Kings Pool camp is an exclusive safari tented camp Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, bordering the western boundary of the Chobe National Park. The Kings Pool camp Hotel overlooks the Kings Pool Lagoon and the Linyanti River. The private reserve is characterized by open grasslands, Mopane and mixed terminalia woodlands, riverine forest and the now dry Savuti Channel. This King Poll Camp is well-known for its herds of Elephants. The camp and its lagoon take their name from King Leopold of Sweden who was a honeymoon safari here in the mid 1900's. Kings Pool Camp is owned and operated by Africa Wilderness Safaris. Although every Botswana lodge, hotel and safari camp you will travel to qualities that distinguished look among its peers, some stand out for their sheer excellence.

Your accommodation in Kings Pool camp, named for a Scandinavian monarch who was on holiday in the area before the camp was built, will be one of the most rewarding overall visits to a game viewing tented camp in two dozen experiences to date. Fronting an oxbow of the Linyati River, Kings Pool has a rare combination of a superb location, extraordinary game viewing possibilities, a well designed, spacious and comfortable room, superior “home cooked” food and an outstanding, experienced and knowledgeable tour guide.  It is the little things that stacked up made Kings Pool camp special. Your room integrated advantageously into the natural elements of the existing landscape. Whoever designed and furnished the interior had African bush luxury and guest comfort in mind. Afternoons are spent gazing at the river, listening to animal sounds, reading and lounging by your private plunge pool and deck anticipating the thrill of our game viewing drive later that day.

Game viewing makes you hungrier than usual. There is plenty of good quality food available for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea and dinner. You will always look forward to Chef Andre Myburg’s creations. Your favorite times of the day were unquestionably the early morning and late afternoons when your tour leader will lead you to discover the Linyati bush and its many animal treasures. From the beginning the viewings is amazing. Some of the ones that stand out in your memory include: leopard sightings including one with a cub and two males, two genets, a month-old elephant and a bush baby. Isaac and his colleagues Chantal and Brian cooperated closely and share finds. This means that you profit from the sightings and knowledge of three tour guides. The quality of the sightings is outstanding.  You will look forward with anticipation to our next visit to Kings Pool Camp.

The camp was built in 1995 on former hunting land; the most recent renovations were in 2003 when nine rooms, fitness center and curio shop were built. At the beginning of 2005, the luxury camp closed to rebuild the main swimming pool area and add an exercise area added with two treadmills, two stationary bicycles and a rowing machine. The Kings Pool Camp was designed in a contemporary style with African elements including African themed photos by Richard Daughety, a Wilderness Safaris guide. There were lovely teak floors, cloth and leather furniture from Zimbabwe and South Africa, and wood and papyrus shields from Botswana. An architect was consulted on the design and building process of the rooms and camp in order to incorporate the existing natural elements into the construction. Carol English was the design company liaison. Wilderness Safaris received the 2005 U.K. Telegraph Travel Award for Ethical Tourism for the company’s “outstanding work in sustainable safari Lodges and tented camps which invest in local communities and ensure the protection of African wildlife.

Kings Pool camp Accommodation Information
Accommodation in Kings Pool Camp is in nine tented rooms with well appointed, private bathrooms. Each room is built on a raised deck with wonderful views onto the Kings Pool Lagoon and its wildlife. The tents have been designed to ensure that each guest is totally comfortable and private, while at the same time offering all the atmosphere of a tented camp in Africa.

Each bathroom is tiled and has a shower, toilet and hand basin. There are outside showers, too. There is a swimming pool for cooling off on warm afternoons. Complimentary laundry services are provided.  The Kings Pool guest rooms have been upgraded to the Mombo and Jao standard as of April 2003. New rooms have been built and the old ones knocked down. Each room is much larger, with its own pool and sala. Kings Pool has also decreased in size to a 9-roomed camp, the same size as Jao and Mombo. Wilderness Safaris now offers a “Premier” camp circuit through the Okavango and the Linyanti / Chobe. The elevated walkways that connect the rooms to the main building have no steps. The camp accommodates wheelchair bound guests. The bathroom facilities are integrated into the suite. A water closet and sink are to the right side of entrance behind a wooden privacy door. To the left side there is a rectangular shaped bathroom with twin sinks and a large double shower with dual shower heads and a shower curtain. The floor is of putty colored stone ceramic tiles.

The bathroom had a view to the adjacent enclosed porch and beyond it the river. Included in accommodation price are meals, water, local beverages and laundry service. Also included were shampoo, mosquito repellent, body lotion, shower gel, soap, shower cap, cotton balls and swabs, and sewing kit. The main pool 1.8 meters by 1.2 meters and 1.5 meters deep. The river front pool deck is about 6 x 3 meters large with room for four lounge chairs and two umbrellas.

Kings Pool camp Restaurant
The creative and resourceful South African chef, Andre Myburg, provided well presented and tasty meals. Prior to Kings Pool he had worked in the Channel Islands, London, Scotland (St. Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa) and the private Klaserie Nature Reserve. Large meals are served in a combination of buffet and a la carte offerings. Selections during your visit included: pan seared chicken breast marinated with lemon and rosemary served with béchamel and herb infused mashed potato; mushroom and asparagus tart served baked with mozzarella cheese and served with whole grain creamed reduction; trio of mixed leaf salad served with smoked chicken, chick peas and baby corn; roast new potato salad with chopped onion chives; broccoli and blue cheese salad; cheese, cold meat and fresh fruit platters; pan seared ostrich kebabs, marinated with hoi sin sauce, stuffed with yellow patty pans and served with cream baked potato fondant and red win jus; crepes stuffed with coconut milk vegetable casserole served with spinach cream; tomato, cucumber, red onion, olive an feta cheese salad; penne pasta salad served with Monge tout and fried peppers; classic Waldorf salad; poached pear served with potato rosti, apricot and basil compote, fresh asparagus and reduced pear syrup; thyme and lemon marinated king klip (fish) served with béarnaise sauce, pimento infused basmati, garlic green beans and orange flavored baby carrots; crisp cut julienne vegetables marinated in sweet soya and chilly served with lemon scented egg noodles; chocolate mousse served with honey tulle, poached strawberry and raspberry sauce with apple crisp.

There is a well stocked curio shop, conveniently located across from the bar. There are souvenirs of many kinds including branded bush clothing, jewelry, silver and decorative items from 10 African countries including Botswana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Congo, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The shop also carries artifacts made by well known tribes like the Tuareg, Kwele and Makonde. The private reserve borders onto Chobe National Park but the activities here are not limited to the rules and regulations of Chobe. We can therefore offer game drives in open 4x4 vehicles, night drives and walks. In addition, the lodge has a double-decker boat which cruises the Linyanti River, offering wonderful opportunities to view game and birds from the water. There are also a number of great hides in the area.