The Linyanti Wildlife Reserve is a private reserve bordering Chobe National Park's western boundary. It is an enormous reserve within a park, teeming in wildlife, covering an area of 125,000ha (308,000 acres). There are a limited numer of lodges & camps here, which creates an unrivalled atmosphere of remoteness and seemingly unlimited expanse.

There are 3 main features of the Linyanti Concession:

1. The Linyanti River.
2. The woodlands of the interior.
3. The Savuti Channel (famous as a sporadic and unusual watercourse).
   

Other aspects of the concession include floodplains, grasslands, exotic palm islands and scrub vegetation. Together with the 3 main features, the entire region harbours one of the densest, dry season concentrations of elephant in Botswana. It has been estimated that Linyanti must have several thousand elephants roaming around at any one time, and it is not hard to understand in this day and age of conservation, this phenomenon has become one of the main attractions for travellers to northern Botswana.

Although the concession lies within the greater Chobe National Park, it has a distinctly different eco-system. The Swamp has formed in the corner where the permanently- flowing Linyanti River takes a 90° turn, forming channels, lagoons and a lush area of reed beds, providing permanent water to the region. The lush and attractive vegetation at Linyanti includes jackal berry, leadwood, sausage trees and other hard woods.

This natural creation in turn has become home to aquatic species such as sitatunga and red lechwe, and handsome roan and sable antelope can be seen all year round. During the dry winter months, The Swamp lures vast herds of thirsty elephant, zebra and wildebeest. Other plains game includes Cape buffalo, eland, southern giraffe, hippo, impala, warthog, common waterbuck and Burchell's zebra. Chacma baboon and vervet monkey are also resident.

With such a wide variety of mammals on call, predators are prevalent in Linyanti, including lion, cheetah, hyena, leopard and other smaller carnivores. It also provides a stronghold for the endangered African wild dog. Nocturnal species of animal include aardwolf, lesser bushbaby, serval, spring hare, (large spotted) genet and occasionally the elusive pangolin!

Linyanti is an outstanding all-year birding destination, with species ranging from the Okavango specials, such as Hartlaub's babbler, wattled crane, slaty egret, African skimmer, Allen's gallinule, to the drier mopane woodland species like racket-tailed roller, Bradfield's hornbill, white-breasted cuckoo-shrike, Bennett's woodpecker, swallow-tailed bee-eater and Arnott's chat. This reserve is also excellent for kori bustard, ostrich and various owl species, such as Verreaux's giant eagle-owl and the African scops-owl.

Visiting the Linyati Reserve area and it's many varied habitats of dry woodlands and grasslands, marshes, riverine forests and waterways, together with the prolific and diverse wildlife and spectacular scenery, forms a wonderful contrast to the Okavango Delta. Adding this area to your Botswana itinerary should be considered strongly, as it will complement any visit to the region.