Discover 5 Reasons Tswalu Is South Africa’s Premier Safari Lodge

Tswalu will win your heart in a hundred ways — many of those ways not what you expected. Oh sure, it’s one of South Africa’s most coveted safari destinations, set in the stunning Kalahari Desert and boasting plenty of unparalleled game viewing opportunities (including the rare wild dog and the even rarer pangolin). It even offers one of the top dining experiences in the entire country, Klein JAN, which is a culinary adventure overseen by Michelin-starred chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen.

Yet Tswalu’s allure extends far beyond the typical safari checklist and one-of-a-kind dining experiences. Here, it’s the unexpected extras — the lodge’s genuine dedication to conservation, the fact that each booking comes with a dedicated guide and tracker so you can set your own schedule, and the warmth and enthusiasm of the staff — that make it such an unmissable destination. Here are five reasons why Tswalu stands out as an exceptional safari experience.

Location

Despite its remote location, getting to Tswalu is surprisingly easy thanks to direct flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town with Fireblade Aviation. (The flying time from Johannesburg is approximately 90 minutes, while from Cape Town, it's around two hours.) Upon landing at the lodge’s private airstrip, you'll disembark filled with the thrilling sensation that you’ve landed on another world.

Situated on the southernmost edge of the Kalahari, it is a landscape of contrasts, where the stark beauty of the desert is punctuated by the incredible richness of flora and fauna you’ll discover at every turn. The Kalahari is a semi-arid grassland, peppered with red sand dunes, open savannahs and rock-strewn mountains. Tswalu, which is South Africa's largest private game reserve, spans over an incredible 282,000 acres — making it nearly double the size of Chicago — and it pulsates with possibilities.

Even after spending several days driving around the reserve, it’s simply impossible to grasp how immense it truly is. The red sands stretch out in every direction, inviting you on hundred different adventures, and even if you stayed a lifetime, you’d never tire of seeing what’s beyond that next bend in the road.

Think I’m exaggerating the beauty of the landscape? I promise that every dawn you’ll be entranced with the pillowy, blue hazy mornings the Kalahari is famous for, and then be wowed again at night with heart-piercingly beautiful sunsets that showcase shades of amber and crimson that a camera can’t even come close to capturing.

The reserve's location, far from the nearest town, imbues Tswalu with an inviting sense of isolation and tranquility — and the stargazing opportunities are unparalleled. It’s a place where the rhythm of nature sets the pace, and the hustle of the modern world fades into insignificance.

Accommodation

The Motse Lodge (which is the main safari camp; check out the Loapi for a more contemporary, exclusive experience) melts into the landscape. So well does it fit into its surroundings — thanks to the use of natural materials, earth tones, plentiful native plants, and organic, undulating shapes — that you don’t even realize you’re near camp until you’re steps from the main lodge.

Made from stone and with high-ceilinged, traditional thatched roofs, the suites manage to be luxurious and yet cozy at the same time. The welcoming bedrooms feature canopied beds with mosquito netting (though Tswalu is malaria-free) and are cleverly designed so that you can fall asleep while gazing at a beautifully drawn, evocative map of the Kalahari. Rooms also feature wood-burning stoves for chilly desert nights, as well as Wi-Fi and fully-stocked minibars, while the large bathrooms boast both indoor and outdoor showers and decadent soaker tubs. In your free time you can enjoy lounging on your private covered verandah decked-out with comfy seating and daybeds. From your verandah you can just sit back and watch baboons, various kinds of antelope and birds go about their business seemingly oblivious to the fact that you’re sitting just a few feet away.

The communal areas at Motse are the perfect place to meet other guests and compare wildlife encounters. You’ll find spacious seating and dining areas, a library, two pools overlooking a popular watering hole, a fully-equipped gym and a traditional boma. Be sure to stop by the lovely Tswalu Gallery and treat yourself to a special souvenir. This unique space showcases the work of local artists with items like sculptures, paintings, clothing and jewelry. All profits go to help support the vital work of the Tswalu Foundation, so every purchase you make contributes to conservation and social development initiatives in the region.

Dining

Get ready for a magical culinary journey through the Kalahari and Northern Cape at Tswalu. Your meal options will include everything from fire-side boma dinners under the stars, to bush picnics. Almost everything is made from scratch and, where possible, sourced locally from regional farmers, vintners and producers.

The lodge's talented chefs create daily menus that showcase the unique flavors and ingredients of the Kalahari, with a focus on fresh, seasonal produce. Breakfast might include homemade pastries, local cheeses, and made-to-order dishes, while lunch could feature a selection of salads, sandwiches, and grilled specialties. Come dinner, you could feast on smoked ostrich with dukkha roasted carrots and enjoy malva pudding or a Kalahari cheese plate for dessert, each dish paired with a carefully selected wine from the lodge's extensive cellar.

