camp. Includes All Meals.
Long morning game drive as you journey between the two sister camps of the huge Kwando concession, en route tracking the movements of wild dog, lions and leopards. Afternoon safari activity also included.
Staying at Lebala Camp. Includes All Meals.
Full day of safari activities. The wetlands and flood plains around Lebala offer a wonderful variety of wildlife with excellent sightings of elephant, hippo, lechwe, zebra, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, kudu, tsessebe, roan, sable, buffalo and the ever present predators – wild dog, lion, cheetah and hyena.
Staying at Lebala Camp. Includes All Meals.
Fly to Kwara Airstrip in the Okavango Delta. Met on arrival and transfer (15 minutes) to the lodge. Afternoon safari activity.
Staying at Kwara Camp. Includes All Meals.
Full day of safari activities. Kwara is renowned for being a camp that offers an all year round delta experience and a diverse range of activities including mokoro trips, guided walks with armed guides and motor boating safaris along the waterways. In addition, day and night game drives are offered to explore the area’s spectacular scenery with scattered herds of plains game and ever-attendant predators.
Staying at Kwara Camp. Includes All Meals.
Full day of safari activities.
Staying at Kwara Camp. Includes All Meals.
Full day of safari activities.
Staying at Kwara Camp. Includes All Meals.
Final day of safari activities. Perhaps finish with a late afternoon mokoro safari ending with a cold drink and a spectacular sunset.
Staying at Kwara Camp. Includes All Meals.
If time allows, enjoy a game drive before departing by light aircraft to Maun. Board international flight home.
Includes All Meals.
Tour Accommodation
Kwando Lagoon Camp
Overview
Lagoon Camp is situated in the Kwando Reserve, a 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. The area attracts superb big game, especially during Botswana’s dry season when elephants seem to be everywhere. It is also one of the best camps from which to see predators, especially wild dogs that den close to the camp.
Lagoon Camp accommodates up to sixteen guests in comfortably appointed twin-bedded safari style tents overlooking the lagoon. The tents have en-suite facilities, his and hers basins, flush toilet and a spacious outside shower. The camp has a plunge pool, lounge, bar, gift shop and dining room with a shady area overlooking the lagoon and is a favoured spot where elephants come to drink.
With a well-earned reputation for excellent guiding, activities focus on open vehicle game drives and boat cruises. A special feature of Lagoon Camp is the riverboat experience. The flow of the river enables the boat – a double decker – to drift along in silence, perfect for bird watching and game viewing. Game walks are on offer but are at the guides’ discretion due to the concentrations of elephant. Lagoon Camp offers off road and night game drives for sightings of the fascinating nocturnal wildlife living in the area.
Fishing is also a specialty here with the chance to catch the fighting tiger fish, bream, catfish and pike. Fishing can be done from the front of your tent at Lagoon Camp due to its situation, but please note that fishing opportunities vary throughout the year. Kwando Safaris operates a catch and release policy, but exceptions can be made if you wish to eat your fish.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Tented rooms, outdoor showers, swimming pool, dining room, bar and lounge.
Local Wildlife
Large numbers of elephants, especially in the dry season. Good chances of wild dog which often den close by during June and July. Other predators include lion, leopard and occasionally cheetah.
Optional Activities
Game drives, night drives, walking safaris, boat cruises and fishing included on a shared basis.
Lebala Camp
Overview
Lebala Camp fronts onto the Linyanti Wetlands where the perennial and southerly flowing Kwando River disappears into the vast marshes before emerging as the Linyanti River, flowing in a north easterly direction. Lebala means “wide open spaces” in the local Setswana dialect which aptly describes this incredible area.
The camp has been recently renovated in a modern bush architectural design. The eight spacious, open tents are unique, each built on a raised teak deck and with expansive views, laid out with maximum comfort and privacy in mind.
The tents have an entrance foyer with a reading and writing area, en-suite bathrooms with Victorian claw foot bathtubs, “his and hers” washbasins and flush toilets. The bathrooms lead out to a reed enclosed open-air shower with hot and cold running water on demand. The main lodge is under thatch featuring a bar, dining area and open lounge connected on wooden walkways to a plunge pool on raised decking and the boma area.
