The bedrooms at Savuti Camp look out over the Savuti Channel, which links the Linyanti Marshes with the Savuti Marshes and the Okavango Delta. The channel and sweeping plains provide an ideal environment for herds to spread out across the grasslands, and this creates the perfect hunting ground for predators. Savuti has become well-known for the large lion prides which reside there, and are bold enough to even attempt to hunt elephants. There are also large numbers of the endangered African wild dog, as well as buffalo, giraffe, leopards, hippo and wildebeest. Savuti camp offers a range of safari activities to allow guests to immerse themselves in Botswana’s amazing wildlife and see these incredible creatures up close.
Savuti Camp Entrance Gate, Botswana
Savuti Camp is located in the private Linyanti Concession, which is in the Savuti region and borders the Chobe National Reserve. The camp’s proximity to the Savuti Channel provides beautiful views of the lush grasslands and the flowing waters. Nestled into the comfortable shade of the riverside trees, the camp is tucked away to give guests a private safari experience. Guests are able to reach Savuti Camp by either travelling to Maun International Airport, or Kasane International Airport and taking the 40-minute flight to the Savuti Airstrip before a 30-minute road transfer where you will be able to get a taste of the amazing wildlife that can be viewed on game drives.
- Large numbers of game and incredible sighting opportunities
- Picturesque views of the Savuti Channel
- The changing nature of the channel offers a range of potential safari experiences
- Range of water and land-based activities available
- Game viewing hides positioned around the camp
- Star beds nearby
- Library
- Swimming pool
Camp Savuti is a small camp consisting of 6 canvas and thatch tents, allowing guests a private and personal safari experience. Each of the tents offers stunning views over the channel and the natural beauty which surrounds it, which can be enjoyed from the comfort of your private deck. The bedrooms are furnished with soft and luxurious double or twin beds, and the family room tent features a second bedroom with two twins. Each tent also includes a lounge area where guests can relax on a comfy sofa and look out at the sweeping plains and swaying grass. The bedroom leads on to a large en-suite bathroom with twin basins and an indoor shower.
Savuti Camp’s dining area is positioned on raised decking, with railings and open walls so that guests can marvel at the wildlife views whilst enjoying their meals. Guests at Savuti Camp are treated to three delicious meals each day, as well as afternoon tea. You will be served a light breakfast before your morning game drive, and return to the camp for brunch. Afternoon tea with sweet and savoury treats is available at 4pm, along with coffee and freshly-made lemonade. Then guests will return to a three-course meal after your afternoon/evening activities. Guests will also be able to take part in the camp’s boma night, where traditional local dishes are prepared by the camps chefs and cooked over a fire.
Go out across the plains in a 4×4 land rover and observe Linyanti’s amazing wildlife up close on an exciting game drive. The open-sided safari vehicles are perfect for photographers and are designed for a total of 7 guests at a time so that everyone can look out at the game without any visual obstructions. Drive up to herds of giant elephants, buffalo and zebra. Observe lounging lions and maybe even witness a dramatic predator hunt.
Night-time game drives offer the unique chance to find some of the Linyanti Reserve’s nocturnal creatures which you would be unable to find at any other time. The darkness adds an extra immersive element to this experience as you search for adorable bushbabies, spring hare, aardwolf and the rare and scaley pangolin.
Explore the Linyanti Concession at your own pace with an experienced and passionate walking guide. Venture to the places that safari vehicles cannot reach and focus on the smaller details that are missed during game drives. The professional armed guides will be able to teach you about the fascinating species that live on the reserve, and how to recognise their tracks. Nature walks are on request and subject to the availability of a qualified guide.
Savuti Camp’s log hide allows guests to watch the drinking elephants completely uninterrupted. Relax in the hide, escape from the afternoon heat and bring a camera to capture the elephants as they squirt water from their trunks. Guests can also travel to the sunken Ntshe hide at Manchwe Pan, which is a 45-minute trip from Savuti Camp and offers amazing wildlife views from a completely different perspective.
Lie on a comfy star bed and gaze up at a sparkling sky from the Southern Cross and Orion Star Beds. The star beds are elevated platforms furnished with plush double beds that look up at a clear night sky, completely free of light pollution. Gaze up at the stars of the Southern Hemisphere and enjoy the romantic atmosphere, whilst completely surrounded by nature.
Guests can also travel to the Savuti Star Bed, which overlooks the Zibadianja Lagoon and Savuti Channel. Not only does this starbed offer stunning night sky views, but is also frequently visited by animals and birds, providing plenty of uniquely stunning photographic opportunities.
Explore the tranquil waters of the Savuti Channel on a boat trip. Boat excursions take can place either as a morning, midday or afternoon activity. See the wildlife from a new angle and sail past bathing elephants and snorting hippos as you gain a sense of how vast the waterways are, and how far they stretch. Boating is a seasonal activity and is dependant on the water levels of the channel.
The Linyanti Wildlife Reserve has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA), and guests can expect to see a wide variety of astonishing birds. The mixture of dry and wet land makes the Linyanti Marshes and Channel an ideal location for both land and aquatic bird species, with over 400 different types to see. Peek through a pair of binoculars and catch sight of carmine bee-eaters, ground hornbills, raptors, pin tailed whydahs and many more.
Savuti Camp is a Wilderness Safaris camp. Wilderness Safaris support Children in the Wilderness, a non-profit organisation that works to educate children about the environment and the importance of conservation. The Children in the Wilderness programme hosts Eco-Clubs and camps to educate children from rural communities in Africa about their local wildlife areas and how they can help protect them in the future.
The programme also supports children whose parents cannot afford to send them to school by providing scholarship opportunities, as well as providing funding for students from the Children in the Wilderness programme who are doing Environmental or Conservation courses at tertiary institutions.
‘By exposing children to their natural heritage, Children in the Wilderness aims to create a network of learning sanctuaries that uplifts and cares for our children and conserves our planet. In this way, we hope to inspire the children to care for the environment so that they can become the custodians of these areas in the future.’
Savuti Camp collaborates with the local authorities in order to help protect the camp’s surrounding wildlife. Savuti Camp also supports conservation and research projects that focus on threatened species that appear on the IUCN Red List, such as the African wild dog, elephants, lions and roan antelope.
Savuti Camp uses a hybrid system to power the camp. The diesel-powered generator charges a bank of batteries, which then supplies the camp with electricity through an inverter. ‘Thanks to this system, the generator only needs to operate for eight hours a day as opposed to 24 hours. Wastewater (sewage and greywater) is treated in an Above Ground Sewage Plant, ensuring that the water is clean before being allowed to enter the natural environment.
In order to reduce our use of bottled water, reverse osmosis filtration is done on-site to provide guests with high-quality drinking water. Like all Wilderness camps, this camp is managed and monitored against very strict in-house environmental standards, so only approved eco-friendly detergents and chemicals are used.’
Recycling resources and conserving power helps Savuti Camp to keep its carbon footprint light, and the use of eco-friendly chemicals reduces the risk of pollution.
Children aged 6 years and older are welcome at Savuti Camp. However, families with children under the age of 12 will need to hire a private vehicle.