Linyanti Ebony Camp

an unusually child-friendly camp with no minimum age

Linyanti Bush Camp is located in the Chobe Enclave area of the Linyanti Waterfront in northern Botswana.

The camp is actually adjacent to Linyanti Ebony Camp, literally a stone’s throw away, the two camps being under the same ownership but operating independently from a guest point of view.

Pulling into the vehicle turnaround, we are welcomed by a group of staff, singing their traditional welcome song, which is always a nice way to get off the mark.

From here it is a short walk down towards the waterfront, where the main mess tent lies below a shady leadwood tree and where we are met with welcome drinks. Inside there are comfortable lounge and dining areas, with steps leading out to a nice campfire area above the water. To one side there is a pleasant swimming pool area.

One aspect we always appreciate is the amount of wildlife in and around camp. As well as the usual baboons and vervet monkeys, elephants and hippos often walk right between the tents. A good range of birds and grazers can often be spotted in the lagoon in front of camp.

Rooms

Guest accommodation is in six very comfortable tents, reached by ground-level pathways and with broad views out over the wetlands. Inside the rooms are surprisingly spacious and really very well appointed. The beds are fitted with mosquito nets and the indoor bathrooms have conventionally plumbed basins and toilet. The shower is the traditional bucket type, with hot water being brought by hand on request, so showering is best done mid-afternoon after siesta.

Activities

Linyanti Ebony Camp provides the following guided activities …

• Vehicle safari
• Walking safari
• Bush meals
• Canoe safari
• Motorboat safari
• Helicopter safari
• Night vehicle safari

When it comes to trip durations in Botswana, most visitors combine 2, 3 or 4 lodges by light aircraft over 6-12 nights, one of which will usually be here in Linyanti Waterfront, often in combination with further nights at the Victoria Falls and/or down in the Cape.

The Chobe Enclave is one of four private concessions that make up the Linyanti Waterfront, a fabulous safari area that combines naturally with the nearby Okavango Delta.

On balance, the Chobe Enclave is probably the weakest of the four Linyanti areas, but the camps are often well-priced, meaning they may represent the best overall value.

Most guests choose to stay at one lodge in Linyanti, usually for 3-4 nights.

Seasonality

The prime time to visit the Chobe Enclave is during the May-Oct dry season, when the wildlife density along the waterfront can be astounding.

A major focus are the large herds of elephants, which decimate the stands of hardwood trees at the back of the grassy beach. Predator sightings can also be very strong, notably lions, but also leopards and hyenas.

The converse green season months are considerably less productive for wildlife, but the bush is beautiful and there’s always plenty going on to keep you interested.

Getting there

Linyanti Ebony Camp is almost always accessed by light aircraft into Saile Airstrip, which has daily flight connections with all other camps in Okavango, Linyanti, the main airport at Maun (for connections to Central Kalahari, Nxai, Makgadikgadi and Johannesburg) and north to Kasane (for connections to Livingstone and Victoria Falls).

The drive from Saile Airstrip to the camp takes between one and two hours along a track which can get rather bumpy in parts. Although you are travelling through wildlife areas all the way, encounters on this transit road can be a little few and far between, making this a potentially arduous traverse.

It is also possible to access by road from Kasane to the north and Khwai Village to the south, but these long drives through the busy areas of Chobe National Park are generally less favourable than flying.

usually visited in combination with the Okavango Delta