The green Kalahari calls

What makes Tswalu so unique is its location in the zone where the pure Kalahari desert habitat of Botswana and eastern Namibia transitions into savannah, and so consists of all three – dune, mountain, and thorn – ‘bushvelds’ that characterise the Northern Cape in general, and which lend so much character and colour to the experience of visiting the reserve. Due to the wetter climate during the summer months and the surrounding Korannaberg mountains, there’s a greater habitat diversity found at Tswalu than elsewhere in the Kalahari. It’s why this area has also earned its name as the green Kalahari, an incredibly biodiverse ecosystem attracting even nocturnal species such as the brown hyena, aardwolf, aardvark, bat-eared fox and ground pangolin.

With their recent addition of the top-class Loapi Camp, the three properties are, in their own inimitable ways, flagships for accommodation that is both luxurious and attentive to every detail, with some features like walk-in wine cellars, spa rooms, and private libraries adding that extra wow factor. Beautiful accommodation aside, Tswalu really sings for its wonderfully imaginative range of activities, from its junior ranger programme to its habituated meerkat experience to the staggering quality of the guiding. And then there is the desert, which is full of surprise.

Beyond all of the above, what I especially love about Tswalu is the fact that it is so whole-heartedly committed to conservation, the regeneration of the reserve itself – once unproductive and neglected farmland – is a testament to an intelligent and long-term strategy for rewilding and protection of the area. The brainchild of the Oppenheimer family, who took over the reserve in 1999, Tswalu has long practised what it means to adopt a high-value, low-impact ecotourism model of nature-based tourism. Their foundation is wholly dedicated to scientific research and the reserve’s outstanding Dedeben Research Centre attracts scientists and students from around the world to work on projects aimed at restoring and protecting its unique Kalahari ecosystem.

Combined with the level of the guides and trackers, the food, the privacy of the reserve and its overall sheer luxury, it’s easy to understand why Tswalu remains one of South Africa’s most coveted safari destinations. There are no other camps on the property and guests can expect to explore without another vehicle or camp in sight: the ratio of guests (max 40) to landscape is one of the lowest in South Africa. And then there’s the dining… I didn’t believe it was possible, in a place where food across the board is always extraordinary, to experience a meal that took things to an altogether new level, but that’s exactly what happened at Klein JAN, the resident restaurant where one of the country’s greatest chefs, Michelin-starred Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, served up a culinary adventure that left me wordless: I didn’t think I could have one of the best meals of my life in the desert. A moment that made Tswalu all that more wondrous.

Just wait till you experience it in person.

If you’d like to learn more about designing your own safari to South Africa’s Tswalu, please get in touch with Hannah. An expert in the region and an obvious fan, she’d love to share this special part of southern Africa with you.