Secret SAFARIS

Don't want to jostle for your spot around the waterhole? Head to these under-the-radar wild places for incredible wildlife encounters without the (human) crowds

THE SAVUTI & LINYANTI CONCESSION, BOTSWANA..

Botswana's Chobe NP is not off the beaten track. But even big, headline-grabbing wildlife areas have corners that few explore. The Savuti - meaning 'mystery'- is such a place. Lying on Chobe's western border, this game-packed wilderness is difficult to reach (flying in is your best bet), so relatively few do. It is known for its huge pride of elephant-hunting lions (a rare sight) and spotted hyena. It also has its own great migration: in November, zebra, wildebeest, and buffalo in their thousands move south into the Savuti, looking for fresh grasses, before returning north in February. The area is characterised by the enigmatic Savuti Channel, which runs 100km from the Chobe River to Savuti marsh; it's often bone-dry but periodically floods spectacularly. Along its northerly banks, you'll find the Linyanti Concession, a remote, private reserve, home to huge elephant herds and wild dogs that might be seen hunting in 24-strong packs. Tours often combine the Savuti and Linyanti in one wild trip.

Also see: Tiny Mokolodi Nature Reserve, just south of the capital Gabarone, is Botswana's only not-for-profit park. Its cycling routes offer a rare and unusual way of exploring the bush, while giraffe and rhino tracking tours take you thrillingly close to the action.

MAJETE WILDLIFE RESERVE, MALAWI