Linyanti and Selinda

What and Where It Is

The Selinda Reserve covers about 129,500 hectares and is reached only by light aircraft. The Selinda Spillway, also called the Magwegquana, links the Okavango Delta to the Linyanti swamps and the Kwando wetlands. In some years it is a dry riverbed, in others a flowing channel.

The Linyanti concession, just to the east, covers about 120,000 hectares along the Linyanti River, with papyrus swamps, riverine forest and grassland. The neighbouring Linyanti marsh area of Chobe National Park lies further east.

Wildlife and Activities

Elephants are the big story in the dry season, when breeding herds come down to the river in their hundreds. Buffalo also gather at the water. Lion, leopard, spotted hyena and cheetah are resident, and several packs of African wild dog range through both areas. Plains game includes giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala, kudu, waterbuck and red lechwe, and sitatunga are seen occasionally. Around 300 bird species have been recorded at Selinda.

Because these are private concessions, activities are broader than in a national park: day and night game drives, off-road driving to follow wild dog and big cats, guided walks, and boat or mokoro trips when water levels allow.

Best Time to Go

June to November is the dry season, when wildlife concentrates on the river and spillway. September and October are often the strongest months for game, though they are hot. The rains, roughly late November to March, bring the best birding and green landscapes, with animals more spread out. See our month-by-month safari guide for more on seasons.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

All camps are reached by light aircraft from Maun or Kasane. Three nights is a good stay. Linyanti and Selinda work well as the dry-land part of a Botswana trip after a water camp in the Okavango Delta, before moving on to Chobe and Victoria Falls.

Where to Stay in Linyanti and Selinda

The Selinda Reserve has three camps: Zarafa Camp, Selinda Camp and Selinda Explorers Camp. The Linyanti concession has a small number of camps along the river. We do not yet feature a camp in either area on our site, so get in touch and we will match one to your dates.