Last Updated: May 2026
We flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg to Maun, Botswana, then boarded a small bush plane for the final leg to the dirt landing strip at Linyanti Bush Camp, near Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. As we taxied to a stop, a lion was watching from the edge of the strip. It was the beginning of one of the most memorable experiences of our lives.
Linyanti Bush Camp
Linyanti Bush Camp sits on a private concession bordering Chobe National Park, on the Linyanti River in northern Botswana. It is deliberately rustic — this is not a luxury lodge in the Lion Sands sense. The accommodations are large semi-permanent canvas tents, each with a comfortable bed under a mosquito net. Electricity comes from an on-site generator and solar with battery backup. The shower is solar-heated, and despite what you might expect, it ran genuinely hot.
The camp is unfenced, and animals move freely through the property at all times. The first night was an adjustment — wind noise, the smell of smoke from controlled burns across the border in Namibia, and the sounds of animals just outside the canvas made sleep difficult. The second morning we found elephant tracks and a fresh pile of dung just outside our tent, and a Cape buffalo grazing twenty feet away. After that, we slept extremely well. There is something about the second night in Africa — the sounds stop being alarming and start being extraordinary.
The staff were absolutely wonderful — personable, genuine, and deeply proud of where they live and what they do. The chef produced exceptional meals given what they had to work with in this remote location. The bar was open and often self-service; you could take drinks back to the tent. Red wine selections were a Merlot and a Cabernet, both quite good. Gin and Tonic seemed to be the drink of choice among the other guests, and for good reason at sundowners on the Linyanti River.
A note on the camp versus Kruger: Linyanti costs more than Lion Sands Narina Lodge in South Africa and offers considerably less in terms of amenities. The water was undrinkable — a slight odor and light brown color from low water levels and a newly drilled bore hole — though ample drinking water was always provided. No ceiling fans or AC, but in May with lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s, none were needed. There is a small pool, but it was too cold to use. These are not complaints — they are simply the reality of a remote bush camp in a working wilderness concession. If luxury is the priority, go to Kruger first. If raw Africa is what you want, Botswana delivers it.
The Safari
Our guide and driver was Esse — extraordinary. Knowledgeable about every animal, every track, every plant. He could read the ground and anticipate where animals had gone or were heading in ways that seemed almost intuitive. He made every drive feel like a master class in the bush.
The typical day started with an early wake-up call and breakfast around a fire in the pre-dawn dark.
Safari ran from roughly 7 to 11 am. Midway through, Esse would stop at a scenic spot for coffee or tea — a chance to stretch, breathe, and take in wherever we happened to be. Back to camp for lunch and a rest, then out again from about 3 to 7 pm. The afternoon safari always ended with Esse pulling over somewhere beautiful for sunset, cocktails, and snacks before the return to camp for dinner.
We were there in the dry season — May — and it had been an exceptionally dry year. Water levels were low and some animals had moved toward more reliable water sources. Sightings were very good overall, but not as dense as Kruger. The key difference, Esse explained, is tourism volume: the animals at Kruger’s Sabi Sand have been accustomed to vehicles for decades and barely register a Land Rover. In Botswana, with far fewer visitors, the animals retain more wariness. They don’t bolt, but they hold their distance a little more. It gives the encounters a different feel — wilder, less predictable. We didn’t see rhinos or leopards. We did see lions, elephants, giraffes, Cape buffalo, zebras, baboons, a python, a cobra, wild dogs, and extraordinary birds.
Lion
Beyond the lion at the airstrip, we found lions on the drives. As with Kruger, they were largely indifferent to the vehicle — the habituation to Land Rovers runs deep even at lower tourist volumes.
Elephants
Elephants were everywhere. Large herds moved to and from the Linyanti River throughout the day, and watching them drink, wade, and interact was endlessly watchable. The dry season concentrated them near the remaining water, which made for spectacular viewing — though it also meant the helicopter pilot showed us water holes that had dried up entirely, with animals nowhere near them.
Giraffe
Baboon
African Wild Dogs
One of the rarest and most exciting sightings in Africa. We came across a pack just after sunset — the light was nearly gone, the dogs were moving fast, and we were pushing the cameras to ISO 12,800 and beyond just to capture anything at all. Most images weren’t usable. But we were there, watching them. That counts for more.
Birds
The birdlife in the Linyanti is extraordinary. While the drives were focused on mammals, Esse made sure we noticed and learned about every species we encountered — African barred owls, fish eagles, lappet-faced vultures, little bee-eaters. The variety was staggering.
