Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

My wife and I spent 5 nights at Tswalu in the Kalahari Desert. Our first 3 nights were spent at Motse, followed by our final 2 nights being spent at Loapi. These experiences complimented one another with Motse being a communal lodge with shared dining, gym, boutique, and common areas. Loapi on the other hand offers a completely private villa experience with a personal chef as well as your own butler to assist with any requests you might have. The two were about 20 minutes apart. They are on opposite sides of the reserve from one another. Motse is in the main area which occupies approximately 90,000 hectares, where as Loapi is in the much smaller, but still quite large section that is 20,000 hectares. Game drives occur on both sides of the reserve and can often times cross over. The biggest difference between the two sides of the reserve is the presence of lions that are found on the smaller side of the reserve. While we did our game drives, our guide informed us of the history of Tswalu. It used to be used for farming and there have been tremendous conservation efforts and research with attempts at restoration to its original form (or as close as possible) being the ultimate goal. As a result of this, there is a good deal of land and wildlife management that has taken place and continues to take place. This includes dividing the reserve into two sections, expanding the reserve with the purchase of adjacent properties over time, population management of predators and prey species, amongst plenty of other things that I’m sure go on behind the scenes. I’ve read online where this type of experience might seem less “wild” or “pristine” than the safari experience in other countries, but we have not been to different countries yet to compare. This, however, is the world we live in these days and why some of these animals have such small populations remaining due to habitat destruction. We felt privileged to be able to visit a place that has healed and continues to do so and to be able to witness the recovery of the resilient species that now call this location home. That being said, when you are out on the reserve it feels as wild as can be with expansive views all around with diverse terrain including dunes and mountains. The reserve itself is larger than the entire Sabi Sands for comparison sake, giving you plenty of space to explore most times without seeing another vehicle. The caveat to this is that it took a while for us to get from the lodge to most of our sightings, but we saw interesting plains game that was new to us along the way and got to enjoy the beautiful red Kalahari and and rolling dunes. Check in/Arrival We arrived at JNB at 10am on a flight from Dubai and we were immediately greeted by someone who transferred us to the Fireblade Hangar which is where Tswalu’s flights arrive and take off from at JNB. We had a little while to wait, but this terminal was well outfitted with a small gym that I got a quick workout in at, as well a lunch available to order. The flight took about an hour and a half or so to get to Tswalu. As soon as we started to see the sprawling Kalahari Desert from the air with its signature red sand, we knew we were in for a treat. Our guide (Vuyani) and tracker (MC) greeted us at the airstrip and we immediately jumped into safari mode, seeing a yellow mongoose and getting a lesson on sociable weaver nests that had been made on the roof of the lounge at the airstrip. We were driven to Motse where we would spend our first 3 nights, followed by the final 2 nights at Loapi. We were greeted by the Motse staff, shown around the common areas of Motse, and then taken to our room. Room Motse: We were in room 10, this was the meerkat room. It was the furthest room down to the right of the lodge looking from the front. Although we booked a 1 bedroom suite, we were given a 2 bedroom suite which we didn’t really need, but were still blown away by the size of the suite. Overall, it is understandable why this lodge will be undergoing a renovation, as there is a bit of wear and tear on the hardware, but the space itself was quite nice with natural tones and a lot of stone used in the design. There was a shared living area between the two bedrooms, bedroom, and bathroom with both indoor and outdoor showers. The bedroom we used had a king bed with a bug net around it, with a really cool map of the property on the top of the bed so when you looked up you could reference it. The rooms at Motse are slightly cheaper than the rooms at Loapi, understandably so. The rooms at Motse show some age, but ultimately we are glad we chose to stay here because of the natural design of the room as well as the shared common spaces like the dining area, deck, boma, boutique, and gym. Loapi: After 3 nights at Motse we were transferred over to stay at Loapi for 2 nights. Our house at Loapi was considered to be #2, but that just means it was 2nd along the road that all of