TSWALU KALAHARI GAME RESERVE

Located in South Africa’s Kalahari Desert, Tswalu is South Africa’s largest private game reserve, covering an area of just under 250,000 acres.

Tswalu is not only home to a unique desert habitat, but it also provides an extremely remote and high quality safari experience in a malaria-free area. Only thirty guests at one time can traverse across this unique landscape. The southern Kalahari receives more rain than the Central Kalahari in Botswana, which is why this area is often referred to as the “Green Kalahari”. The rains are followed by an eruption of lush green grass and golden flowers. Tswalu’s amazing wildlife and magical wilderness are enriched by the owner’s passion for conservation and dedication “to restore the Kalahari to itself.”

Beginning in September, temperatures rise as South Africa transitions into summer. Summer lasts for almost six months, from November to March, bringing warm days, comfortable nights, and scattered thunderstorms. Antelope give birth in the early summer months, and migrating birds arrive during this time of plenty. From April to May South Africa transitions into winter. Green grasses left behind by summer’s rains dry out by June, when winter is in full swing and temperatures drop. As the winter landscape continues to dry out the vegetation thins. This provides excellent wildlife viewing opportunities due to increased visibility into the bush.

Sightings of some of South Africa’s most rare and extraordinary wildlife occur at Tswalu, including black rhino, black-maned Kalahari lions, and meerkats. It is also home to more shy, elusive creatures, such as the aardvark, aardwolf, pangolin, and porcupine. Sightings of these creatures become even more common during the winter. Tswalu’s vast, open landscape provides great sightings of cheetahs and rare antelopes such as roan, sable, and tsessebe.