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TSWALU
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, a vast tract of the southern Kalahari in the Northern Cape
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, a vast tract of the southern Kalahari in the Northern Cape, is at the forefront of sustainable ecotourism in South Africa. As a fellow member of The Long Run, our sustainability journey is focused on the four key areas of conservation, community, culture and commerce. The reserve is first and foremost an ambitious conservation project that funds numerous research projects, geared towards understanding and conserving key species within the Kalahari ecosystem. Research informs all major conservation decisions, playing a vital role in revealing fascinating aspects of the ecology. Tswalu has always taken a low-impact, high-value approach to ecotourism - the reserve has the lowest guest footprint in South Africa - and revenue from Motse camp and Tarkuni homestead helps fund conservation. Ecotourism contributes to the sustainable preservation of the southern Kalahari’s biodiversity for future generations.
The low ratio of guests to space at Tswalu offers two of the greatest travel luxuries - time and space. Your adventure begins in one of two sustainably designed camps, the Motse, with nine contemporary legae (Tswana for ‘dwelling’), or Tarkuni, an exclusive-use homestead for 10, reopened this year after a thoughtful renovation in tune with nature. Tswalu’s guarantee of a private vehicle, guide and tracker provides complete freedom to traverse South Africa’s biggest privately owned reserve. The wide, open spaces, so typical of the southern Kalahari’s dramatic beauty, await exploration both on and off the vehicle. Actively tracking iconic Kalahari species, like a pride of black-maned lions or a brown hyena, adds to the interactive thrill of game viewing, as do sightings of elusive creatures, like pangolin and aardvark. With the opening of Restaurant Klein JAN, in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, the culinary traditions and ingredients of the Northern Cape have become the unexpected heroes of an imaginative menu deeply rooted in this under-explored region. By choosing Tswalu, our guests not only become part of a bigger sustainability story but contribute towards the conservation of the southern Kalahari’s biodiversity.
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Fully inclusive of:
Dinner at Klein JAN restaurant (minimum age for children is 12) based on a 2-night stay
Private game viewing vehicle with a dedicated guide and tracker
Nature walks, including traditional plant use interpretation
Habituated meerkats
Horse riding and bird watching
Some of the oldest bushman rock engravings in Africa
A visit to our community clinic and pre-school
All meals including a variety of dining experiences from boma dinners to dune picnics
All beverages and full selection from our award-winning wine-list
In-suite tea and coffee making facilities
In-suite private bar and gourmet pantry
Laundry and valet services
Wifi
Childminding
Tswalu: Projects
Tswalu: Pro Gallery
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