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Botswana • Savuti • 2026 Fly-In Safaris

Savuti Safaris

Big skies, big lions and Botswana's famous "vanishing river". Explore the Savuti Channel and its open savanna from a Wilderness camp on the water, with night drives, walks and some of Africa's most dramatic predator action.

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  • ~100 kmThe Savuti Channel
  • Lions & elephantsLegendary predator country
  • From US$984pp/night, fully inclusive
Plan your Savuti safariTell us the basics. We match the camps, routing and pace.
Best forPredator lovers, photographers & returning safari travellers
Typical style3–9 nights • 1–3 camps
2026 Wilderness SavutiFrom US$984 pp/night sharing • fully inclusive
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Why Savuti

A river that comes and goes.

The Savuti Channel runs for about 100 km from Zibadianja Lagoon in the Linyanti to the Mababe Depression, dropping only around 18 metres along the way. Because it is so flat, tiny movements along deep fault lines can stop it flowing for decades, then send water down it again.

That rhythm shapes everything here. When the channel is dry, Savuti is open grassland and dead trees, with wildlife crowding the few waterholes. When it flows, herds of elephant, buffalo, zebra and wildebeest follow the water, and the predators follow them. Savuti's lions became world-famous for hunting even elephants, and the area remains one of Africa's most dramatic places to watch big cats.

Couple on a game drive in Savuti

The vanishing river

Dry from about 1980 to 2008, flowing strongly from 2013 to 2015, and changeable ever since. Every visit is different.

Lion country

Large prides, famously documented hunting elephants, plus leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena and wild dogs.

Elephant waterholes

In the dry season, elephants queue at the few waterholes, including the one in front of Wilderness Savuti.

Zebra on the move

With the rains, zebra and wildebeest pass through Savuti on their seasonal movements, followed by predators.

Private-reserve freedom

Wilderness Savuti sits in the private Linyanti reserve, so night drives, walks and off-road tracking are possible.

Ancient rock art

In the national park section, the Gubatsa Hills hold San rock paintings above the old Savute Marsh.

The story of the channel

The Savuti Channel through time

As recorded by Wilderness, which has operated on the channel for decades.

WhenWhat happened
1851David Livingstone describes the Savute Marsh as a "dismal swamp"
Late 1880sThe channel dries up completely
1957Water returns, drowning trees that had grown in the channel bed
Early 1980s – 2008Nearly 30 years dry; Savuti becomes famous for lions and elephants at waterholes
2008 – 2010The water returns, reaching the Savute Marsh in 2010 for the first time since 1982
2013 – 2015Strong flow; boating possible from Wilderness Savuti
2016 onwardsThe channel dries again, with minimal flow by 2023; in mid-2026 water was reported pushing in once more

Water levels change from year to year. We check the latest conditions and activities for your dates.

How to explore Savuti

Two sides of Savuti

The Savuti area spans part of Chobe National Park and part of the private Linyanti reserve. Where you stay decides what you can do.

Private Linyanti reserve (Wilderness Savuti)Chobe National Park (Savute Marsh area)
Getting thereLight aircraft to a private airstripLight aircraft, or a long 4x4 self-drive on deep sand
Game drivesDay and night, with off-road trackingDaytime on park roads
WalkingGuided walksNot permitted for visitors on their own
Other vehiclesOnly a handful of camp vehiclesLodges, mobile safaris and self-drivers
HighlightsThe channel, camp waterhole and hide, night-time predatorsSavute Marsh, Gubatsa Hills rock art, Leopard Rock

For older travellers and anyone who values comfort, a fly-in stay in the private reserve is the easiest and most rewarding way to see Savuti.

Wilderness camps in and around Savuti

Where to stay for Savuti

Fully inclusive 2026 Wilderness rates, per person per night sharing, covering accommodation, all meals, twice-daily scheduled activities, park fees, laundry and local drinks.

Tent balcony overlooking the Savuti Channel at Wilderness SavutiClassic • On the Channel
Linyanti reserve, Savuti Channel

Wilderness Savuti

Our first choice for Savuti. Tented suites on the banks of the Savuti Channel inside the private Linyanti reserve, with a waterhole in front of camp that draws elephants all day in the dry season.

  • Day & night drives, walks
  • Waterhole viewing & hide
  • Boating only when the channel flows
Jan–Mar fromUS$984
Jun–Oct fromUS$2,038
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Game drive in northern Botswana between Savuti and MoremiClassic • Mababe
Mababe, south of Savuti

Wilderness Mokete

On the Mababe concession between Savuti and Moremi, where the Savuti Channel ends. Open grasslands, strong predator viewing and the gentlest rates of our premium-area camps.

Jan–Mar fromUS$1,145
Jun–Oct fromUS$1,731
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Pool and river view at Wilderness DumaTauPremier • Linyanti
Linyanti, near the channel source

Wilderness DumaTau

On the Linyanti waterways near where the Savuti Channel begins. Combine with Savuti to follow the channel from source to marsh.

Jan–Mar fromUS$1,806
Jun–Oct fromUS$4,327
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Single supplement about 30%. Light-aircraft flights are quoted separately. See every Linyanti camp on our Linyanti safaris page.

