INTO BOTSWANA.COM - LUXURY SAFARI OPERATOR
Kings Pool Camp
Accommodation is probably the most luxurious in all of Botswana. There are nine luxurious twin-bedded tented rooms under cool thatch, overlooking the hippo filled lagoon in front of the camp. Each of the new suites has its own large bedroom area, lounge, private plunge pool and a sala. Each en-suite bathroom has two showers, two hand basins and a separate flush toilet. There is an outdoor shower for those who prefer to shower under the stars. The main lounge, pub and dining room are under thatch, and there is a swimming pool built into the deck. The main area is linked to the bedrooms by a raised walkway to allow animals to wander freely around the camp.
Activities include game drives in open 4x4 vehicles, night drives, and occasionally guided walks when the camp manager feels that it is safe to conduct walking safaris.
Kings Pool Wildlife: There are good populations of Impala, Lechwe, Kudu, Zebra, Giraffe, Sable, Waterbuck, Buffalo and the smaller plains antelope. The major predators such as Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Wild Dog and Hyena are also regularly sighted. The reed and papyrus swamps are ideal for numerous, diverse species of birds and a magnet for game in the dry winter months.
The Linyanti area has a large wildlife resource with a wide variety of species, but is most noted for very large Elephant population, which can reach enormous densities during our winter months.
The Linyanti Wildlife Reserve offers one of Africa's most thrilling wildlife experiences, covering an area of 275,000 acres of prime wildlife country situated between the Okavango and Chobe regions. Yet, there are only 26 rooms in 3 small camps that are allowed to access the game drive areas of the Linyanti reserve. Space and privacy set this reserve aside, along with amazing wildlife concentrations.
Elephant are a prime attraction - especially in dry winter months when they are forced to congregate along the waterways and around the waterholes of the area when the rain-filled depressions and pans of the interior dry up. At times the reserve must have several thousand elephant. Red Lechwe, Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala, Waterbuck, Sable, Roan, Eland, Giraffe, Baboon, Monkey, Warthog, Crocodile and Buffalo are some of the other game to be found here. There are also the predators - Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Wild Dog and Hyena - and the nocturnal animals - Bushbabies, Spring Hare, Aardwolf, Serval, Genet, Pangolin - and other smaller predators. Birding, too, is great here - from the Okavango "specials", such as Slaty Egret, Whiterumped Babblers and Wattled Cranes, to the bushveld species.
One of the highlights of Kings Pool is its two hides. At the western end of the camp is a thatched hide overlooking the Kings Pool Lagoon. Guests can enjoy productive siesta hours watching animals coming down to drink at the lagoon in front of camp. The real highlight, though, is the underground hide located a kilometre or two inland from camp, where your eyelevel reaches just above water level. It's not unusual to have elephants feet and trunks almost within touching distance, while guests are safely inside the hide.
Notes from the Ranger's diary (2005):
"From July onwards the woodlands and floodplains surrounding the Linyanti River become drier and drier. This situation makes for great wildlife viewing opportunities for us, and it is no accident that many of our most spectacular sightings happen during this harsh dry time. Returning from a drive along the Linyanti River one evening I stopped to get an idea of what animal we had outlined in the beam of our spotlight. Three roosting Wattled Cranes took flight at its approach, and as it gained the shallower water where they had been, I managed to recognise enough of the animal to identify a female sitatunga. Very excitedly, I told my guests what we were watching, and how rare the sitatunga (a semi-aquatic antelope) is.
The sitatunga ran across the grass, and made toward the narrowest part of the river. Without hesitating it plunged in and swam strongly towards some thick reed beds. Several crocodiles were homing in on the swimming sitatunga, but were too slow and it reached the safety of the reed bed.
Seconds later we heard more splashing, and a sweep of the spotlight revealed a male leopard, leaping along virtually in the sitatunga’s tracks. He emerged from the water and padded along with the bouncy gait so typical of a big cat in a hurry, hardly sparing us a glance. Water dripped from his muddy coat, and he paused at the channel’s edge, gathered himself and sprang, easily clearing a three-metre stretch of water. On the other side, he looked around and there was no sign of the sitatunga. The leopard stopped, sat down and looked around almost contemplatively, signalling the end of his rather one-sided hunt."
