The space below the clouds
With the opening of Loapi tented camp, Tswalu Kalahari has raised the bar for exclusive-use safari villas
As far as you can see,” says my safari guide Nic, as I squint into the bright Kalahari sunrise. “That’s all Tswalu. All the way to that horizon.”And that answer — “Yup, that’s all still Tswalu!” — becomes a recurring refrain during my days exploring the vastness of Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, the largest privately-owned reserve in South Africa, conserving and restoring 114 000ha of the Kalahari.
Until recently, this remarkable landscape was enjoyed by just a handful of guests, staying at The Motse lodge or Tarkuni Homestead. But the recent opening of Loapi Tented Camp marks a bold move for this far-flung Northern Cape reserve, almost doubling the available beds on offer. And yet, in this landscape — so quietly vast it’ll make your ears ring — you certainly won’t feel crowded. With all those hectares to explore, most days we don’t encounter a single other vehicle.
On our first game drive — ticking off lion and hyena sightings — we are the only guests exploring the 20 000ha eastern section of the reserve. Now compare that to the gravel-road traffic jams of your typical Lowveld safari experience.
With a chef on hand the same goes for meals, which can be tailored to your holiday whims. Whether you prefer a three-course dinner with wines paired from the excellent in-house selection or a laid-back pizza afternoon on the deck to keep the kids happy, there are few requests that can’t be accommodated.
My only advice? Leave one night free to indulge in dinner at Klein JAN, the hyper-local restaurant from celebrated chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, located on the reserve.
That outing aside, Loapi is a destination for quiet reconnection. For spending quiet time with beloveds, and for letting the trappings of the everyday melt into the emptiness of the Kalahari. And when you gaze at those far-distant mountains,
I can help you with the question that will surely arise. To that dusty horizon? Yup. It’s all Tswalu; and yours to explore.