Signature Savuti journeys

Three ways to experience Savuti

Each is a starting point. We tailor the camps, nights and order to your dates.

3 nights

The Savuti Channel

For travellers who want lions, elephants and the vanishing river at strong value.

  • Wilderness Savuti 3 nights
2026 camp nights from, pp sharingUS$2,952Jun–Oct from US$6,114
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6 nights

Savuti & the Linyanti

Follow the channel from its source to the open savanna.

  • Wilderness DumaTau (Linyanti) 3 nights
  • Wilderness Savuti 3 nights
2026 camp nights from, pp sharingUS$8,370Jun–Oct from US$19,095
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9 nights

Savuti to the Delta

Dry country, the channel and the Delta waterways in one journey.

  • Wilderness Mokete (Mababe) 3 nights
  • Wilderness Savuti 3 nights
  • Wilderness Little Vumbura (Delta) 3 nights
2026 camp nights from, pp sharingUS$10,827Jun–Oct from US$20,127
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Wilderness fully inclusive camp nights only, per person sharing, for 6 Jan–31 Mar 2026 and 1 Jun–31 Oct 2026. Flights are quoted separately.

The Savuti experience

A day in Savuti

Dawn

Out early, following lion tracks along the channel as the light turns gold.

Midday

Elephants arrive at the camp waterhole while you have lunch on the deck.

Afternoon

Quiet time in the hide, or a drive to the open savanna where zebra and wildebeest graze.

After dark

Sundowners under huge skies, then a night drive for hyena, genet and hunting cats.

Aerial view of the Savuti area in Botswana
Savuti from the air
Boat trip on the Savuti Channel
Boating, when the channel flows
Leopard with a kill in a tree, northern Botswana
Predator country
Family game drive at Savuti
Game drives for all ages
Guest relaxing in a tent at Wilderness Savuti
Your tent on the channel
When to travel

Savuti through the year

Savuti is rewarding all year, in very different ways.

Dec – Mar

Green season

Rain greens the grasslands, zebra and wildebeest move through and predators follow. Lowest rates.

Apr – May

Transition

The bush dries and herds start heading back towards permanent water. Mild, quiet and good value.

Jun – Aug

Cool and dry

Elephants gather at waterholes and the channel. Cold mornings, sunny days, excellent viewing.

Sep – Nov

Hot and dramatic

Water is scarce, so wildlife concentrates and predator action peaks. Hot middays; the first rains arrive in November.

Getting there

A short flight from Kasane or Maun

Savuti sits in the "Area 3" Linyanti and Savute section of the Wilderness Air circuit, between Chobe and the Okavango Delta.

  • 13:00 Be at Kasane Airport if arriving by road from Victoria Falls or Livingstone
  • 14:00–14:30 Kasane departure into the camps
  • 14:45 Maun departure for guests on international flights
  • 11:00–16:00 Window for flights between camps

Exact times are confirmed by camp the night before. Light aircraft allow about 20 kg per person in a soft bag.

Game vehicle meeting a Wilderness light aircraft on a Botswana airstrip
Your camp rate

What fully inclusive covers

Included

  • Accommodation
  • All meals
  • Twice-daily scheduled camp activities
  • Park and conservation fees
  • Laundry
  • Local drinks

Quoted separately

  • Light-aircraft flights to and from camp
  • International flights and travel insurance
  • Premium imported drinks and champagne
  • Private vehicles and optional extras
  • Gratuities
Questions

Savuti Safari FAQs

Savuti is in northern Botswana, between the Okavango Delta and the Chobe riverfront. The area spans the western part of Chobe National Park and the private Linyanti reserve, along the Savuti Channel.

The Savuti Channel flows and dries over the years. It was dry from about 1980 to 2008, flowed strongly from 2013 to 2015 and had minimal flow by 2023. In mid-2026 Wilderness reported water pushing into the channel again. We check the latest conditions for your travel dates.

Savuti is famous for its lions, which were documented hunting elephants, for elephants crowding waterholes in the dry season, for seasonal zebra movements, and for the unpredictable Savuti Channel, often called the vanishing river.

Night drives are offered at Wilderness Savuti, which is in the private Linyanti reserve. In the Chobe National Park section of Savuti, game drives are restricted to daytime.

June to October is best for dry-season game viewing, when elephants and predators concentrate at water. December to March is the green season, when zebra and wildebeest move through and camp rates are lowest.

Most visitors fly by light aircraft from Kasane or Maun to a camp airstrip. Self-driving into the Chobe National Park side is possible but involves long stretches of deep sand.

In 2026, Wilderness Savuti starts from US$984 per person per night sharing in the green season and US$2,038 from June to October, fully inclusive of meals, activities, park fees and local drinks. Flights are extra.
Your Savuti story

Tell us what this journey means to you.

Lions at dawn, elephants at the waterhole and a river that may or may not be flowing. Share your dates and we will plan the Savuti safari that is right for you.

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Savuti Channel Guide

The vanishing river explained. Read the guide.

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