the houses were off of. The room we stayed in here (difficult to even call it a room, it’s really more of a private house) was spectacular. It included a living room, kitchen, office space, bedroom, massive deck with dining area and pool, and a bathroom with both indoor and outdoor showers. The materials used for Loapi are far less natural to the setting than Motse (more metallic and canvas vs. wood and stone), but the privacy afforded by staying here is unmatched. Going to Motse first followed by a couple of nights at Loapi felt like the perfect complimentary experience for us, especially in that order. We found Loapi to be modern, clean, while still maintaining its warmth and enough South African feel. We were thrilled we got to experience staying in this room for 2 nights. Service The service we experienced overall at Tswalu was good, but there are some important notes to differentiate where the service fell short, especially at the price point. Guide + Tracker Service: The service when it comes to the game drives provided by Vuyani and MC was truly superlative. When we stopped for coffee or sundowners they were both always quick to offer drinks, snacks, or even to take pictures for us. When we started with them, Vuyani explained to us that we could schedule our drives however we wanted and he made it known that because every guest gets a private vehicle at Tswalu, we were completely free to do as we pleased. We told him what animals we were interested in seeing and that we were willing to spend quite a bit of time out on the reserve, so we trusted him to build our schedule and it turned out perfectly. Some days we had a bit longer breaks than others, but we were really happy with how everything went. For an example of how Vuyani truly stood out not only as a safari guide, but also from a hospitality perspective was when we spent a long and cold morning searching for black rhino in an area that was in the shadow of one of the mountains. It was very cold and dark, but we used the hot water bottles and blankets to power through. While looking for the black rhinos, we also had been seeing some lion tracks, so we decided to focus on the lion tracks to try to track down the group of 4 Kalahari Black Maned Lions (2 males and 2 females). We arrived at an excellent sighting of them attempting to dig a warthog out of its burrow. I was intent on patiently waiting it out to see if we could see them successfully get the warthog, but it really was cold and windy. Vuyani picked up that my wife hadn’t been chatting as she usually had been throughout our usual game drives, so even though my wife was 50/50 on staying at the sighting, ultimately, his read of the situation was the right one. She needed to get warmed up a bit and even though I wanted to continue to stay at the sighting, trusting his judgment was the best one and ultimately was what was best for my wife. He also noticed she was a bit congested and I overheard him call ahead on the radio to our camp at Loapi to procure her a ginger/lemon/honey drink to warm her up and soothe any congesting she was dealing with. Motse Service: The service at Motse was unfortunately a bit of a low point. The meal service never felt warm, personal, or engaging, and there was no communication amongst staff for preferences. The best lodge we have stayed at prior to this is Londolozi Tree Camp and using this as a basis of comparison (as they are priced in the same ballpark), and as a point of reference there they always got my wife’s coffee order right prior to game drives and they always knew she preferred to have the coffee in a to go cup to take with us on the drives. On numerous days our guide Vuyani was the one to make sure that she got her coffee put into a to go cup. There were also multiple occasions of completely botched breakfast orders, one time I ordered the shakshuka and was brought the charcuterie board. It just didn’t seem like the staff was as diligent, trained, or unified as one would expect at this caliber and price point. There weren’t necessarily other egregious mistakes I can point out, but there was certainly nothing superlative about the assistance we received in our time at Motse. One memorable bright spot was Wendy who was warm, friendly, and always willing to take time to speak with us to help us, or give us some history of the reserve (she had been working there for 28 years). Loapi Service: Any issues we had with the service at Motse were immediately resolved once we moved over to Loapi. There we were given a homathi (host/butler). Tumi was our homathi and she was excellent. Even though we only stayed 2 nights, she was receptive to and on top of any requests we had. She was friendly and helpful without being intrusive because the staff at Loapi are in the same space as the guests at times. She was a big part of making our experience at Loapi an excellent one. Game Drives As mentioned above, Vuyani and MC were critical parts of us having a highly memorable experience