Selinda Camp in the Selinda Reserve
Selinda Camp overlooks the Selinda Spillway, a unique seasonal waterway which links the Okavango Delta with the game-rich floodplains of the Linyanti Swamps.
Selinda Camp’s nine spacious, luxury tents are erected under cool thatch canopies, with all units having panoramic views across palm-studded floodplains. Each tent has en-suite facilities, a stone bath being the highlight. The bathroom is uniquely “open air” with lots of natural light, yet is screened and virtually insect-proof. The tents are spacious and beautifully appointed with furniture and features that have been collected from around Africa. Four-poster mosquito nets and overhead fans are standard.
The main area comprises a series of expansive decks that invite guests to simply sit and soak up the spectacular views and wildlife surrounding Selinda Camp. The design of the main area is such that there is never a barrier to these breathtaking views of the Selinda Spillway: whether guests are relaxing in the lounge, having brunch under the cool shade of the uniquely designed thatched roof, or sampling the fine cuisine of a three-course dinner on the open “star deck”. Set apart from the main area is the photo/art gallery built above a temperature-controlled wine cellar and curio shop. Guests can also enjoy a small plunge pool and the traditional campfire as well as massages from our therapist.
Selinda Camp is characterised by its game-rich floodplains which are host to a variety of bird life (300+), antelope, zebra, cheetah, wild dog, lion and dry season elephant concentrations. Nocturnal species include serval, porcupine, springhare and possibly leopard. Daily activities at Selinda Camp revolve around morning, afternoon and night game drives with experienced, professional guides in custom-built 4×4 Land Cruisers. Short walks from camp accompanied by a guide are encouraged to get to know some of Selinda’s smaller creatures.
Facts:
- Day and afternoon game drives on 4×4 open-sided Toyota Land Cruisers; each vehicle seats 8 with 6 “window” seats
- Night drives with spotlights
- Short walks from camp and on game drives
- Fishing with a limited supply of basic equipment is on offer seasonally – catch and release basis
- Bird watching
Selinda Camp Game Viewing
The Selinda Reserve is a private 135 000-hectare wildlife area which follows the floodplains of the Selinda Spillway, the waterway that winds its way through dry countryside to connect the Okavango Delta in the west to the Linyanti and Kwando wetlands and rivers in the east. The full length of the Selinda Spillway winds its way through the Selinda Reserve and forms a magnet for the wildlife of the region.
In that Botswana is so flat, this river can flow in one of two directions or – as happens in some years – it can flow in both! Waters from the Okavango Delta pour into the Selinda Spillway and flow from west to east. In the extreme east of the Selinda Reserve, waters from the Kwando and Linyanti rivers and floodplains force their way up the Selinda Spillway from east to west. Only in years of exceptional water levels in both these systems does the water that flows in from both the east and the west join up.
The area surrounding Selinda Camp is blessed with a variety of habitats: wide-open savannah dotted with attractive palm trees; thirst-quenching waterways surrounded by dry woodland; and the river systems and floodplains themselves. These waterways draw thousands of animals seeking to quench their thirst in the dry season.
The Selinda floodplains are host to a wide diversity of antelope and plains game. Game drives are fruitful with a multiplicity of antelope, Burchell’s zebra, southern giraffe, blue wildebeest, and plenty of elephant and buffalo to be seen. Predator viewing is exceptional, including the incredible hippo-killing lions of Selinda, leopard, wild dog and cheetah.
The Selinda Reserve is ecologically similar to the Linyanti Reserve, but differs in the increased extent of its floodplains. Like the Linyanti, in the dry winter months, enormous herds of elephant remain close to the permanent water of the Zibadianja Lagoon (the Savute Channel’s origin) and the Linyanti waters.
