Botswana Under Canvas Safari
Destination
Botswana
Travel Period
January – December
Duration
12 days | 11 nights
The Linyanti/Selinda/Kwando system is an area of over 2,600 sq km (1,000 sq mi) that juts out into the Chobe National Park to the eastern side, with the Okavango to the south. This is real African big game country, and during the dry season the permanent waters of both the Kwando and Linyanti Rivers serve as important migration points for wildlife from much of northern Botswana, including large herds of buffalo and elephant, wildebeest and zebra. The extensive Kwando, Selinda, and Linyanti concessions offer superb wildlife viewing and terrain to rival the physical beauty of the Okavango.
The swamps that fan out from the rivers carry the same magnificent natural history as the Okavango: picturesque channels, lagoons, papyrus stands and reedbeds. Riparian forest lines the waterways, giving rise to magnificent, towering trees. Virtually all naturally occurring antelope and predators can be seen in these concessions, depending, of course, on the season, and food and water availability. Over the years African hunting dogs have frequently denned in these concessions and lion prides have taken to predating on large herbivores that concentrate here.
Even amongst the most discerning of travellers, the Linyanti Channel is fast becoming Botswana’s most sought-after wildlife haven. Nestled between the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, Linyanti is a rich yet diverse ecosystem that is fed by a permanent river flow. At the core of this wildlife haven is Linyanti Ebony, this intimate camp is made up of just four tents making it perfect for a more private and family oriented safari lodge experience. A unique place where you can embrace the “digital detox” and slip into the rhythm of an authentic and game-filled safari experience.
Built on raised decking overlooking the Linyanti Marsh, Linyanti Ebony is an intimate tented camp granting panoramic views of its exquisite natural setting. The camp’s mindful design offers an authentic, eco-conscious base from which to explore this significant wilderness. The main area encompasses an expansive lounge and dining area, sparkling plunge pool, cosy fire circle and boma; the perfect place to strengthen family ties on your Chobe safari.
Luxury Tent
The luxury tents have comfortable beds and en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets, fixed showers and hot water.
Luxury Family Tented Suite
The spacious two-bedroom luxury family tented suite has a self-contained lounge area and private deck looking out over the wetlands plus, a spacious en-suite bathroom that features a shower and roll-top bath.
Linyanti Ebony is home to some fantastic wildlife including a healthy population of predators such as lion, wild dog and several more elusive species delighting our guests year-round. Your memorable safari is characteriszd by serene, sweeping scenes await and in evening time, guests are treated to a concert of honking hippos and chirruping frogs, the perfect backing track to an al-fresco meal served beneath a star-studded night sky.
ABC Foundation Projects
As part of the African Bush Camps Foundation’s community empowerment and education projects, you’ll also have the chance to visit the nearby Kachikau Primary School Disability Unit and the Vuche Vuche Basket Weaving Project and witness the positive impact of purpose-led travel firsthand.
The Okavango Delta is the largest intact inland delta in the world, and is exceptionally rich in wildlife. Situated deep within the Kalahari Basin, the Delta is characterized by meandering deep water channels lined with papyrus reeds that open up into larger lagoons and islands; these in turn give way to seasonal floodplains and eventually large tracts of dry land where animals congregate. Fed by the Okavango River and rains from the highlands of Angola, the Delta can vary in size from 15,000 sq km (5,800 sq mi) during drier periods to a staggering 22,000 sq kms (8,500 sq mi) during wetter periods.
The game viewing depends on season, floodwaters and food availability but it is one of the most sought after wilderness destinations in the world. In addition to big game viewing, visitors come to experience the supreme tranquility and serenity of an untouched delta, and scenes of extraordinary natural beauty. It consistently produces very good predator action with considerable herds of ungulates and elephants.
A hidden jewel on the Xudum River, the completely rebuilt (April 2025) Kanana is located in the southwest of the Okavango Delta. The area encompasses a necklace of islands dotted with palms, figs, ebony, and knobthorn, and is home to a myriad of birds, plants, and animals. The nature of the habitat means it is the perfect place to experience the diversity of species found within the Okavango Delta.
The annual floods transform parts of this concession into a true water paradise, offering guests the best of both worlds. Due to the camp’s location guests can experience magnificent game sightings during drives as well as the unique experience of exploring the delta’s beautiful waterways by boat or mokoro. Enjoy the breathtaking spectacle of the water visibly rising around the camp’s raised teak decks. The Sleep Out Deck offers guests the opportunity to spend the night out under the magnificent African night sky.