at Tswalu. I give them both huge credit for the wildlife viewing we were able to enjoy, while also acknowledging their immense knowledge of the biome that makes up this reserve. Vuyani was much more vocal and personable, but we also enjoyed when MC spoke up and shared his deep knowledge of the ecosystem. When we first were paired up with these two, we told them we had been to the Sabi Sands twice, so we were looking to see some species that we wouldn’t be able to see in the Sabi Sands (we also were visiting the Sabi Sands for a third time immediately after our stay at Tswalu). We also told Vuyani that we were willing to get out and put in time to track down some of the elusive species that live on the reserve and also that we were willing to go out whenever he thought would give us the best chance to see some animals in action. He told us that his aim was to give us quality, uncrowned sightings and he certainly delivered on that. During our game drives we saw the following species: cheetah, wild dog, lion, white rhino, meerkat, mountain zebra, black-backed jackal, brown hyena, spotted hyena, giraffe, eland, roan, sable, kudu, oryx, springbok, steenbok, red hartebeest, warthog, wildebeest, yellow mongoose, slender mongoose, impala, ostrich, spring hare, and ground squirrel. The difference between Tswalu and the other safari destinations we’ve visited was the density of animals. It’s much lighter at Tswalu compared to the Sabi Sands, but we saw plenty of animals during our trip, it just required more driving, more flexibility, and more willingness to put in the time to appreciate the empty space while enjoying the beautiful views of the red sand dunes, mountains, and open plains. The beauty that once we found ourselves within a sighting, there was not pressure from multiple vehicles attempting to join us, typically we were completely alone at a sighting. If we were joined there was only a 2nd vehicle at a sighting. With Vuyani and MC’s expertise, we most often were the first ones to locate the animals with other guides following up. One of the highlights of our stay from a wildlife perspective was locating the wild dog pack on a crisp morning. The dogs ended up sleeping on top of one of the small mountains and Vuyani and MC literally climbed to the top of the mountain in search of them, from there the dogs made their way down off the mountain, and moved along as the sun rose. We followed them for a bit, with Vuyani affording me tremendous photographic opportunities during this sighting, ultimately for them to settle down after moving a mile or two away from the mountain. Vuyani suggested we leave them, quickly go for lunch and head out early in the afternoon (2pm rather than 3:30pm as we had previously done). We returned to them at around 2:30pm, finding them exactly where they were and Vuyani’s knowledge of their habits and behavior really paid off, as around 3:30pm they began to move and had we arrived later we would already be behind them. Watching this pack of wild dogs hunt was truly a highlight for us. Seeing their organization, determination, and discipline to feed their group was something we were privileged to witness. We saw them make an attempt at hunting a group of adult roan which was quickly unsuccessful and then 20 minutes later they located a group of oryx, including a mother and baby. They isolated the baby and the mother moved it into a thicket, kicking and using its horns to deter the dogs from attacking the baby oryx. After 10 minutes of a struggle and blood drawn on the baby, the dogs moved on and gave up. 15 minutes later they located another group of oryx and targeted a subadult which they ultimately successful hunted. This was an incredible scene to witness and without Vuyani and MC’s knowledge of these animals and the reserve there is no chance we would have been able to have the privilege of witnessing this. Because of the low vehicle density of Tswalu, we were able to enjoy this sighting for over 6 hours throughout the day without having to make room for other vehicles. Another highlight of ours was tracking and locating a mother cheetah with 3 cubs. We were able to see her groom them, leave them on top of the dune while she went to hunt (she was ultimately unsuccessful), and bond with her cubs as they played around. We located this mother female twice during our stay and for one sighting of over an hour we were the only vehicle there and fit the other sighting there was just one other vehicle. Lastly, although we were ultimately unable to view a pangolin, one of the highlights for us was using the telemetry tracker to locate the burrow that the pangolin they have tagged for research was, approaching on foot at a distance, and then waiting for it to come out into the night. We decided to head back after a couple of hours of waiting, but nonetheless it was an exciting time spent tracking it and learning a bit more about their secretive lives. Dining Motse Dining: Unfortunately, the Motse