Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

We had an amazing, incredible time at Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve and highly recommend the resort and safari for anyone looking for an immersive, catered experience. Lara, Tumi, Jimmy, Kaiser and MC were very accommodating. We were treated like royalty the entire time we were there, and it was difficult to leave the team that we felt had become our friends. I lack the words to express how much fun we all had and how unique-to-us the trip was overall, but I will try. There are so many good points about Tswalu that I will divide this review into sections. Getting there and leaving: We flew from Cape Town to Tswalu in a tiny chartered plane. It took about 2 hours. Once we arrived, we saw giraffes from the windows of the plane! When we left Tswalu about four days later, we flew to Johannesburg, which took about 1 and a 1/2 hours. There is a weight limit of 44 pounds (20 kg) per person for baggage on the flight, so keep that in mind. Safari: Our guide, Kaiser, and our tracker, MC, were fantastic! We were four adults with a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old, each of whom had different ideas about which animals they wanted to see. For instance, the 10-year-old wanted to see the African wild dogs, and thanks to MC -- one of the top 10 trackers in South Africa (not an exaggeration; he must go to school and take repeated exams to earn his tracker status) -- we were able to catch sight of a pack of wild dogs going after an oryx. What's more, we were able to walk relatively close to the wild dogs to take photos and videos. The 6-year-old wanted to see cheetahs, and thanks again to MC, we were able to do exactly that, too! Kaiser, our guide, was very knowledgable as well. He and MC worked in tandem to help us find and learn about as many of the reserve animals as possible. For instance, they explained the visible differences between cheetah tracks, lion tracks and hyena tracks in the reddish sand that's all over the reserve, We also saw graceful giraffes, two types of gorgeous zebras, many oryx, a hyena, kudu, mother lions adorably playing with their cubs, two types of rhinoceros, owls (but only at night), sociable weavers (another type of bird), Egyptian geese, baboons, a couple of jackals, as well as other animals. [[ NOTE: There are no elephants at Tswalu, so keep that in mind if you are planning on seeing the Big Five. ]] Because we were there in April, which is autumn in South Africa, we usually went out on safari early in the mornings until about 10 a.m., and then again from about 4:30 p.m. to about 8 p.m. at night. This was to best catch the animals in the pre-dawn and post-dawn, and pre-sunset and post-sunset, time periods. BUT, the time periods that we were on safari depended on the types of animals that we were trying to see. We had perfect weather while we were there. I would suggest bringing and wearing lots of layers and a rain jacket just in case, but Kaiser and MC gave us warm ponchos and blankets while riding in the open-air Land Rover, as well. It can get chilly in the early mornings and evenings, but it usually warmed up in the late mornings and late afternoons. The resort provides you with lots of sunscreen, too, so don't worry about packing that, either. Also, Kaiser and MC provided us with snacks and drinks during the safari drive. Accommodations, food and drink: We had our own lodge, staffed by our wonderful host Lara, Tumi and Chef Jimmy. Food and drinks were plentiful and ubiquitous. The meals were artistic and delicious. Our 10-year-old especially loved the peppered ostrich. We also ate kudu, which was unique and artfully prepared. Personally, I think Chef Jimmy specialized in desserts, but everything he cooked was very tasty. (I loved the stews, as well.) The rooms were luxurious and spacious. The staff does laundry on site. Any time we had a need for anything, Lara and Tumi were right there to provide it for us. Restaurant Klein Jan: We didn't know what to expect, but let's just say that there is so much more to this restaurant and experience than what you see when you first arrive on the grounds. There is a tour of the restaurant's extensive pantry as well as an explanation of the building's history. We were served inventive dishes paired with two choices of exquisite South African wines for each course. You leave full, but not overly so. The restaurant staff was gracious. It's not an experience for children, we were told, so Lara played games with the kids back at the resort while we were having dinner. The kids each made bracelets that they were able to take home with them. They had a lot of fun with Lara. Additionally, each guest was provided with a Species Checklist booklet to help us remember the animals we saw while on safari (and also, sometimes, right from our outdoor living room at the resort!) All in all, we would all love to return to Tswalu. It's a huge reserve, and there was no guarantee that we would see any of the animals that we sought to see, but MC and Kaiser really made everything happen for us. Everyone was a joy to interact with. Thanks again to Lara, Tumi and Chef Jimmy, as well as Kaiser and MC -- you were all so wonderful! Thanks so much -- and again -- for all you did for us. The Marty and Roche families

