THE EXPERIENCE

Drift down the Linyanti River on the Queen Silvia barge, watching hippos bob and elephants cross. Helicopter high above the Savuti Channel, as thousand-strong buffalo herds quench their thirst – or above swamps where basking crocs, possibly never seeing humans before, slide into the water. On game drives, walks, or from the air, help monitor critical wildlife corridors. Witness a leopard patrolling near camp, or a lion kill on the floodplains. Rejoice in all the water birds, fish eagles, herons, African skimmers, and many others. Stay in sustainable luxury where Scandinavian royalty once holidayed – and wait for a multitude of animals to come to you.

THE PLACE

King’s Pool’s home is Botswana’s 127 000-ha Linyanti Wildlife, bordering Chobe National Park and at the crux of the important wildlife corridor straddling Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana. Such corridors are essential to promote viable, self-sustaining wildlife populations and reduce human-wildlife conflict. For species such as wild dog, for instance, and elephant. Especially elephant – the Linyanti is home to the world’s largest free-ranging herds.

THE CAMP

Refurbished in 2019, King’s Pool nestles under ebony and jackalberry trees and overlooks the Linyanti River and an oxbow lagoon, the ‘King’s Pool’ – honouring Swedish King Carl Gustav XVI, who reportedly honeymooned nearby in the seventies. Totally solar-powered, richly hued in copper and teal, the camp offers eight elegant thatch and canvas suites, each boasting a spacious bedroom and lounge leading to a veranda embracing views of the picturesque lagoon and surrounds. The sumptuous common areas are stylishly set on expansive raised decks close to the water’s edge, perfect for watching all the wildlife dramas unfold.