dining experience we had was subpar. The breakfast were quite unremarkable . Our last morning at Motse we had a bush breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, brown toast) which was also very disappointing. A big highlight for us on previous safaris has been the dining experience with inspired dishes and plenty of excellent meals that we have always looked forward to. For our two dinners we had at Motse, we did not have a menu to choose from. The first night they brought out oxtail stew, butternut squash cups filled with beans, peppers, and goat cheese, fried quail wings, and some naan bread with an assortment of pestos. This was not a memorable meal at all. For our last dinner at Motse it was served in the boma and they prepared a braai with beef sausage, lamb chops, roasted chicken, butternut squash, corn on the cob, and curried cabbage. For this meal we invited our guide and tracker, and asked the staff to prepare a birthday cake for our guide Vuyani. We really enjoyed listening to him share his stories of being out in nature and saw his deep gratitude for us recognizing his birthday and wanting him to be included in our experience at Tswalu. Our last dinner that we were served while staying at Motse was at Boscia House. This is their adapted version of the Klein Jan restaurant that unfortunately flooded. This included a fine dining tasting meal which included potato gnocchi with leeks, butternut squash bobotie, roasted quail, gemsbok pie, and a local salad. We also got to try a wide variety of cheeses from their “cheese island” in the middle of the restaurant. The rice pudding dessert with cinnamon was excellent. Overall our dining experience at Motse was disappointing. This is a part of the safari experience that we have come to love and this particular lodge did not deliver in this area. Loapi Dining: A huge highlight of our time at Loapi was the dining and our chef Ridwaan did an amazing job of listening to our preferences and tailoring the meals to what we had in mind. We told him we wanted to try local meats, that we loved vegetables/salads, and that soups were great as well. For our two dinners at Loapi we were served a mushroom soup, ostrich steak with parsnips and sweet potato followed by our own braai consisting of eland steak, beef sausages, lamb chops, pap with peppers and sauces to give it flavor, butternut squash, eggplant, corn on the cob, and all of the breads were excellent. We had a beef filet, with roasted potatoes, and a mixed salad with a great vinaigrette dressing for our lunch upon arrival. Lastly, for our brunch Ridwaan really too into consideration that we wanted to try local dishes so he served us a bobotie (basically a breakfast casserole with eggs, potatoes, and ground beef and lamb) which was excellent, along with another salad with a pesto vinaigrette. He also prepared us toast and fruit as we requested early in the mornings before our game drives. Our dining experience at Loapi was excellent. Location/Facilities The remote nature of Tswalu is a huge part of the attraction to the property for visitors. The reserve itself is visually stunning, providing plenty of landscape photographic opportunities. Located in the Kalahari Desert, it is very dry, so consistent hydration is a must. Also, there’s a large temperature delta from the mornings and evenings to the mid afternoons, so it is highly advisable to layer up for the morning drives and be prepared to take them off as the drive goes on and then the opposite for the evening drives. Something worth nothing is that the reserve is divided into 2 sections. From my understanding from a wildlife perspective the only difference is that one side has lions and one doesn’t. The side Motse is on does not have lions, and is significantly bigger (90,000 hectares vs. 20,000 hectares) than the side that Loapi is on that does have lions. In terms of facilities, Motse has a shared pool, small gym, and a shopping boutique. The pool was far too cold to utilize, but we went and used the gym daily and bought some Tswalu souvenirs in the boutique. Loapi by its private nature does not have any shared facilities, but the pool on the deck is heated and we used it one afternoon. A shared gym at Loapi would make sense in my opinion to provide Loapi guests with a space to exercise during their stay. Overall Our stay at Tswalu was excellent overall. Despite some of the shortcomings of Motse (some of which will be dealt with during the upcoming renovations), this is our second favorite hotel experience we have had (behind Londolozi Tree Camp). Our experience with our guide Vuyani, as well as the privacy and level of personalization of everything is what set it apart for us. Combining these aspects with the reserve’s diverse landscape and wildlife is what made it truly stand out. Getting to stay at Loapi for 2 nights was the cherry on top for us and culminated a wonderful experience for us that inspired us to already be working on a plan to return.