The Helicopter Ride
The camp included a 30-minute helicopter ride, which turned out to be one of the most memorable parts of the trip — and not entirely in a good way. From the air you could see the full scale of the drought: water holes that should have been full were completely dry, and animals that would normally have spread across the concession were concentrated in the few places where water remained. We spotted hippos and flamingos at the surviving water sources, spectacular from above.
We also saw several elephant carcasses from the air — tusks removed, killed by poachers crossing from Namibia. The Botswana military actively patrols the area and is authorized to shoot poachers on sight, but the concession is vast and remote. Despite an international ivory ban — the United States enacted a near-total ban on commercial ivory trade in July 2016 — demand continues to drive poaching. It was sobering and hard to look at.
Photography Notes
Game drives are in an open Toyota Land Cruiser with a canvas roof — no bush hiking. A tripod is essentially useless: no room, no stable surface. A monopod with a tilt head is the right tool, paired with a strap that can support a heavy telephoto without stressing your hands (a BlackRapid Quick-Draw style strap works well).
I shot almost exclusively with a Nikon D810 and a Nikon 200–500mm f/5.6 VR lens — over 90% of images from that combination, frequently at 500mm. Sandy used a Nikon 28–300mm f/3.5–5.6 VR on a Nikon D300, which produced excellent shots, especially when animals came close. For low-light situations, I switched to an 85mm f/1.8. You can change lenses in the vehicle — just wait a minute after stopping for the dust to settle.
Avoid Program mode. Use Shutter Priority or Manual at a minimum of 1/500 sec for moving animals. At dawn and dusk, ISO 12,800 becomes necessary — the wild dog images below were shot at those limits. VR and the monopod made a measurable difference at longer focal lengths. On a still subject, drop shutter speed and raise f-stop for better image quality when you can afford it.
The lion was shot at 330mm, 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 12,800 — grain is visible but the image holds. The giraffe at 480mm, 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 64 — individual chin hairs are visible. Good light versus bad light is that dramatic. Bring extra memory cards rather than a laptop — the two of us shot approximately 500GB over seven days without in-field editing. Power in the dining area is 220V with both European and American outlets; most modern devices handle 220V without a step-down converter.
Visitor Information
Location: Linyanti Bush Camp is situated on a private concession on the Linyanti River, bordering Chobe National Park in northern Botswana, near the border with Namibia.
Getting There: Fly into Maun, Botswana — served by connecting flights from Johannesburg. From Maun, the camp arranges a light aircraft transfer to the dirt airstrip at the concession, then roughly an hour’s drive to the camp. That drive through the bush, with Esse watching the landscape, is itself a wildlife experience.
Small aircraft luggage: Bush plane weight limits are strictly enforced. Several connecting legs allowed two carry-ons, but roller bags had to weigh under 9 kg or be checked. Backpack weight is typically not checked. Pack accordingly and use soft-sided bags where possible.
Website: africanbushcamps.com
Practical Tips
Health — Malaria: Northern Botswana, including the Linyanti and Chobe areas, is a malaria zone. We took Malarone, starting one day before arrival and continuing seven days after returning home. We used mosquito repellent, covered exposed skin in the evenings, and slept under mosquito netting — and never had a single bite. Always consult the CDC’s Botswana travel page for current malaria recommendations before your trip, as these can change.
Health — Yellow Fever: Botswana is not a Yellow Fever country, but it borders Angola, where the CDC recommends vaccination for travelers heading further north. Yellow Fever vaccine can be difficult to source — your primary care physician may not carry it or hold the required permit, and it may not be covered by insurance. A travel medicine clinic is usually the most reliable option; plan ahead and budget for out-of-pocket cost. Check the CDC’s Botswana page for current guidance.
Health — Typhoid: Typhoid fever spreads through contaminated food and water. The camp’s tap water is not potable, though bottled drinking water is always provided. The CDC recommends typhoid vaccination for most travelers to sub-Saharan Africa — get vaccinated at least two weeks before departure. Check the CDC’s Botswana page for current recommendations.
Clothing: May temperatures ranged from lows in the 50s°F to highs in the 70s°F. Mornings and evenings on the open vehicle were genuinely cold — bring a fleece or light down jacket, a stocking hat, and thin gloves. Blankets are provided on the vehicle. Afternoons were comfortable in light layers.
Safety in camp: The camp is unfenced. Animals roam through at all times. Always walk with at least one other person around the property, and don’t hesitate to ask staff to escort you — they are happy to do it.
Best time to visit: The dry season (April–October) concentrates wildlife near water and keeps tracks accessible. The wet season (November–March) brings lush growth and more mosquitoes, and some areas become unreachable. We visited in May and conditions were good despite a drought year.
