Posts Tagged ‘Linyanti’

Linyanti Wildlife Reserve & Savuti Channel: Botswana Safari Part III

Posted September 30th, 2009 by Matt Bracken



Copy of linyanti wildlife reserve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copy of pictures from old computer 1379Bordered to the west by the Selinda Wildlife Reserve, to the east by Chobe National Park, and to the north by the Linyanti River, Linyanti Swamp system and Namibia, is the remote and inaccessible private safari concession NG15, aka, the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve.

Linyanti Wildlife Reserve gets its name from the Linyanti River which forms its northern boundary.  The river divides the lush Caprivi Strip and Linyanti Swamp system of Namibia with the waterways, lagoons, floodplains, forests and grasslands of the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve in Botswana.  The reserve is 275,000 acres of private wildlife concession unfenced with its neighbors allowing game to roam freely, and home to only four small safari camps accessible only by light aircraft offering visitors a private un-crowded and game rich safari experience.  For clarification – the Linyanti River begins its life on the central plateau of Angola where it is called the Kwando River (also spelled Cuando), then its name changes to the Linyanti River where it hits a fault line and turns northeast, then the name changes again to the Chobe River before it flows into the Zambezi River and tumbles over Victoria Falls.

twin zebra, Botswana, MBGame viewing in the reserve is focused along the banks of the Linyanti River, the Savuti Channel, and the forests and grasslands of the interior.  The Linyanti River is characterized by hippo and croc filled pools and lagoons, marshes with aquatic sitatunga and red lechwe antelope and abundant birdlife, and massive herds of elephant, buffalo and zebra during the dry season with predators constantly keeping watch.  Birdlife along the river is tremendous especially during the Green Season when the summer migrants are in the area.  Open floodplains along the river attract antelopes, predators and large baboon troops.  Beyond the floodplains young leopard, Botswana, MBthere is a band of riverine forest home to kudu and leopard, and inland are huge dry mopane forests and grasslands with abundant giraffe and antelope populations.  Running through the middle of the reserve is the famous Savuti Channel (spelled ‘Savuti’ outside the Chobe National Park, and ‘Savute’ inside the national park).

The Savuti Channel starts in the Linyanti Swamps, meanders through the reserve, and ends at the Savute Marsh in the middle of Chobe National Park.  Throughout its history the channel has fluctuated from a flowing river to a dry ribbon of lush grassland.  For the last 28 years the channel African wild doghas been dry; but now the channel is once again flowing with water and elephants are happily frolicking, cats are swimming, wild dogs are chasing kudu through the channel, and lion and hyena are battling over kills in the shallow water.  Game viewing is spectacular and this is one of the best places in Africa to see the African wild dog and cheetah.
 

Game Viewing – at its best in the dry season May through October

The reserve is famous for its enormous herds of elephant, buffalo and zebra along the Linyanti River and Savuti Channel during the dry season.  Estimates put the number of elephants in the area during this time at around 50,000; it is not uncommon to see over 1,000 per day while on safari.  Thousands of zebra spend the winter around the Linyanti Swamp system before heading south to the Savuti in November in expectation of summer rains and good grazing.  During the Green Season, water is readily available throughout the area, animals are much more spread-out so the density of game viewing is not nearly as good as during the dry season.

Predator viewing is exceptional – The main predators are lion, cheetah, wild dog, hyena and leopard.

Hippos, crocs, fish and water birds are abundant in the waterways and lagoons.

There are high concentrations of giraffe, baboon, vervet monkey and warthog.

Antelope species include:  Wildebeest, impala, kudu, waterbuck, red lechwe, sable, roan, eland, and the aquatic sitatunga.

Birding is phenomenal especially during the Green Season.  Species include:  kori bustard, carmine bee-eater, wattled crane, slaty egret, woodland kingfisher, African skimmer, and a host of summer migrants.

Night drives provide the opportunity to see nocturnal animals such as bushbaby, spring hare, aardwolf, serval, genet, porcupine and pangolin.

Activities include: off-road game drives morning, afternoon and night; walking safaris; canoeing, boating and fishing depending on water levels.

Green Season: November-April:  rain falls during the warm months of November to March with high temperatures and humidity. Game spreads out as water is readily available inland.  Exceptional birding.

Dry Season: May - October: sunshine evaporates the inland waterholes and water becomes scarce forcing animals to congregate in huge numbers along the Linyanti River and Savuti Channel. Game is at its most dense and easily visible. October is the hottest month.  The prolific and diverse wildlife and scenery form a wonderful contrast to the Okavango Delta creating a nice compliment to a Botswana itinerary.

