Four tents sit in a grove of trees on the edge of the Linyanti Marsh, in a private concession bordering Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. Three are twin or double suites. The fourth is a two-bedroom family unit with its own lounge. A whole-camp buyout needs only eight guests, which makes this a natural choice for families travelling together, and children of all ages are welcome.
The fourth is a two-bedroom family unit with its own lounge
The marsh is fed by the Linyanti River, and it holds water when the country around it dries out. Through the dry months, roughly May to October, elephant and buffalo herds move onto the floodplain in front of the tents, drawing lion, leopard and wild dog behind them. Much of this plays out from the raised decks, without anyone leaving camp at all.
Being inside a private concession, rather than the national park, changes what a day here can involve. Off-road driving lets guides follow a sighting into the treeline. Night drives pick out the animals that only move after dark, and guided walks put adults on foot with an armed guide. None of this is permitted inside Chobe itself, a short distance away.
Night drives pick out the animals that only move after dark
Water adds a second dimension when levels allow. Mokoro excursions slip through the shallow channels, motorboats run the Linyanti River, and catch-and-release fishing is offered seasonally. Stays of three nights or more between April and November include a scenic helicopter flight over the marsh, an aerial read of a landscape that is otherwise all reeds and horizon.
The four tents are traditional Meru-style canvas on raised timber decks, set among the trees. Each has a private viewing deck facing the floodplain, an en-suite bathroom with flush toilet and hot-water shower, and large netted windows for ventilation. The family tent adds a second bedroom and a separate lounge. Interiors are simple and comfortable rather than ornate, built in wood, canvas and natural textiles, so that the marsh in front of you is always the thing you notice first.
The heart of camp is an open canvas structure holding the lounge, bar and dining area, with a raised deck for views across the marsh, a small plunge pool and a fire pit for the evenings. Wi-Fi and phone signal are limited here, which shifts the rhythm of a stay toward the marsh and the people in front of you. Guests are welcomed with staff singing on arrival, and the small size means guides, hosts and kitchen quickly learn names, preferences and the ages of the children in tow.
The four tents are traditional Meru-style canvas on raised timber decks, set among the trees
The Linyanti sits between the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park and Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, a corner of Botswana known for its large elephant populations. The reserve’s mix of river, marshland and woodland also holds rarer antelope, among them sable, roan and the elusive sitatunga. Children sixteen and over, old enough for walks and mokoro excursions, join those activities. Younger ones have the Ngwana Club, with nature walks around camp, cooking lessons and craft sessions built to hold their attention while parents are out on drives.
Meals are Pan-African, served communally in the main tent or around the boma fire, and the kitchen will set up breakfast on the edge of the wetlands. Dinner runs long under a dark Linyanti sky, with hippos and the occasional elephant audible somewhere out in the reeds. It is an unhurried way to end a day, and it suits a camp built for eight, where the last conversation of the evening carries easily across the fire and no one is in any rush to leave it.
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accommodation
Four Meru-style canvas tents on raised timber decks at Linyanti Ebony Camp: three twin or double suites for two, and one family suite with two interleading bedrooms and a separate lounge. Each has a private deck over the floodplain, en-suite bathroom with flush toilet and hot-water shower, and netted windows for ventilation.
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activities
Day and night game drives with off-road access, and guided walks for guests aged sixteen and over, all permitted by the private concession but not inside neighbouring Chobe National Park. Water levels allowing: mokoro excursions, motorboat trips and seasonal catch-and-release fishing. Scenic helicopter flights on longer stays.
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conservation
Guest stays at Linyanti Ebony Camp support the African Bush Camps Foundation, which works with communities around the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve. Named projects include the Vuche Vuche craft cooperative, the Kachikau Primary School disability unit and the Metsimahura sewing enterprise, addressing unemployment, food security and human-wildlife conflict.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
By light aircraft to a Linyanti airstrip, then a game drive to this four-tent camp on the edge of the Linyanti Marsh. The flight is generally around 45 minutes to an hour, routed via Kasane or Maun depending on the rest of your itinerary, with Kasane the usual choice if you are combining it with Chobe or Victoria Falls.
Charters are shared and confirmed the day before, and luggage is soft bags of about 20kg. If you would rather fly privately, we can arrange your own charter, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, flown direct on timings that suit you. Because a full buyout of the camp needs only eight guests, it is a natural fit for a family or group travelling together.
Yes, the Linyanti is in northern Botswana and carries a seasonal malaria risk, so it is not malaria-free. The risk is lowest in the dry winter from June to October and higher during the wet summer months.
Health guidance can shift from year to year, so we suggest confirming the current advice with a travel clinic or your doctor before you travel, and taking the usual care against bites in the evening. The camp sits on a marsh, so cover up and use repellent after sundown.
The dry months, roughly May to October, are the prime time. As the surrounding country dries, elephant and buffalo herds move onto the floodplain in front of the tents, drawing lion, leopard and wild dog behind them, and much of it can be watched from the raised decks. September and October are the most concentrated, and the hottest.
The green summer from November is quieter, greener and better for birdlife. One nice detail here: stays of three nights or more between April and November include a scenic helicopter flight over the wetland.
Winter days from June to September are warm and dry in the mid-twenties, with cold early mornings that can dip into single figures on the drive. Pack layers you can shed: a fleece and windproof jacket for dawn, lighter clothing for the day. October brings real heat ahead of the rains.
Stick to neutral colours, bring sun protection year-round, and add a light waterproof for the summer storm season from around November.
Very much so; it is set up as a family camp. Children of all ages are welcome, there is a two-bedroom family tent with its own lounge, and because the whole four-tent camp can be bought out for just eight guests, families often take it exclusively and travel at their own pace.
Guided walks are for ages sixteen and over, so younger families spend the days on drives and, when levels allow, on the water. Tell us the children's ages and we will build the trip around them.
There is wifi in the main area of camp, over satellite, suited to messages and email rather than streaming or calls. There is no mobile phone signal in the reserve.
Keeping the connection to the central area rather than the tents is common in camps like this, so the decks over the floodplain stay screen-free.
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