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 suite, 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!


About the Wilderness King's Pool

Highlights

  • A luxury safari fit for royalty in the wild, remote Linyanti Wildlife Reserve.
  • Quintessential Linyanti day and night game drives, thrilling bush walks and helicopter flips at the southernmost extent of the Great Rift Valley, topped off with sublime sunset boating on the Queen Silvia barge.
  • Come nose-to-trunk with elephants in the one-of-a-kind eye-level waterhole at the underground hide – a feature that truly sets King’s Pool apart.
  • A top Botswana destination for spotting rare sable and roan antelope.

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.


The lodge is located in the Linyanti of the North-West.


Features

The lodge is rated as Premier Camp by Unspecified.

Room facilities include Electrical Outlets, En-Suite, Fan, Hair Dryer, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Lounge Area, Mini Bar, Mosquito Nets, Outside Shower, Safe, Sala, Tea / Coffee, Verandah,

The lodges appeals to a number of special interests such as Birding, Nature, Star Gazing, Wildlife,

There are numerous activities on site such as Bird Watching, Catch-and-release Fishing, Game Drives, Game Viewing Hide, Massages, Night Drives, Walks (Guided),

The property boasts a number of facilities Bar, Library, Pool, Private Vehicle Available,

Languages spoken include and available services are Credit Card,


Activities

The lodge offers some unique activities to suit your tastes.

Wilderness King's Pool – Game Drives

Viewing wildlife on a game drive is a thrilling experience. The varied woodland habitats and ancient floodplains along the Linyanti fault line make the Linyanti an essential part of any Botswana itinerary. Some of our guests have described it as utterly breathtaking. A safari to Africa is worthy of being on every travellers' must see destination.



Wilderness King's Pool – Night Drives

Catch sight of nocturnal creatures on a night drive along the channel. An intriguing opportunity for you to see animals that you may never have heard of and are more unique, such as genets, civets, and bush babies. The other exciting element of night drives is the chance of seeing cats at their most active.



Wilderness King's Pool – Guided Nature Walks

On request, nature walks with skilled, armed guides are wonderful ways of getting close to nature and observing the smaller things you miss when travelling by vehicle.



Wilderness King's Pool – Hides

There are two hides in the vicinity of Kings Pool from which to view and photograph animals and birds. One is located at the western end of camp and the other is an original underground hide, with the water at eye level making for a unique camera-friendly perspective



Wilderness King's Pool – Barge Excursion *

End the day with sundowners, relaxing on the elegant, colonial-style Queen Silvia barge floating down the Linyanti River. While the camp and its lagoon take their name from King Gustaf of Sweden who honeymooned here in the mid 1900s, the name of the barge romantically commemorates his wife. The newlyweds fell in love with the beauty of Botswana – a feeling that was mutual as the country fell in love with them too, and Botswana fondly named Queen Silvia the Dancing Queen!

* Water levels permitting.



Wilderness King's Pool – Fishing *

Fishing with a limited supply of basic equipment is on offer on a catch and release basis.

* Note that fishing is seasonal as it is prohibited by Botswana law in January and February due to breeding purposes.



Wilderness King's Pool – Birding

Birding is outstanding at Wilderness King's Pool, with the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve an internationally recognised Important Bird Area (IBA), particularly for birds of prey like Dickinson's kestrel and water birds, from fish eagles to herons, and African skimmers. In the summer months, southern carmine bee-eaters nest near camp. Keep your binoculars close at hand!



Wilderness King's Pool – Rest & Relaxation

Massages are available for you to enjoy in the privacy of your tent. A range of beauty treatments created to restore your body’s natural balance and soothe away your stresses.



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