Linyanti Wildlife Reserve camps Linyanti Wildlife Reserve

DumaTau

Kings Pool Camp

Savuti Camp

Linyanti Tented Camp

Posted in Africa, Botswana, Southern Africa | 14 Comments »


Selinda Wildlife Reserve: Botswana Safari Part II

Posted September 24th, 2009 by Matt Bracken



Copy of Selinda map for blog

 

Copy of _I9R7306bj_1600x1200[1]The Selinda Wildlife Reserve is 320,000 acres of private and pristine wilderness where guests are treated to one of Africa’s finest wildlife safari experiences.  The reserve is a private concession ‘owned’ by a few passionate conservationists who are all about wildlife, the environment, conservation, small luxurious safari camps, and offering their guests intensely personal and impassioned safari experiences.  There are only three camps in the entire reserve, between them they host a grand total of 32 guests per day, meaning that this reserve is one of the most private and intimate places to view wildlife in Africa.  When on a game drive you will not see anyone else other than those people from your small camp.  This privacy cannot be overstated – theCopy of 0CDB1432(2)_1600x1200[1] difference between viewing wildlife undisturbed, by yourself, and on your own time, with the ability to off-road to get close to the sightings, and the option to linger all day at a sighting if desired; and viewing wildlife in a queue of Land Rovers, minibuses and personal vehicles with hordes of people trying to see the same animal that happens to be next to the road, is a dramatic difference in the overall safari experience.  At Selinda, you will see no fences, no power lines, no roads and no crowds of people or vehicles, just untouched ecosystems and loads of animals.

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The Selinda Spillway, a sometimes grassland sometimes shallow water river, winds its way through the entire reserve linking the Okavango Delta waters in the west to the Linyanti and Kwando wetlands and rivers in the east. Because Botswana is so flat, the water flows in both directions, but only in years of major water volume does the water flowing from the west meet the water from the east, but water or not, this is an incredibly exciting wildlife area.  The Spillway is an Eden for wildlife, especially in the dry season (May-Oct).  The Selinda Concession is ecologically similar to the Linyanti Concession on Selinda’s eastern border but Selinda has more extensive floodplains.  The landscape is lush savannah, waterways, palm trees, dry woodlands, marshes and lush floodplains.  Like the Linyanti, enormous herds of elephant will be seen in the dry season.  The three safari camps in the concession are luxurious, small, expensive,Copy of Cheetah drinking, Botswana, MB relaxed, located in fantastic settings, and home to incredible staffs, chefs and safari guides.  Guests receive the highest standard of service in postcard picturesque surroundings with dense game viewing in total privacy on a flexible schedule where the animals dictate activities – when there is game to be seen you can go see it and stay with it for as long as you want!

Activities include – off-road game drives morning, afternoon and night in open safari vehicles, walking safaris, birding, fishing in the Zibalianja Lagoon and canoeing (depending on water levels). The guest experience is all about the animals, flexibility and relaxing in one of natures most spectacular settings.

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An endangered African Wild Dog peers at two endangered Wattled Cranes, and a Saddle-billed Stork

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Game Viewing

Enormous elephant herds in the dry season, huge herds of buffalo, exceptional predator viewing – Selinda is home to the famous hippo-hunting lions, cheetah, leopard, one of the best places in Africa to see the rare African Wild Dog especially June-August when they are denning in the area, hyena, civet, serval, giraffe, zebra, kudu, roan, sable, eland, wildebeest, red lechwe, waterbuck and impala.

Over 300 bird species including the endangered wattled crane, best birding is during the Green Season, November – April.

* Selinda Wildlife Reserve is partially owned by the famous conservationists and wildlife filmmakers Dereck & Beverly Joubert.  Some of their award-winning films include ‘Ultimate Enemies’, ‘Relentless Enemies’ and ‘Eye of the Leopard’ – all filmed at Selinda.

Selinda Camps

Selinda Camp

Zarafa Camp

Motswiri Camp

Selinda Canoe Trail and Walking Safaris

Green season: November to March: hot with brilliant thunderstorms; antelopes giving birth;  the landscape is lush and green with an abundance of wild flowers (excellent photography);  all the summer migrants are in town so birding is phenomenal;  elephants and game in general is more sparce as water is readily available elsewhere; low season rates.

Dry season: April to October: enormous herds of elephants; easy to spot animals as vegetation is less dense; cool/cold nights, sunny warm days; peak season rates; October is generally the hottest month of the year with temperatures around 100F.

* Thanks to Wilderness Safaris, specifically Colin Bell, Michael Poliza and Dana Allen for the overhead camp image, the Land Rover image and the Zarafa Camp interior image.

Posted in Africa, Botswana, Southern Africa | 2 Comments »