Selinda Camp

Selinda Camp is a delightful, high-quality camp on the eastern banks of the Selinda Spillway, the ‘waterway’ that links the Okavango Delta to the Linyanti Swamps.

The open floodplains are sprinkled with tiny palm islands, providing a home for fan palms and African mangosteens. With year-round water, open plains, and mixed vegetation, Selinda is a great destination for the perfect safari holiday.

The camp has six traditional Meru-style tents, each with private facilities. The main building contains a self-serve bar, a comfortable lounge, a small curio shop, and an upstairs dining room, where dinners are often served by candlelight.

Outside, is a large boma with a campfire for cool mornings and evenings. There is a plunge pool for refreshing dips on hot afternoons. 

Wildlife

The region around Selinda Camp has permanent populations of game, including kudu, giraffe, reedbuck, tsessebe and red lechwe, closely followed by its predators, hippo-eating lion, spotted hyena, cheetah and leopard. It is also one of the best areas for wild dog. Resident nocturnal species include civets, porcupines, genets, caracal and serval.

Typically, the number of animals begins to swell from May or June because of the permanent water of the Zibalianja Lagoon, just south of the camp, and the proximity of the Kwando and Linyanti Rivers. Buffalo, elephant, wildebeest, and zebra herds arrive in droves and stay until the November rains. Birdlife is also varied and plentiful in Selinda; Wood owls, Swamp boubous, Brown fire finches, White-rumped babblers, Collared sunbirds, and the particularly unusual Schalow's lourie.

In addition, you may see Collared palm thrush, and, in the open grasslands, ostrich, Secretary bird, Kori bustard, Red-crested korhaan, Sandgrouse, quail, and different varieties of courser. November and March coincide with the arrival and departure of many migrant bird species and so are considered to be the prime birding months.

Activities

Activities at Selinda include two daily game drives with qualified professional guides, in open-sided 4WD vehicles (night drives with spotlight); short walking trails; game viewing by boat on Zibalianja Lagoon (subject to water levels) and some fishing. Camp staff participate in monthly game counts (at each full moon) as part of the land management and guests are invited to take part. 

Selinda Spillway Canoe Trail

A unique 4-day, 70 kilometre canoe safari, along the Selinda Spillway, departs from either Selinda Camp or nearby Zarafa. Canoes are Canadian in style, each with two people to paddle downstream along the Spillway. Overnight in comfortable dome-tents, with bucket showers and 'long drop' lavatories. The Spillway is probably an old river bed and hasn't flowed for almost 30 years, making this literally a once-in-a lifetime experience.

Children

Children are welcome from the age of eight. For children between 8-12 years, game drives must be private and there may be an extra charge for this. For advice on family-friendly safari options, speak with our consultants.