Thatched Tented Safari Rooms
Guests are accommodated in spacious safari rooms, overlooking the expansive Kanana floodplains, with twin or double beds, each with an en-suite bathroom with a shower, hot and cold running water, and a flush toilet. The tents are well-spaced, affording privacy while remaining within a comfortable distance from the main camp area.
Thatched Tented Family Room
Guests are accommodated in a spacious safari tent consisting of two bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bathroom with a shower, hot and cold running water, and a flush toilet. Roomy enough to sleep a maximum of five people.
Situated in the Kanana Concession, the focus of activities at Kanana varies with the rising and falling levels of the Okavango Delta. Activities include morning and afternoon game drives in open safari vehicles, with afternoon game drives often continuing into the evening. When out on game drives the window seat guarantee ensures no more than six guests per vehicle and individual use of a camera mount. Alternatively, guests may explore the crystal-clear waterways by Mokoro or motorboat and enjoy the magnificent variety of birds, plant, and reptile species found in the area.
Birding is spectacular with Kanana hosting a seasonal heronry that is one of the largest in Southern Africa, a highlight that converts all visitors to avid ‘twitchers’. Guided bush walks are highly recommended as is fishing for tilapia, African pike and sharptooth catfish. Kanana’s private concession location allows guided walks, Mokoro (canoe) excursions, and night drives in addition to game drives and motor boating. Wildlife is in abundance with frequent predator sightings such as lion, leopard and wilddog.
Young Explorers
This specially designed programme offers families the opportunity to discover the wonders of the African wilderness – together. Hosted by a specialist family guide, the emphasis is on providing the family with engaging, age-appropriate activities on a flexible schedule whilst creating shared family memories to last a lifetime. On completion of the safari, children receive a gift pack.
The Makgadikgadi Pans is an area of 12,000 sq km (4,600 sq mi), part of the Kalahari Basin and one of the largest series of salt pans in the world; a remnant of what was once one of the biggest inland lakes Africa has ever had. During years of good rain, the two largest pans – Sowa in the east and Ntwetwe in the west – flood and attract zebras, wildebeest and vast flocks of flamingos. No vegetation grows on the pans but they are fringed with grasslands, palms and ancient baobabs, all of which present a visually stunning landscape.
Early explorers like David Livingstone risked their lives exploring this wilderness on oxcarts with little to navigate by, and there are even tales of local San children getting lost in the mirages on the pans. In the wet season these areas can have large herds of grazing animals that make their way westwards on migration towards the Boteti River, followed by a whole host of predators. Other animals to look for include elephants, brown hyenas, meerkats and desert adapted and nocturnal species.
San Camp is a romantic, solar-powered tented retreat on the edge of Botswana’s Ntwetwe Pan in the Makgadikgadi, offering just seven elegant 1940s-style safari tents with panoramic views of the vast salt flats. Designed with minimalism and seclusion in mind, the camp blends luxury and simplicity, featuring billowing white tents with four-poster beds, Persian rugs, and en-suite bathrooms, along with open-sided pavilions, a tented swimming pool, spa treatments, and a tea tent. Guests can enjoy gourmet dining, explore a small natural history collection, and connect deeply with the desert, all while surrounded by extraordinary wildlife and the serene, endless horizons of this unique wilderness.
Twin Tent
The camp has four Twin Tents, each featuring two ¾ four-poster beds that cannot be converted into a double, along with private en-suite bathrooms and verandas with outdoor seating. Combining comfort and style, they include crisp cotton linens, feather-soft blankets, Persian rugs, mahogany desks, and leather armchairs. Outdoor daybeds invite relaxation, while en-suite bathrooms offer running water, flush toilets, solar-heated showers, and elegant copper jugs and basins.
Family Tent
The Family Tent features two interconnected tents, with a king-size bed in the parents’ room and two queen-size beds in the children’s room. Each space combines luxury and comfort, including crisp cotton linens, feather-soft blankets, Persian rugs, mahogany desks, and leather armchairs. A daybed outside offers a spot for relaxing with a view, while en-suite bathrooms provide running water, flush toilets, solar-heated showers, and elegant copper jugs and basins.
San Camp, open from April to mid-October, offers a unique dry-season experience on Botswana’s Ntwetwe Pan, part of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Guests can enjoy guided quad biking across the vast salt flats, close-up meerkat encounters, cultural walks with Zu/’hoasi Bushmen, horseback safaris, game drives, night drives, and helicopter flights over the pans.
Seasonal highlights include witnessing the flamingo breeding spectacle in March–April and the zebra and wildebeest migration from November–March.
Wildlife sightings range from lions and elephants to rare brown hyenas, alongside abundant birdlife. The camp’s location provides unmatched silence, stunning landscapes, and a deep connection to this remote corner of the Kalahari Desert.
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