Selinda Reserve, Botswana
Wilderness King's Pool
Selinda Reserve, Botswana
Wilderness King's Pool
Wilderness King's Pool consistently delivers the best dry season game viewing in far northern Botswana. Situated on the border with Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, Wilderness King's Pool is in an area vital to the seasonal movements of elephant herds, and to the survival of rare roan and sable antelope. Looking down over the Linyanti River, and up from the safety of sunken hides gives guests unexpected angles from which to witness great wildlife moments.
Seven well-appointed twins and one family unit, all of canvas, wood and thatch, soak up the views of the lagoon. The main area, deck and bar offer uninterrupted views, with closer proximity to the water, while parts of the roof extend down to ensure privacy.
INSIDER'S TIP: Special highlights include sundowners on the Queen Silvia barge and time out at the unique underground hide!
Highlights
Destination: In a corner of the unique Linyanti, Wilderness King’s Pool promises an unrivalled African safari. The Linyanti comprises 126,000 hectares (311,000 acres) of pristine, wild land bordering Chobe National Park and the critical wildlife corridors that traverse four unfenced countries – Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana. These corridors are essential pathways for all manner of wildlife to come and go unobstructed, while also reducing human-wildlife conflict.
The camp overlooks the scenic oxbow-shaped King’s Pool Lagoon (for which the camp is named) and Linyanti River system, and is perfectly positioned for watching the array of iconic wildlife come and go as they quench their thirst along the river.
Experience: This is Africa up-close. With an abundance of wildlife all around King’s Pool, expect the royal treatment as the wildlife comes to you on this luxurious safari. In the dry season, guests can enjoy a siesta-time watching the animals come down to drink at the unique underground hide, where the water is at eye level. Seeing elephant feet and trunks almost within touching distance while safely inside is an experience never to be forgotten.
For those looking for something more active, excursions include thrilling day and night game drives, guided nature walks and afternoons on boating safaris, photographing the wildlife and abundant bird life. Equally impressive is a high tea and sundowner adventure on board the Queen Silvia barge, cruising on the lagoon while soaking in the cinematic views and spotting wildlife.
Back in camp, enjoy fresh, locally sourced, health-conscious cuisine, served with warmth and exuberant hospitality around a roaring fire.
Purpose: A true wilderness area with the highest density of elephant in Africa, the location of King’s Pool, bordering Chobe National Park and at the crux of KAZA's important wildlife corridor straddling Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana, means it fulfils a vital role in the area’s biodiversity conservation.
Wildlife: The Linyanti Wildlife Reserve has an abundant and rich wildlife array, and is most famous for Africa’s largest free-ranging elephant population, which can reach enormous densities during the dry winter months. There are also impressive numbers of impala, lechwe, kudu, zebra, giraffe, buffalo, and bushbuck, along with their predators, including lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog and spotted hyena. The rarer sable and roan antelope can also be spotted emerging from the woodlands during the dry season.
The areas is a birder’s paradise. Just one feature is the carmine bee-eater nesting site nearby – a spectacle to behold in the summer months.
Wilderness King’s Pool: Tucked away in a grove of jackalberry trees, King’s Pool is a luxurious safari camp named in honour of Swedish King Carl Gustav XVI, who reportedly honeymooned nearby in the 1970s.
The thatch and canvas camp features seven spacious and well-appointed twin rooms and one suite.
The magnificent shared area comprises a pool, lounge, library, dining and convivial bar area, set on expansive, raised decks close to the water’s edge, perfectly positioned for watching the wildlife come and go. An open-air kgotla invites evening dining under the stars.
Totally solar-powered, the camp treads lightly on the land.