Klein JAN REVIEW Guests staying in Tswalu are invited to dine at Klein JAN. You do not have a choice when to dine, you are simply informed the night that the restaurant is ready for you. Experience The owners of Tswalu have invested very significantly in this restaurant and the themed approach. It clearly was a passion project, and commendation for such a brave undertaking. We were not overly familiar with the food of KJ, with the exception of France, but had seen from his PR that the thematic experience is as much about the journey and sight and senses as it is about the food. This is the case at KJ at Tswalu. However, without taking any of the excitement away from those who do like these types of experiences, it also felt a little bit like a theme park and perhaps is not targeted at all clientele. Food If taking in to consideration the location of the restaurant and probably the more than insurmountable challenges that the food sourcing and Chef must have, the food was very pleasant. The restaurant, an impressive design, and overall, the service quite agreeable. However, because of the thematic approach, everyone receives the same food at roughly the same time, there is no à la carte and, therefore, even if you are not in the mood to have certain courses, there really is no real choice. As such, the evening was far too long and we would have preferred to have left earlier and skipped some of the courses. Also, because of the thematic approach of the entire evening, guests were invited to on occasions to join a staff member to have a course explained, as one large group, the food, or cheeses. It felt it had changed from being a bespoke experience to a coach party which lost some of the authenticity and exclusivity if it had been done on a couple by couple basis. In addition, some of the staff clearly felt that they were serving in the best restaurant in the world and were slightly on the arrogant, opinionated side. If the meal is included within your room rate because you have booked for a certain number of nights, then do go and have the meal, but do so with your eyes open; and if there is any option to have à la carte or choose the food separately, then please do so. If, however, you have a choice, I would not suggest that you attend. That is not to critique the beautiful design, incredible architecture and investment that the family have made in Klein JAN, or the passion and enthusiasm applied by the Chefs to achieve something which would be very difficult in the location, but more that if you separate the 'theme' you probably would not choose the restaurant.

Thank you to everyone at Tswalu who made our trip so memorable. The attention to detail by the staff was incredible. Thank you to our host Tumi, our chef Sibu, and our incredible guide Matt and tracker T. You could feel that each staff member truly loved the reserve, whether it was through their interactions with guests or their dedication to conservation. The game drives were unbelievable - it is quickly obvious that you are on the largest reserve in South Africa. We went hours without seeing other cars. We saw all of the animals we hoped to see, including a live cheetah kill and newborn lion cubs. We hope to be back!

Tswalu - the name still sends shivers of excitement down my spine. Arriving at Fireblade and being cared for by Grace and Mpho was a real treat - they are both wonderful, and the food and wine were exquisite. We spent seven magical, incredible days at The Motse where the food and drink were outstanding, both in the lodge and atop the sand dunes! The guidance from Vuyani and tracking by Jackson were phenomenal, and the quality of the sightings was exceptional. We observed the meerkats from the Rockstars' first appearance of the day, before they warmed up and set off to forage, and we returned another evening as they went back to their burrow for the night. We followed cheetahs on a successful hunt, wild dogs returning to their playful pups, experienced the roar of lions, saw rhinos, and encountered an abundance of plains game, porcupines, bat-eared foxes, cape foxes, Damara mole-rats, and so much more. We learned a great deal about the incredible landscape and also abut the animal behaviour. Klein Jan was mind-blowing, but it's something you have to experience for yourself! You will certainly not be disappointed. We would love to return one day.

We didn't know what to expect when we booked our stay at Tswalu. A couple we met in Montana highly recommended it, they wanted to stay at Loapi, but it was not yet available. We booked Loapi at Tswalu and absolutely loved it! Our guide Ivan, tracker DT, butler Mo and chef Ridwaan were the BEST! The wildlife was incredible! Lions, zebras, giraffe, kudu, rhino, warthog and wild dogs! The wild dog puppies that left their den when we were there was amazing to see! Ivan and DT were extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife and so much fun! We really enjoyed the horseback ride, which was a very different adventure. And the Klein Jan restaurant was such an experience! I can't say anything more about Klein Jan because I don't want to spoil the surprise... Our last evening dinner with Ivan, DT, Mo and Ridwaan was a blast! Thank you everyone at Tswalu for such an amazing experience!