The Motse Camp, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve offers a privately guided safari experience on the southernmost edge of the Kalahari, a vast arid savannah recognized as South Africa’s last great wilderness. The ancient Korannaberg mountain range cuts through remarkably diverse habitats within a privately protected conservation area that spans 114,000 hectares (282,000 acres). Tswalu is a year-round destination with three secluded safari camps designed for couples, families and small groups. Every guest who stays here becomes part of the Oppenheimer family’s bold, regenerative conservation vision to restore biodiversity to the fragile Kalahari ecosystem and contribute to the socio-economic development of a remote, marginalized region of South Africa. Every booking is assured of a private 4x4 vehicle, guide and tracker, setting the scene for a safari of unparalleled exclusivity and flexibility. Sightings of iconic Kalahari species, including magnificent black-maned lions and endangered desert black rhinos, are matched by tracking the elusive, nocturnal species that find sanctuary here, including the brown hyena, aardvark, aardwolf and pangolin. Habituated meerkat encounters, horse riding across grassy red dunes, rock art walks, and an introduction to the Tswalu Foundation’s scientific research projects are some of the guest activities that are unique to this reserve.
The main property, the Motse, nestles at the foot of the Korannaberg Mountains, facing westwards across the grasslands of the Kalahari. Motse means “village” in Tswana and the village consists of just nine spacious and secluded “legae” (another Tswana word, for “little house”) or suites.
