Linyanti & Savute, Botswana
Having spent my early childhood listening to the stories of my great, great–grandfather, the famous explorer Charles John Andersson and his exploration of Botswana and Namibia, it has been a life-long ambition of mine to travel this wild, untamed corner of Africa. It didnt disappoint.
Between the Okavango Delta and the Chobe River in northern Botswana lies the Linyanti and Savute regions of Botswana.
The Linyanti Marshes are formed from the Kwando River which flows south from the Angolan highlands through the Caprivi Strip and into Northern Botswana where it fans out as it hits the Kalahari Sands forming the Linyanti Swamps. Secluded and uncrowded, this area of swampy river frontage is reminiscent of the Okavango's permanent waterways with papyrus-lined lagoons, reed-beds and a towering canopy of trees. The large areas of mopane woodland, riverine forests and flood plains provide a hugely diverse habitat that attracts a wealth of wildlife to this region.
The Savute is South East of the Linyanti Marshes and borders the Okavango Delta. The whole area used to be marshlands which were fed by the mysterious Savute Channel which ran 100kms from the Linyanti to the Savute Marshes of the Mababe depression. The channel dried up in the early 1990’s leaving a landscape of open grasslands and dead trees in the old riverbed where they were drowned by the last flood period around 40 years ago. The parched grasslands of the Savute are boosted into life with the onset of summer rains from November to March, and thousands of Zebras and many Elephants migrate south from the Linyanti to gorge on the abundant grazing. The pans fill with water and several remain wet long into the dry season, enabling animals to remain in the area.
Often described as one of the best, wildlife-viewing areas in Africa today, the Linyanti and Savute is famous for its large herds of animals. Animals are present in the Linyanti and Savute during all seasons with their numbers increasing to staggering proportions during the winter in the Linyanti. This happens as the animals move in towards to permanent waters of the Linyanti Marshes and River System from the surrounding regions where no permanent water is found (June – December) till the first rains come in November or December and they move back to the outlying areas such as the Savute.
Elephants and Buffalo are seen all year round however large breeding herds (hundreds strong) can often be seen in the winter time. Lion and Hyena are the dominant predators here however leopard, cheetah and wild dog are seen fairly regularly. If you allow yourself adequate time here (a minimum of three to four days is recommended) you will probably see nearly all the major mammal species including giraffe, elephant, tsessebe, roan, sable, wildebeest, and buffalo.
Linyanti & Savute Camps & Lodges