Selinda Camp

Fast Facts

• 3 tented and thatched main guest rooms (max 6 guests)
• Prices from USD820 – USD2610
• Game drives and night drives with possibility to track off-road
• Boating available at certain times of year
• Access by light aircraft transfer
• Excellent dry land area for game drives in the Selinda Reserve

How to Get There

You can fly into the Selinda Reserve from Maun, Kasane or any other bush airstrip.

Game Viewing and Activities

This is a dry land camp with a big focus on game drives. Boating activities are offered when the rivers are in flood and canoeing is possible within the same concession. However, you would need to book into Selinda Explorers Camp to take advantage of the canoeing if the Selinda river is flowing. Game viewing is at its most intense deep into the dry season (from September to the first rains) when big herds of elephant and buffalo are restricted to the rivers. Wild dog sightings are also a big attraction here as the dogs den annually in the area. Generally, Selinda is a popular choice for those that want a “big game” experience with the possibility to track and follow animals off road.

Selinda Camp does offer walks but are not overly encouraged by the guides because the game drives are so good. Walkers should rather book into Selinda Explorers Camp.

Camp Environment

With only 3 tents, Selinda Camp is very exclusive. The tented chalets are expansive and have a thatched as well as canvas roof. This is a most welcome design during the hotter times of year. We like the the fact that you come across a few welcome surprises when you enter your tent: A pair of high quality Swarovski binoculars my intise you to invest in your own pair? Explore further and you might even ignore your discovery of the yoga mat or the two dumbbells? They have even thought a bit further by providing various reference books and water colour paints  in the tents. The bathrooms are well appointed and the oval shaped bath tub is a welcome luxury after a day out in the wilderness. Each tent has its own swimming pool and large private verandah.

In addition, there is the “Selinda Suite” (a follow on from the Zarafa “Dhow suite” and the “Duba Plains Suite” found at other properties run by the same group). This is a two-bedroomed tented villa and operates exclusively from the main camp, with its own chef, guide and butler!

The main area is an impressive thatched structure. The decor and facilities are excellent and well thought out with ample and varied seating and relaxing choices. The camp is raised on decks with excellent views out onto the surrounding floodplains – you can easily see animals from the camp.

We like the fact that this camp has its own wine cellar – definitely a unique facility for such a remote camp.

The Selinda Reserve is owned by Dereck and Beverly Joubert who have made several films for National Geographic about Botswana’s wildlife. You can buy copies of their natural history films and beverly’s photographic prints in the lodge curio shop.

What We Think

This is a fantastic game viewing camp of the highest quality. It has had a recent rebuild and so is right up-to-date in terms of modern design, facilities and eco-friendliness. It does come with an increased price tag since the upgrade. Th camp is now seriously exclusive with only a 6 guest maximum (previously, th told camp was aimed at the mid market). You can however get access to the same concession for less by booking Selinda Explorers Camp.

The Selinda Reserve is well known for its remote privacy, being exclusive to the 3 camps run by Great Plains. It is a true wilderness area run by the Jouberts (well known film makers from National Geographic)