BOTSWANA - Kings Pool Camp, Linyanti Wildlife Reserve
Kings Pool Camp is located in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, a 125 000 hectare private concession in the northern part of Botswana, on the western boundary of Chobe National Park.
There are three outstanding features of the Linyanti Concession:
- the Linyanti River
- the woodlands of the interior
- the well-known Savute Channel, famous as a sporadic and unusual watercourse
Between 1980 and 2008 the channel ceased to flow and much of the area was open grassland, home to a wide variety of animals. During 2008, the Savute Channel flowed once more, creating a water source that rapidly filled with aquatic life, wide varieties of waterbirds and hippo. With two-thirds of the channel located within the Linyanti Concession, guests at Kings Pool Camp and small sister camps DumaTau and Savuti have private and exclusive access to the wonderful wildlife in this area.
Kings Pool Camp overlooks the Linyanti River and the oxbow-shaped Kings Pool Lagoon, apparently named after a Scandinavian monarch who spent a number of nights camping on its banks - long before any camp was built here.
ACCOMMODATION:
Kings Pool Camp is a luxurious, premier Wilderness Safaris camp, with only nine well-appointed tented suites made of canvas and thatch. Each has a large bedroom area, lounge, private plunge pool and 'sala'. The spacious en-suite bathrooms are tiled with double showers and hand-basins - as well as an outdoor shower! Raised walkways allow the elephants and other animals to wander freely through the Kings Pool Camp to and from the water. The lounge, dining room and pub areas are on expansive raised decks. There is also a communal pool and an open-air 'kgotla' for dining under the stars.
ACTIVITIES AND WILDLIFE:
The Linyanti Concession is most renowned for the huge concentrations of elephant one sees here in the dry winter seasons. This should not overshadow the amazing predator sightings that guests enjoy here – lion, cheetah, spotted hyena and wild dog. Roan antelope are regularly seen and other wildlife includes red lechwe, Burchell's zebra, blue wildebeest, impala, common waterbuck, sable, eland, giraffe, chacma baboon, vervet monkey, warthog, hippo and Cape buffalo. Nocturnal species often seen are the lesser bushbaby, spring hare, aardwolf, serval, large spotted genet and, if you are extremely lucky, the elusive pangolin!
The Linyanti is an IBA (Important Bird Area) and sightings include the Slaty Egret, Hartlaub's Babbler, African Skimmer, Allen's Gallinule and Wattled Crane. Bradfield's Hornbill, White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike, Bennett's Woodpecker, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater and Arnott's Chat are seen in the woodland areas. Even non-birders are excited by sightings of the Kori Bustard, Ostrich, Secretarybird, and Ground Hornbill.
In the summer months, the sight of the beautiful migrating Southern Carmine Bee-eaters is almost worth a trip here in itself – as the landrovers disturb the insects from the long grasses, they dive and swoop and show off their glorious colours.
High concentrations of birds of prey and raptors like eagles and Dickenson's Kestrel are often spotted here as well as various owl species.
Spectacular wildlife viewing is available on day and night game drives and walks. If water levels allow, seasonal boat cruises along the Linyanti River are also on offer. The reed and papyrus swamps attract a huge diversity of birds and are a magnet for game in the dry winter months.
Kings Pool Camp is famous not just for the sights, but also the sounds of wildlife all around, particularly hippo.
The camp has two hides. One is located at the western end of the camp and the other is an underground hide, with the water at eye-level. Seeing massive elephant feet and trunks almost within touching distance while safely inside is an extraordinary experience.