The Linyanti & Selinda Concessions, Botswana

They are vast private wildlife concessions in northern Botswana, set between the Okavango Delta and Chobe and watered by the Kwando and Linyanti rivers and the Selinda Spillway. Because they are private rather than national parks, camps here offer off-road driving, night drives and walking safaris with very few vehicles — a highly exclusive safari experience.

The Kwando–Linyanti–Selinda system is one of Africa's great strongholds for the endangered African wild dog. Packs den in the area, particularly June to August, and the private concessions' off-road freedom allows guides to follow them closely. It is one of the very best places on the continent to see painted wolves.

May to October, the dry season, is prime. Enormous elephant herds gather on the Linyanti waterfront to rival Chobe, wild dogs den, and predators are highly active as wildlife concentrates on the shrinking water. The green season (November–April) is lush, quiet and better value, and fills the Selinda Spillway in high-flood years.

Chobe and Moremi are national parks with more vehicles and rules against off-road and night driving. The Linyanti and Selinda are private concessions with strict vehicle limits, so you enjoy exclusive sightings, off-road access, night drives and walking. They deliver similar dry-season elephant numbers to Chobe but with far greater privacy.

In high-flood years, the Selinda Spillway carries enough water for a rare multi-day canoe adventure. Guests paddle between mobile fly-camps over three to four days, moving at water level as elephant cross ahead. It is a seasonal, sought-after slow-safari journey and one of the most distinctive experiences in Botswana.

Access is exclusively by light aircraft from Maun or Kasane to private airstrips within the concessions, where your camp meets you. Their location between the Okavango Delta and Chobe makes them a natural fly-in stop on a northern Botswana circuit that can also include Victoria Falls.

The Linyanti and Selinda hold elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard in strength; rhino are not naturally present. Their true signature is the endangered wild dog, alongside exceptional predator action, big elephant herds and rare antelope such as roan and sable. For rhino we combine your trip with a suitable reserve.

Yes, like the rest of northern Botswana the Linyanti and Selinda are malaria areas, with highest risk in the wet summer. Anti-malarial prophylaxis is recommended — consult your doctor 4–6 weeks before travel. Camps provide nets, repellent and screened rooms, and covering up at dawn and dusk reduces risk.

They suit travellers who value privacy, off-road and night drives, walking, and superb predator and wild-dog viewing — often second-time safari-goers and keen photographers. Several camps are ultra-exclusive with limited beds, so we book well ahead and match you to the camp and season that fit your priorities.

We suggest three to four nights to enjoy off-road drives, night drives, walking and — water permitting — the Linyanti channels or Selinda canoeing, and to give the wild dogs and big cats time to appear. The concessions combine beautifully with the Okavango Delta and Chobe for a complete northern Botswana journey.