At Lebala Camp, the activities concentrate on open vehicle game drives and walking safaris. However, game walks are at the guides’ discretion due to the concentrations of elephant. Lebala Camp offers off road and night game drives – night drives being a specialty at Lebala with its high-visibility plains.
The wetlands and flood plains around Lebala offer a wonderful variety of wildlife with excellent sightings of elephant, hippo, lechwe, zebra, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, kudu, tsessebe, roan, sable, buffalo and the ever present predators; wild dog, lion, cheetah and hyena.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Tented rooms, outdoor shower, large bathtub, thatched bar, dining room, lounge, boma and plunge pool.
Kwara Camp
Overview
Kwara Camp is situated on a private concession on the edge of the permanent waters of the world renowned Okavango Delta in Botswana, which shares a common boundary with Moremi Game Reserve. The area offers a combination of permanent water, seasonal floodplains and pans, open grasslands as well as extensive dry bush and scrub which creates a great game viewing destination throughout the year.
The nine safari-style tents are built on raised decks within a grove of huge and ancient African Ebony trees. Each tent has an en-suite bathroom with a semi open shower and a private deck with views across the floodplain. There is a lounge, bar and dining area in the central lodge as well as two plunge pools and gift shop. Evenings can be enjoyed around the outside fire area.
Kwara is renowned for being a camp that offers a year-round delta experience and a diverse range of activities including mokoro trips, guided walks with armed guides and motor boating trips through the waterways. In addition, day and night game drives are taken to explore the area which offers spectacular scenery with scattered herds of plains game and ever-attendant predators.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Tented rooms, open showers, swimming pool, dining room, bar and lounge.
Local Wildlife
Kwara is known for its consistent sightings of predators, including lion, cheetah, leopard and wild dog. Herds of elephants also frequent the area, as well as giraffe, zebra, sitatunga, lechwe, impala and hippos. The area is also great for birding and you can visit the great heronries of the Godikwe Lagoon form here.
Optional Activities
Game drives, night drives, walking safaris and mokoro excursions included on a shared basis.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Flight Info:
Domestic flights within Botswana are included.
Best Visited:
May to November
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
Jonathan Morris
Area Specialist
These camps all use open-top vehicles. Make sure you have sun hats and plenty of sunscreen plus raincoats in the rainy season.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
On behalf of my wife and myself, I would like to thank all at Reef and Rainforest for arranging so superbly yet another exceptional wildlife experience. As you are aware our ‘expeditions’ tend to be species led and this year’s brief was to observe and photograph the ‘Three Big Cats of Africa’ in a truly wild setting (i.e. no fences). Your recommended destination, Botswana, did not let us down, in fact the whole trip proved an outstanding success in all aspects.
We stayed in three camps (three nights in each) across the Okavango Delta and surrounding area, each provided a different environment which ensured our aims were met. Each camp was run to a very high standard, was extremely comfortable and provided excellent meals. The quality of guiding and tracking in all our camps was of the highest standard. As Botswana manages its natural resources so well all the camps were small (no more than 18 guests) ensuring a very intimate safari experience in pristine wild African habitat.
I am delighted to report our big cat objectives were realised. All observations were lengthy and offered excellent photographic opportunities. However, unexpectedly, the highlight of our spectacular trip turned out to be sightings of two separate packs of African Painted Dogs. We visited two dens, the first had a very healthy number of adult dogs, approximately fifteen and eighteen pups. The second had seven adult dogs and sixteen pups. At Lebala we had the privilege of spending a prolonged period of time following the pack of dogs as they hunted, an experience we will never forget.
When one also considers the significant mammal and bird species we observed, Botswana is truly a must visit destination for the wildlife enthusiast. Incidentally we also observed three serval and two African wild cats. We also thoroughly enjoyed our few days at Victoria Falls, possibly the most spectacular waterfall in the world, the hotel in Zimbabwe was excellent. Viewing the falls from the Zambian side and also the helicopter flight are both well worth doing.
This was our third consecutive trip with Reef and Rainforest, and I would be very surprised if there is not a fourth being planned very soon. Thank you all once again.
