King's Pool Camp, closely

We arrive in heat, dramatic landscape, and the low rumble of elephants moving like old friends through a familiar garden. King’s Pool Camp is one of Wilderness’s originals and you feel that heritage at once. More than 30 years on, the lodge wears its age like a well-kept leather journal, pages softened by many stories, edges clean, spirit intact.

Set on a private Wilderness concession in the Linyanti, it borders Namibia and the Caprivi Strip.

David Livingstone, during his expedition to the Victoria Falls, passed through this region and pitched camp beneath a great jackalberry along the Linyanti River, just metres from where Wilderness King’s Pool stands today.

Tented grace, space and modern ease

A thatch roof for the classical feel, canvas on all sides, and space everywhere you turn. A shaded deck with a sunken lounge. An inside sitting area that frames the lagoon. A generous entrance with proper wardrobe space. Double vanity, double shower, a separate toilet, and an outdoor shower for those hot Linyanti afternoons. The king four poster is as comfortable as it looks. There is no air conditioning, but fans keep the air moving, and there are small weights and yoga mats that make staying active feel easy between drives. At the desk, plenty of charging points, both USB and USB-C, which we appreciated more than we expected.

Guiding & Game Drives: What to expect

Game vehicles are thoughtfully fitted for long hours in the field. Padded armrests, a central box for cameras and binoculars, and in-vehicle charging. Andy guides us with calm precision. Wilderness does not use trackers, and you notice the confidence of a guiding team that reads country and weather and spoor as second nature. The wildlife here does not wait for your schedule.

Constant activity makes this a place for true wildlife lovers.

Hippos surface in the pool before lunch. Red lechwe, waterbuck, and impala scatter like brushstrokes across the floodplain. Breeding herds of elephants move close to the rooms and open plains. On one afternoon drive a leopard rests in a leadwood; the next morning a lioness with a single cub; another day two male lions patrol their line in the sand. A favourite moment comes at night on the way back to camp when an African springhare zigzags through the torchlight.

Birding is very generous, and a colony of southern carmine bee-eaters tunnels into the bank, all rose and turquoise in motion.

Culinary Overview, with style, choices and highlights

Meals are refined and deeply flavourful, finished with quiet precision. A light breakfast but beautiful early set-up with coffee and tea beside lanterns and the morning fire before drive, then a flexible brunch window that behaves like a choice between a proper breakfast or a mouth-watering lunch. Or a selection menu dinner under the stars. An insider tip: every Monday night the boma tradition continues, as it has across Wilderness camps for years.

The boma echoes its origins in village life, a circle for talking, listening, sharing, and celebrating community. Under the acacias, the old stories feel very alive.

A highlight to mention is that the team knows its wines: where they come from, which grapes, and what pairs with what.

A note on green season

When the first rains lift the dust and the floodplains glow, King’s Pool changes tempo rather than quality. Predators remain and adapt. Skies build drama. Calves and cubs arrive into a world of new grass. Movements shift across the Savuti and Linyanti corridors, and while some herds head toward the Makgadikgadi, the experience turns more intimate, more textured, and deeply photogenic. If you love colour, quiet moments, and the feeling of having time, this season is worth seeking out, with the benefits of lower rates.

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RefinedRoutes notes

• Rooms: the quietest suites are 1 to 5, furthest from the generator that can occasionally kick in, as the lodge runs entirely on solar, with room 1 set the farthest away. Room 7 is occasionally adopted by a porcupine beneath the deck.
• Vehicles: luxury fit-out with padded armrests, a central stow box, and in-car charging. The safari vehicles also have roofs on for extra shade.
• Guide: we had Andy, excellent character and wide knowledge of fauna and flora. Wilderness camps operate without trackers and you feel the craft in the guiding.
• Cooling tip: on hot days, ask for an ice-cold wet towel from the cooler box on drive. Simple and perfect.
• Rituals: Monday boma night is a long-standing Wilderness tradition across their camps and worth planning around.
• Little luxuries: thoughtful charging options at the writing desk; outdoor shower; private sunken lounge; wide water views; three fans rather than air con; yoga mats and light weights in room.

What we loved

The way heritage and upkeep meet. The honest tented build with the indulgence of space. The rhythm of flexible meals that suit the day you actually had. The view that keeps you rooted on your deck longer than you planned. The quiet confidence of the guiding. And that feeling you only get in the Linyanti when the abundance of wildlife becomes the stage of the stay, elephants graze near enough to lower your voice without thinking.

Mostly though, this visit reminds us that safaris are people.

The staff who remember how you take your coffee. Fellow guests with unexpected lives and generous conversation. You are far from anywhere, yet somehow gathering connections that outlast the trip.

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