The Motse - Tswalu Kalahari Luxury Private Game Reserve

My husband and I recently spent four nights at the Tswalu Loapi tented residences. It was one of the best experiences of our lives and we cannot wait to come back. The reserve itself is spectacular - more on that soon. But what really took the experience to the next level for us was the people. Our butler Mo was an absolute delight, incredibly friendly and warm and made us feel immediately at home, and our private chef Quentin was SO talented and lovely and just a wonderful guy. (Yes, every Loapi residence gets a butler and private chef!) We had the best time hanging out with them at the end of the day after our game drives, and they were incredibly good at their jobs. Also incredibly good at their jobs: our safari guide Kallie (“Kalamari”) and his tracker David. Oh my gosh, what a team. Kallie knows EVERYTHING. Every animal, every bush, every bird - he knows the English name, Afrikaans name, Setswana name and scientific name. He answered my one hundred million questions with not only patience but humour and enthusiasm. His nicknames for the animals are legendary: my husband and I still point at steenbok and shout “BUSH BISCUIT!” as Kallie calls them (because they are small and good snacks for the predators). When you’re in a safari vehicle with a guide for 8 hours a day, you want it to be someone you can connect with - and Kallie is one of the most brilliant, most fun, most interesting people I have ever encountered in my life. David, the tracker, we didn’t get to know quite as well, but he was really lovely and EXCELLENT at his job. We saw so many rare and interesting animals, including lion cubs, cheetah cubs, a zorilla, and the elusive pangolin! Tswalu itself is utterly stunning. The tented villas are luxe and perfect (though do bring very warm clothes if you go in winter). The park is a gorgeous landscape of red soil and silvery-blonde grasses and shepherd’s trees and thorn bushes, with more than a dozen types of antelopes and giraffes and rhinos and lions and wild dogs and just so very many animals. It gets into your soul, it really does. We also got to visit KleinJan (I’ll review it separately but it was super cool) and I went horseback riding with Warren, the chief instructor who is also a stunt person in films (!!). Horseback riding here is only for intermediate riders and up, and I highly recommend you follow this caution as their horses are NOT for beginners - but if you’re an experienced rider, there is nothing like it. Warren is awesome and the ride was incredible. If you’re considering a trip here, don’t hesitate any more. Just book it. And request Mo, Quentin, Kallie and David as your dream team. You can thank me later, once you’ve shaken the red dust from your shoes and vowed to return.

Thank you to everyone at Tswalu who made our trip so memorable. The attention to detail by the staff was incredible. Thank you to our host Tumi, our chef Sibu, and our incredible guide Matt and tracker T. You could feel that each staff member truly loved the reserve, whether it was through their interactions with guests or their dedication to conservation. The game drives were unbelievable - it is quickly obvious that you are on the largest reserve in South Africa. We went hours without seeing other cars. We saw all of the animals we hoped to see, including a live cheetah kill and newborn lion cubs. We hope to be back!

Tswalu - the name still sends shivers of excitement down my spine. Arriving at Fireblade and being cared for by Grace and Mpho was a real treat - they are both wonderful, and the food and wine were exquisite. We spent seven magical, incredible days at The Motse where the food and drink were outstanding, both in the lodge and atop the sand dunes! The guidance from Vuyani and tracking by Jackson were phenomenal, and the quality of the sightings was exceptional. We observed the meerkats from the Rockstars' first appearance of the day, before they warmed up and set off to forage, and we returned another evening as they went back to their burrow for the night. We followed cheetahs on a successful hunt, wild dogs returning to their playful pups, experienced the roar of lions, saw rhinos, and encountered an abundance of plains game, porcupines, bat-eared foxes, cape foxes, Damara mole-rats, and so much more. We learned a great deal about the incredible landscape and also abut the animal behaviour. Klein Jan was mind-blowing, but it's something you have to experience for yourself! You will certainly not be disappointed. We would love to return one day.

We didn't know what to expect when we booked our stay at Tswalu. A couple we met in Montana highly recommended it, they wanted to stay at Loapi, but it was not yet available. We booked Loapi at Tswalu and absolutely loved it! Our guide Ivan, tracker DT, butler Mo and chef Ridwaan were the BEST! The wildlife was incredible! Lions, zebras, giraffe, kudu, rhino, warthog and wild dogs! The wild dog puppies that left their den when we were there was amazing to see! Ivan and DT were extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife and so much fun! We really enjoyed the horseback ride, which was a very different adventure. And the Klein Jan restaurant was such an experience! I can't say anything more about Klein Jan because I don't want to spoil the surprise... Our last evening dinner with Ivan, DT, Mo and Ridwaan was a blast! Thank you everyone at Tswalu for such an amazing experience!

We have just spent 5 nights in this vast area of the green Kalahari. Great accommodation, food and service - all 5 star. Klein Jan was amazing. Don’t google it before you go as the surprise venue is amazing. Food is a work of art. All the team are fab with Freddy and Keo stand out as friendly and super efficient looking after us at meal times. All the food is delicious - lots of choices. Our safari experience with guide Juan and tracker Jackson was great. They’re really enthusiastic with a real desire to find things. We saw pangolin and aardvark as well as lion, cheetah with 4 cubs, wild dog/painted wolf pups and lion cubs. Plus a great experience up close and personal with meerkats. Nigel the guest manager is welcoming and engaging. Spa is worth a trip too.

Such a unique and pleasant experience. Saving this place is critical and the owners have made this available to the greater community. Awesome sightings. Food was amazing, can't remember out cook (young and from SA), but he continuously did wonders.