Selinda Explorers Camp
Selinda Explorers is an intimate tented camp overlooking the Selinda Spillway in the exclusive Selinda Reserve in the Greater Linyanti region.
Selinda Explorers is a real gem offering a very exclusive and authentic bush experience. Whilst the tents are very comfortable and have an air of quiet sophistication, the emphasis of a visit is on the outdoor experience which includes game drives into the core big game areas of the wonderful Selinda concession, unlimited walking, night drives and canoeing on the Selinda Spillway (when water levels allow – usually June to September). The camp has a lovely and very exclusive location, though please note that as the camp was originally designed as a walking camp, the location is not totally perfect if you only wish to game drive (30 minute drive through mopane woodland to and from the core game viewing areas of the reserve). Whilst the camp has gradually changed into a game viewing camp to suit market requirements, and game drives can be very productive, in our opinion Explorers is still most suitable to travellers who love the wilderness, enjoy walking (and canoeing in season), appreciate good guiding and are looking for a very quiet and intimate camp environment.
Rooms
The camp accommodates up to a maximum of 10 guests in four accommodation tents, one of which is a family unit. The twin/double tents are large, well-furnished and have a landscape aspect with verandah to the fore, all facing towards the Spillway. The bedroom section leads to a dressing room area and bathroom beyond with a flush loo, double basins and plumbed shower. The family tent has two en suite bedrooms and sleeps four, with a central lounge.
Central Areas
The centrally situated mess includes a separate dining and lounge tent, each built on to low wooden platforms The lounge tent is furnished with comfortable seating and Persian rugs, while the dining tent also includes a bar. There is also a small plunge pool. There is a camp fire area and most meals are taken ‘al fresco’ in keeping with the close to nature ethos of the camp.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for charging – Yes
Swimming pool – Yes
Habitat & Wildlife
The Selinda Reserve is a private safari concession owned by Great Plains Conservation which covers an area of some 1350 sq. kilometres between the northern reaches of the Okavango Delta and the Kwando/Linyanti river system, straddling the Selinda (or Magwegqana) Spillway. The habitat of the area is an interesting contrast of open floodplains, thick salt bush, riverine forest, mopane woodland and the swampland created by the spillway itself. Selinda Explorers is located on the banks of the spillway, in an exclusive location surrounded by mopane woodland about 30 minutes’ drive along the spillway from the core open plains section of the reserve.
The birdlife is prolific and the many varieties of kingfishers, bee-eaters, eagles, ducks, egrets, plovers, herons, cranes, storks, geese, woodpeckers, shrikes, thrushes, buntings, chats, owls and parrots are just some of the many different species found. The area is good for predators with resident lion prides and regular sightings of leopard and wild dog. Cheetah are more elusive these days and not often encountered. General game is very good, especially from May to November, and animals likely to be seen include elephant, hippo, kudu, impala, zebra, tsessebe and giraffe. Recently, Great Plains have been involved with the relocation of rhino back into Botswana, though they are still very hard to find.
Night drives can be productive with chances to see nocturnally-active species such as bat- eared fox, spring hare, leopard, aardwolf, porcupine, aardvark, bush baby, civet, genet, white-tailed mongoose, serval and African wild cat.
Activities
Activities concentrate on getting back to nature and include day and night game drives, walking and seasonal canoeing. The Selinda Reserve is known for its excellent big game viewing though Selinda Explorers should not usually be chosen if your sole priority is game drives as the core game viewing areas are 30 minutes’ drive from camp, though you can see game in the mopane woodland around camp too. Originally a walking camp, Selinda Explorers is excellent for walking and seasonally the Selinda Spillway offers the chance to canoe (usually June to September but this varies each year). Please note that walking can be subject to safe conditions and may be limited in the early season when the bush is very thick just after the rains between March and April.
Seasons
Selinda Explorers is open all year round, though game viewing is best from June to early November.
Selinda Explorers accepts children over 6 years but we feel it is most suitable for families with older, more adventurous children or for those who wish to take the whole camp on an exclusive basis. The family tent is a great option for families and walking and canoeing activities are permitted according to circumstances and this is judged by the guide. The camp isn’t ideal for families looking for a gentle safari experience.
Selinda Explorers Camp is operated by Great Plains Conservation which exists to conserve and expand natural habitats, using sustainable eco-tourism to protect and restore critical habitats, conserve wildlife, and benefit local communities. All resulting in responsible travel opportunities for guests and achieving the company’s aim of ‘conservation tourism’.
Together with their charitable arm, the Great Plains Foundation, they manage over one million acres of land across Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe. A conservation and community levy is added to each stay with Great Plains Conservation as a contribution to the Great Plains Foundation’s work.
Here are just some examples of the projects carried out and supported:
In Botswana, conservation initiatives include ‘Rhinos Without Borders’ which, together with partner andBeyond, commits to relocate rhinos on a magnitude never done before from South Africa to safe havens in Botswana.
Also in Botswana the Great Plains Earth Academy provides vocational training and supplemental education with a conservation and tourism focus to youth and adults living alongside the Okavango Delta. The goals of the Earth Academy are to improve participants’ understanding of their local environment and wildlife, promote conservation and sustainability, and invest in the skill and capacity of the local community and workforce.
The Solar Mamas initiative was set up to address both lack of economic opportunity and electricity deficit in remote villages bordering the Okavango Delta. Nine ‘Solar Mamas’ left their communities in Botswana and attended a six-month solar power training course in India. They returned with the skills to run a business and build, install and maintain sustainable energy for their communities.
The Great Plains Student Conservation Camps, one of their longest running programmes, have reached students and teachers in both Botswana and Kenya with environmental and conservation education. By engaging and mentoring young people in communities bordering protected land, students see positive examples of local professionals working to protect their fragile ecosystems and are inspired to become champions of biodiversity themselves.
In 2022 Great Plains established an inaugural all-female ranger unit to operate in their concessions, gather essential data and act as an early detection force against illegal wildlife crime. Hiring female rangers builds their capacity as individuals, empowers the communities they represent and offers opportunities to shift gender stereotypes and establish strong female role models for young girls. Additional teams are being trained and activated in Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Through Conservation Roots the Great Plains Foundation is partnering with local communities to restore indigenous trees to landscapes across Kenya, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Working with local communities, partner organizations and school systems Conservation Roots plants indigenous trees and teaches their value and critical role in functioning ecosystems.
In 2024, Great Plains expanded the reach of their impact beyond the areas in which they operate and established a partnership with 4Ocean. Plastic waste is collected from the world’s oceans and turned into fashionable bracelets, which are available for sale in their camps. Every bracelet removes 5lbs of plastic from the sea, provides jobs, and starts a clean-up movement.
