About this hotel
General information
Tswalu is the largest privately protected conservation area in South Africa: some 118,000 hectares of dunes, grassy plains and hills on the southern edge of the Kalahari. Guests stay in two camps. The Motse, at the foot of the Korannaberg mountains, is laid out like a small village — nine separate legae (Setswana for "home") scattered through gardens of indigenous Kalahari plants, with a waterhole in front of the main guest area that draws game, above all in the dry season. Loapi ("the space below the clouds") is six tented homes on the open savannah, each run as a self-contained mini camp with no shared guest areas.
The reserve is built around space and privacy. Every booking has its own vehicle, guide and tracker, and there are no outside camps or vehicles on the land. More than 80 mammal species live here, from black-maned Kalahari lions, desert black rhino, cheetah, giraffe and oryx to nocturnal residents such as pangolin, aardvark and brown hyena. Meals, drinks including South African wines and game drives are part of the stay, and the reserve is open all year.
Location
In the Northern Cape, on the southern fringe of the Kalahari. The Motse lies in the west of the reserve beneath the Korannaberg mountains, while the Loapi homes stand on open savannah grassland with the same range as a backdrop. Scheduled charter flights fly to Tswalu from Johannesburg (about 90 minutes) and Cape Town (about two hours), and private aircraft can land too.
Spa
Tswalu Spa is at The Motse, and treatments can also be taken in the privacy of a legae, or at Loapi in the home itself, indoors or outside depending on the season. The menu covers massages, manicures, pedicures and restorative body and face treatments using Terres D'Afrique, a South African range built on wild-harvested botanicals such as Kalahari melon, buchu and manketti. Alongside is a naturally lit, air-conditioned gym with Technogym equipment, free weights and a mat area for stretching, Pilates or yoga.
Sports & leisure
Days revolve around a private safari with a dedicated guide and tracker.
- game drives and guided bush walks
- early-morning visits to three habituated meerkat colonies at their burrows
- horse riding across the dunes for intermediate and advanced riders
- tracking nocturnal species by their signs, and birding
- ancient San rock engravings in the Korannaberg foothills
- a night under canvas among the dunes at Malori
- photographic safaris, with a photographic studio in camp and a photographic guide on request
- visits to research projects supported by the Tswalu Foundation
- the Gallery boutique for art, jewellery and clothing
For children
The Junior Ranger programme introduces children to the bush through archery, identifying and casting animal spoor and the basics of tracking. Family days are planned individually and can include bush walks, picnics, horse rides, pizza making and cookie baking; child-minding is available, and the kitchen prepares children's meals and purées for babies.
Restaurants & bars
Cooking at Tswalu draws on seasonal produce and the food heritage of the southern Kalahari, with almost everything made from scratch.
- The Motse main guest area — breakfast, lunch and dinner indoors or outside
- The boma — an open-air fire circle for barbecue dinners under the stars
- Wine cellar — a walk-in collection of South African wines, beside a lounge with a stone fireplace and a mezzanine library
- Boscia — the reserve's signature restaurant in Boscia House, a century-old cottage: drinks upstairs, then down through a root-cellar gallery to the dining room for a five-course dinner with wine pairings (one dinner is included in stays of two nights or more)
Dinner can also be served privately in the legae. Each Loapi home has its own chef, kitchen, pantry and bar stocked with South African wines, with meals served on the shaded deck as well.
Swimming
The Motse has two shared swimming pools reached by covered verandas, with a fire pit nearby for sundowners. Every Loapi home has its own plunge pool on the deck.
Rooms
The Motse has nine legae — six for two guests and three family legae with two bedrooms — takes no more than 18 adults at a time and looks out towards the Korannaberg mountains. Loapi has six homes, four with one bedroom and two with two, set at least 50 m apart; each has its own house manager and chef, and every booking comes with its own vehicle, guide and tracker.
The Motse legae have a sitting area with a wood-burning stove, study corner, shaded veranda with a large day bed, bathroom with a freestanding bath and indoor and outdoor showers, air conditioning, safe, Wi-Fi, a minibar stocked to taste, a pantry of homemade snacks, bean-to-cup coffee and a choice of teas; the Loapi homes add a study with Wi-Fi, kitchen, pantry, bar and a deck with plunge pool and fire pit.
Motse Suite
A one-bedroom legae for two adults at The Motse, with a sitting area and wood-burning stove, a bathroom with a freestanding bath and outdoor shower, and a shaded veranda with a day bed; two children under 12 can share with their parents.
Motse Family Suite
A family legae at The Motse for up to four guests: a main bedroom and a second twin bedroom, each with its own bathroom and outdoor shower, linked by a living room with a wood-burning stove, all opening onto a shaded veranda.
Loapi One-Bedroom Tented Safari Home
A stand-alone home at Loapi for two: a glass-and-steel pavilion with living and dining areas, study, kitchen and bar, and a canvas bedroom with a glass-walled shower, outdoor shower and dressing room; the shaded deck has day beds, a plunge pool and a fire pit, and the home has its own house manager and chef.
Loapi Two-Bedroom Tented Safari Home
A stand-alone home at Loapi for up to four guests: two canvas bedrooms, each with a bathroom, outdoor shower and dressing room, around a glass-and-steel pavilion with living and dining areas, study, kitchen and bar; a shaded deck with plunge pool and fire pit, plus its own house manager and chef.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.