Your apex dining experience, however, will no doubt be at Klein JAN, a restaurant that is the most coveted foodie destination in South Africa. Yet to call it a restaurant is to undersell what is a one-of-a-kind culinary odyssey that will wow you — not only because of the fantastical fare (the cheese course alone is astonishing) but also because of the multi-sensory journey and storytelling that precedes nearly every dish. I can’t say more without spoiling the surprise but rest assured it is sure to rank as one of the most unforgettable meals of your life.

Wildlife

While the accommodations and cuisine are undoubtedly exceptional, it’s the wildlife that really makes staying at Tswalu such a singular experience. The reserve is home to an incredible diversity of animals, from the iconic big cats (including the majestic Kalahari black-maned lion) to the smaller, often overlooked species that are the true stars of this region, like the aardvark and pangolin.

Without a doubt, game drives at Tswalu are unmatched. It’s not only the impressive skills of the guides and trackers like Riaan Tolmay and Mncedisi, that make your drives so special. With a private vehicle, dedicated guide, and experienced tracker guaranteed for your very own use with every booking, you have complete freedom and flexibility to explore the far corners of the reserve at your own pace. Want to do a game drive from midnight to 5 AM in hopes of seeing nocturnal critters like a pangolin or bat-earned fox? No problem. Your guide and tracker will make it happen. Or maybe your dream is to spend an entire afternoon with a habituated colony of endearing meercats. You got it! Unlike other safaris where you have to share a vehicle with other guests, at Tswalu you set the schedule and pace, allowing for a truly personalized and immersive safari experience.

One of the highlights of a Tswalu safari is the opportunity to see some of the rarer species that call the Kalahari home. The reserve is one of the best places in Africa to spot elusive animals like the pangolin, aardvark, brown hyena, aardwolf and bat-eared fox, as well as the rare and endangered African wild dog.

Other safari vehicles are equally as elusive. With Tswalu's commitment to providing a private, personalized experience, you won't find yourself jockeying for position with a dozen other vehicles at a sighting. Instead, it will often feel like you have the whole Kalahari to yourself.

But Tswalu isn’t just about rarities. You’ll also see plenty of popular safari favs like zebra, buffalo, giraffe, quirky warthogs and even rhinos. The antelope species are especially impressive with eland, gemsbok, red hartebeest, kudo and more. Tswalu is also a paradise for bird lovers, with over 240 species. Keep your binoculars handy to spot the striking crimson-breasted shrike, the red-crested Korhaan, the rock kestrel and the charming pygmy falcon, Africa's smallest (and possibly cutest) raptor.

Conservation and Sustainability

I’ve saved the best for last. Though one can wax lyrical for hours about the beauty, wildlife experiences and luxury you’ll find at Tswalu, it’s really the lodge’s sincere and single-minded dedication to conservation and sustainability that truly set it apart from other safari destinations. At its core, the lodge is an ambitious conservation project with the goal to sustainably safeguard vital habitat and restore biodiversity in the southern Kalahari.

To this end, Tswalu has established the Tswalu Foundation, which is unique among safari lodges in that it is dedicated entirely to supporting rigorous, data-driven scientific research. The foundation collaborates with academic institutions and conservationists across Africa and around the globe, hosting scientists and students at its Dedeben Research Centre (headed by passionate conservationist Dylan Smith) throughout the year. The research projects Tswalu is currently supporting include a wide range of topics, like the ecological importance of aardvarks and pangolins, snake ecology, vegetation monitoring programs, and the interactions of pygmy falcons and sociable weavers.

By staying at Tswalu, guests directly contribute to these vital research projects and the sustainability of the entire reserve. It may even be possible to spend time speaking with researchers and seeing what they do in the field. What other safari destination offers such a meaningful, once-in-a-lifetime chance to not only witness the wonders of the Kalahari but also actively participate in its conservation?

Tswalu's commitment to sustainability is further demonstrated by the appointment of Prince Ngomane as the reserve's first Sustainability Officer. His goal is to integrate sustainability practices into the lodge and staff villages, making it a part of the community's DNA. He and his team teach and mentor others to embrace Tswalu's environmentally friendly goals and big-picture sustainability vision. This includes initiatives to reduce, reuse, and recycle, as well as raising awareness about the importance of conserving resources like water and energy.

In the end, Tswalu's magic lies in offering safari experience that transcend mere wildlife viewing. With its breathtaking Kalahari setting, luxurious yet eco-conscious accommodations, world-class dining, and an unwavering commitment to conservation and sustainability, Tswalu offers a holistic immersion into an extraordinary destination.

This article originally appeared on Forbes