The 60,000 hectare Jao Reserve is located in the north-western area of the Okavango Delta directly below the panhandle. The Moremi Game Reserve forms the eastern boundary of the reserve.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
Lying as it does in the very heart of the Delta, the Jao Reserve embodies all the magic and mystique of the Okavango. Narrow water channels cut their way through the papyrus and reed beds in the permanent delta to the north and east of the reserve, providing the perfect environment for the elusive sitatunga and the rare Pel's fishing owl. Beautiful lush palm islands dot the water, begging to be explored. In the central region of the reserve, vast open floodplains provide some of the most stunning scenery of the region. This area of the reserve has beautiful islands fringed with riverine forests. Further west the reserve gets progressively dryer and Hunda Island which is the tip of a large sand tongue is the largest area of dry land during the flood season. Hunda Island has sandveld vegetation supporting many species of nutritious acacia and grewia shrubs which provide excellent browsing.
A variety of habitats ensures diverse and interesting game viewing. The wildlife depends largely on the water levels in the area. The lagoons are home to hippo and crocodile and the permanent waterways and floodplains attract large numbers of waterfowl. In the permanent waters, sitatunga can be tracked silently by mokoro.
From October to March the waters subside and extensive green open plains are the highlight. This is when the game viewing is the most diverse. Lion, cheetah and leopard are plentiful, while tsessebe, red lechwe, zebra, giraffe, warthog and wildebeest dot the flood plains. Large herds of buffalo move in and out of the reserve at will. Night drives are good for spotting creatures not often seen such as porcupine, spotted hyena, pangolin, spring hares, bushbabies, civet and genets.
During the winter months, the water levels at Jao rise and the savannah areas become inundated with water. Huge herds of lechwe can be found on the floodplains and the lion prides are adept at hunting and drowning their prey in the water. Leopards are still often seen and elephants are more prevalent at this time. Plains game such as impala, zebra, wildebeest and tsessebe stick to the dry islands.
This private concession is situated in the extreme north of the Okavango and is known locally as the Kwedi Reserve.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
The vegetation ranges from the vast open flood plains to dense mopane bushveld and offers spectacular game viewing and birding opportunities all year round.
The area has both the wetland and savannah species of wildlife, including red lechwe, waterbuck, hippos, crocodiles, as well as sable, kudu, wildebeest and tsessebe who roam the open plains. Herds of buffalo and elephant also occur here, along with the major predators - lion, leopard, wild dog and cheetah. Guests who enjoy their birding will love the combination of all the Okavango water "specials" with acacia and dry woodland species.
The entire Kwedi area of over 100,000 hectares has been ceded by the Botswana Government and the Tawana Land Board to the people who live along the Okavango's northern boundary so that they can derive direct benefits from the wildlife and the environment on their doorstep. Wilderness Safaris is the joint venture partner with the Okavango Community Trust, and manages the lodges and tourism activities in this area.
The private Linyanti Wildlife Reserve is a 125,000 hectare concession area on the western boundary of Chobe National Park. A remote and pristine wildlife area, it is bordered by the Linyanti River, which runs from west to east. On the far bank of the river lies Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, the long wetland of this otherwise arid country.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
The Linyanti area is renowned for its predators and large concentrations of game, particularly elephant. Dereck and Beverly Joubert made the region famous in their National Geographic films. "Eternal enemies" is a classic, and chronicles in detail the interaction between lion and hyena.
There are three main features of the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve: the Linyanti River, Savuti Channel and the woodlands of the interior. The last stretches of Africa's Great Rift Valley separate the forests of the interior from the rivers and floodplains of the Linyanti and it is along this ridge - and along the Savuti Channel - that the best wildlife can be seen.
The Savuti Channel is a "dry waterway" that used to connect the Linyanti River at Zibadianja Lagoon with the interior of the south Chobe National Park at the Savuti Marsh. The Savuti has only ever flowed intermittently and dried up for the last time in 1980. Two thirds of the famous Savuti Channel savannah is in the Linyanti concession and guests are able to view the abundant wildlife privately and exclusively.
Elephants are one of the prime attractions, especially during the dry winter months when they congregate along the waterways and around the waterholes as the rainfall-filled depressions and pans of the interior dry up. At times the reserve must have several thousand elephants roaming around. Red lechwe, zebra, wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, sable, roan, eland, giraffe, baboon, monkey, warthog, crocodile and buffalo are some of the other animals to be found here. Predators include lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and hyena. Night drives provide a chance to see nocturnal animals such as bushbaby, spring hare, aardwolf, serval, genet and pangolin. Birding is excellent from the Okavango "specials" such as slaty egret, white-rumped babbler and wattled crane through to the bushveld species.
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Sample Botswana Itineraries
 Darkling Beetle Trek
Diving Beetle Expedition
Ground Beetle Tracker
Kheper's Adventures
Leaf Beetle Discovery
Scarab's Wilderness Journey
Scarab's Untamed Lands
Siamufumbula's Discovery
Stag Beetle Retreat
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