Our Stories

Few places on earth swing as dramatically between extremes as the Kalahari. Tswalu's semi-arid climate is one of its defining characteristics – and knowing what to pack makes all the difference.

There are places on Tswalu where the rock holds memory. Not the kind that can be read like a text or decoded like a map, but something older and less certain, a presence that asks to be felt rather than...

Electric storms, prolific birdlife, and a landscape impossibly green. Summer at Tswalu demands a different rhythm: early starts, long midday pauses, and evenings that stretch past sunset into star-filled silence.

For more than a decade Lepidopterist Reinier Terblanche has been documenting butterfly migrations at Tswalu. His long-term research has established the reserve as a critical source area for one of southern Africa’s most remarkable multi-species migration events.

Tswalu is proud to announce that it has been awarded Global Ecosphere Retreat (GER) status by The Long Run, achieving the organisation’s most advanced sustainability standard.

Tswalu is the best private game reserve in South Africa for exclusive sightings of seven elusive species that are considered highly rare elsewhere in Africa. These elusive animals are the brown hyena, aardvark, pangolin, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African wild cat,...

Ear-notching is one of the tools used to monitor and protect our rhinos. Carried out during South Africa’s cooler winter months, ear notching provides our guests with an exciting hands-on rhino conservation opportunity to experience these endangered animals up close.

Winter’s blue-skied days are a prime time to explore Tswalu’s richly layered ecosystem on privately guided drives and walks. Epic predator-prey encounters, daytime sightings of elusive species, and dune picnics add to winter’s appeal.

Tswalu is South Africa’s largest private game reserve, a place of iconic wildlife, vast landscapes and rich biodiversity. From hanging with habituated meerkats to dinner at Restaurant Klein JAN, expect the unexpected.

The definition of a family vacation has evolved along with family structures. Whether shared with friends, family, or friends who feel like family, there is a Tswalu safari camp to match your adventure.

Tswalu’s remote location in the southern Kalahari provides the ultimate off-the-beaten-track escape at the height of summer. Exclusive access to this untrammelled wilderness sets the scene for a safari of unparalleled privacy and freedom.

Since opening, Loapi has established itself as a quietly luxurious, private retreat within the immensity of Tswalu’s exclusive-access wilderness. Gain an insider’s view of what it’s like to stay in one of these private tented homes.

The human disconnect from the healing power of nature has been a long time coming, made worse by our overwhelming reliance on technology. We need to carve out time in nature, suggests Marcus Westberg.

A destination in its own right, Tswalu is South Africa’s largest private reserve. To explore its dramatically scaled landscapes and fascinating fauna and flora demands a deep dive and longer stay.

Climbing Bushman Hill has many unexpected rewards, as travel writer Jane Broughton discovered on a winter’s day packed with petroglyphs, up-close kudu and Hartmann's mountain zebra sightings and a surprise element or two.

Adding both the Motse and Loapi to your Tswalu itinerary not only ensures a deeper understanding of this place of contrasts but also mitigates your carbon footprint and has a positive impact on sustainable conservation.

Photographer Marcus Westberg writes about our role in the natural world and the value of human intervention in nature, such as wildlife conservation management, so that wild places and creatures can be protected.

The southern Kalahari’s wildlife diversity astounded Shirley Sword, a Tswalu guest who appreciated the time and space to track and observe so many unusual animals.

Did you know that Tswalu is one of Africa’s largest intact arid savannahs? Here are 10 facts about Tswalu, a wonderfully remote yet easily accessible safari destination.

Lucien Beaumont recently spent a few days on the reserve with guests. One of the highlights of their safari was a brown hyena sighting involving a pair of cheetahs and a stolen kill.

Tswalu is a place to appreciate that the smallest things may actually be the biggest, to be patient, stay calm and safari at your own pace!

In this delicious dish, springbok loin is teamed with an African staple, samp and beans, bringing together South Africa’s rich culinary heritage but with a modern twist.

The Motse's pastry chefs recently played around with new dessert ideas using these fresh, local pistachios. The result, pistachio frangipane tart, is served as a dessert with Chantilly cream.

The reward of getting to grips with the southern Kalahari’s profound sense of place is a reawakening of the senses and a longing to reconnect with nature and benefit from its healing power.

Tswalu has always been a year-round destination, each season offering unique and memorable sightings along with the freedom to explore the reserve’s vast reaches in complete privacy and at your own pace.

Bread baking is taken seriously in Tswalu’s kitchens, and around 10 different types of bread are produced daily, from breakfast through to dinner. Potbrood, baked in a cast-iron pot over the coals, is a boma dinner favourite.

Cheese, like any craft worth pursuing, is a commitment, but it can be an extremely rewarding one when approached with a patient enthusiasm.

I started making chocolates in 2015, but developed a new love for it when I started working at Tswalu.

While Tswalu guarantees a private vehicle and dedicated, experienced guiding team with every booking, those who are really serious about taking wildlife photos will appreciate the introduction of a fully equipped photographic safari vehicle and specialist guide.

Whether wandering over rocky hills, strolling through grassy plains, cresting a red sand dune or just waiting it out at a watering hole or pan while sipping on coffee, birding on foot is always a rewarding way to spend a morning on the reserve.

When one views Tswalu from a birding perspective, there would be few places comparable in the region. With a total list running in the region of 260 species there is plenty to be gained from spending a few solid hours at least trying to find some of the more iconic Kalahari species.

As part of its commitment towards greater sustainability, Tswalu Kalahari has applied and successfully been accepted as a fellow member of the internationally recognised conservation organisation, The Long Run

Are you interested in birding, but perhaps have no idea where to start? My interest in birding began when I started working as a field guide, and once I’d grasped their entertainment value I quickly became hooked. Learning bird calls...

The wide, open spaces of Tswalu Kalahari, South Africa’s largest, privately owned reserve, have long drawn travellers seeking a deeply layered, immersive safari.

David and Sarah Townsend first came on a family safari to Tswalu in 2008, when their daughter, India, was three years old and son, Theo, was just four months old.

With your own private vehicle, breath-taking landscapes, and diversity of wildlife, Tswalu offers both the novice and the experienced photographer the opportunity of a lifetime to capture some memorable moments

Every night at Tswalu when guests retire to their suites, they will find a ‘good night’ box with a treat from The Motse kitchen and a printed folklore story to read before they turn in.