DumaTau: A frontline guardian in the Linyanti

Time has passed since my last visit, but I still recall the wonders of Wilderness DumaTau. At the mention of its name – meaning ‘roar of the lion’ – scenes spool through memory.

With my stellar guide, exploring that remarkable corner of Botswana’s Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, home to the world’s largest elephant herds, an abundance of predators and other creatures. In my mind’s eye, still vivid: blazing red, yellow, and orange sunsets, witnessed from the little delta boat, and a far horizon of palm silhouettes stretching toward Namibia. Watching elephant swim and feed on hundreds of waterlilies, tearing off the rhizomes with their trunks. Fat hippos bobbing, and red lechwe leaping through papyrus. Birds galore – migrants, raptors, and water birds; jacana, dubbed ‘Jesus birds’, seeming to walk on water. On land, encountering countless elephants; my last morning there, following a lion pride and saying a sad farewell to a pair of African wild dogs. 

I fell in love with the Linyanti on that visit – 121,450 hectares (300,00 acres) of biodiverse wilderness north of the Okavango Delta. Wilder than the Delta, with expanses of water, grasslands, woodlands, seasonal floodplains, and riverine forest – and fascinating tectonic shifts that govern water flows, including the enigmatic Savuti Channel. Plus, it plays a key role in maintaining the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA), and the elephant corridors there critical to species’ survival. DumaTau lies between two of them. 

‘DumaTau is special,’ says Corrie Brits, Wilderness Linyanti Concession General Manager. ‘It sits at the heart of the Linyanti, on the legendary Savuti Channel, in one of the wildest, most remote corners of the country.  

‘With 45 km of river frontage along the Linyanti River, it gives guests constant access to water-based wildlife activity, and the area hosts Africa’s largest elephant population, with mega-herds moving through ancient migration corridors. Predators – lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, and especially African wild dogs – thrive here. Zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, buffalo, red lechwe, and warthog are common, and hippos and crocodiles dominate the waterways. More than 450 bird species have been recorded in the Linyanti, a year-round birding hotspot. It’s a true wilderness sanctuary.’

Game drives, night drives, nature walks – I recall the scent of wild sage as we drove through the bush or along the river, usually confronting an elephant herd or at least a solitary bull on our path. Hunters – pastoralists who used to live in the area – crushed wild sage and rubbed it over their bodies to disguise their scent. Ours was the lone game vehicle, we the only humans among the ellies, buck, hippos, and birds. 

Corrie conjures the magic: ‘Imagine setting out at dawn, the air crisp, mist rising off the channel as elephants emerge from the woodlands. Your guide follows a sandy track where a lion pride has patrolled, or wild dogs streak across the floodplains on the hunt. At night, the bush transforms – eyes glint; you see a leopard draped over a branch; you get goosebumps from the hyenas whoops in the distance. 

‘On foot, on guided bush walks, the wilderness feels somehow closer,’ he continues. ‘You hear the crunch of sand underfoot, perhaps see the faint tracks of a honey badger ahead in the sand. Your guide interprets the language of the bush – alarm calls of francolins, the ripple of grass betraying a hidden antelope. It’s less about big game and more about connection to the land itself.’

This is where I enjoyed spending most of my time, in the boat or on the barge. Sunsets, particularly, are astounding; watch surreal colour shifts, G&T in hand. Any time on the water brings exceptional calm, and an absorbing wildlife show. We saw one elephant diving and surfacing repeatedly, like a dolphin. Red lechwe jumping into the river, my guide told me, for refuge (but what about the crocs?); a ‘loser’ hippo cast out by his pod; and dozens of birds – fish eagles, cormorants, herons, skimmers, and more. Discover why elephant there often live longer (a softer diet, kinder to their teeth, thanks to largely waterlily roots), and where all the water comes from (the Angolan highlands, via Namibia) and where it goes (it hits a faultline, becomes the Linyanti River, and ultimately reaches the Zambezi). 

Gliding silently along reed-fringed channels, as the boat cuts through mirrored water, it offers a slower rhythm – wildlife seen from a new perspective, framed by reflections and birdsong.

The barge gives yet another perspective. ‘It moves slowly, almost silently, and because it is low and open, you’re eye-level with the animals. Elephants may approach curiously, red lechwe splash through the shallows, and fish eagles call from the trees.’

On a sundowner cruise, Corrie explains, ‘the barge becomes a floating lounge. Lanterns glow, drinks are poured, and the horizon burns gold and crimson. Hippos resume their amusing chants, crocodiles slide into the water, and flocks of birds wheel above you, heading to roost.’

The barge can also be set up for a bush brunch or dinner. By day, elephants are likely to come close and cross the channel; at night, you’ll be serenaded by frogs and crickets, under the stars. 

‘The barge is about slowing down,’ Corrie says, ‘absorbing the wilderness in comfort, with time to watch the light change, hear the sounds of the bush, and feel the pulse of the river. It’s both safari and sanctuary, a chance to savour the magic of the Linyanti at its most peaceful.’

Grasp the vastness of the waterways and elephant herds from above by booking a helicopter flip. A bird’s-eye view drives home the wildness of this place. 

Wow, wow, and more wow. Elegant but adapted to its setting on the edge of Osprey Lagoon, DumaTau feels almost nautical. It’s elevated on a wooden deck, with canvas roofs that swoop like sails, rope balustrades, and an iconic jetty, where you can gather round the fire pit and watch the stars or chill during the day as wildlife comes near. 

Accommodation is exceptional: eight incomparably spacious tented suites, in soft blush tones, with private decks, plunge pools, and front-row lagoon views. A special touch on the walls: sketches and short text describing local wildlife, a feature carried throughout the camp. 

Your suite alone feels indulgent, but factor in DumaTau’s seasonal cuisine, its Osprey Retreat spa, and its lagoon-side pool and it’s nothing short of paradise. If you want an even more intimate experience stay at DumaTau’s sister camp next door, Little DumaTau, in one of just four tented suites, enjoying all of main camp’s activities and amenities. It also has its own boat and jetty – a perfect option for group travel. 

You’re not just a guest at DumaTau; you’re vital to the protection of the KAZA-TFCA, the largest transfrontier conservation area in the world – 520,000 square kilometres across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. 

‘DumaTau’s position in the Linyanti Reserve makes it a frontline guardian of one of Africa’s largest and most important wilderness landscapes – and a partner in the KAZA-TFCA vision of a borderless wilderness where elephants, predators, and people coexist,’ says Corrie.

‘Guests here directly contribute to conservation funding. Revenue supports anti-poaching patrols, habitat management, and research initiatives within KAZA – all of which help safeguard critical elephant migration corridors, support predator populations, and promote sustainable tourism that funds conservation and community livelihoods.