Everyone! We’re yet to find anyone who has even the slightest of bad words to say about Tswalu.
The wild Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
This is 5* luxury, but in the most discreet and understated style. The main lodge, the Motse, has just six suites, designed to melt into the landscape. They’re built from traditional materials such as stone, clay and thatch. Inside, contemporary design blends with African art and open fires and the rooms also have private decks and indoor and outdoor showers. For families, or those who just want some privacy, there’s also Tarkuni, the Oppenheimer’s private home, delivering complete seclusion and accommodating just 10 guests at a time.
Tswalu is a member of Relais and Chateaux, and this is reflected in the high standards of the food, which merges fine cooking with local styles and ingredients- from mouthwatering steaks to rare Kalahari truffles. There’s also an impressive wine cellar, stocked from some of South Africa’s top class vineyards. The main lodge also has a pool, library (with TV) and wi-fi throughout. Worth a particular mention is the Malori- a deck where guests from both lodges can enjoy a sleep out under the stars.
The bush here is wild and rugged (over 3,000 hectares of land for each visitor), and as far removed from a canned safari experience as you can get. There are no official schedules of activity, and the animals won’t be queuing up to pose for photographs. There’s an extraordinary range of some of Africa’s rarer animals- meerkats, desert black rhino and black-maned lions and a surprising number of aardvark sightings. Alongside game drives and walks there’s horse riding, hot-air ballooning, a spa, and children are exceptionally well catered to in this malaria-free area.
Tswalu has one of the few private runways in South Africa that can accommodate almost all private jets and even night landings, so if discretion and convenience are key, this is for you!