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This stunning five suite homestead offers the option of exclusive use for a group of guests, or the accommodation of smaller individual groups. Two game viewing vehicles have been allocated to Tarkuni to keep the vehicle footprint minimal, and a maximum of two separate bookings will be accepted to ensure that each group has a dedicated vehicle, guide and tracker. The expansive living spaces including a vast veranda with a number of seating and dining areas, a pool and tsala. Indoors there is an airy sitting room with a double-sided fireplace that also heats the dining room and adjacent cellar. On the mezzanine level is a well-stocked library and games room. Upstairs, a stunning spa therapy suite offers guests the opportunity to indulge in the unique treatments of Tswalu’s award-winning safari spa experience. The new private suites include a spacious bedroom with king-size or twin beds, a luxurious bathroom with a bath and outdoor shower, and comfortable seating and study areas. Beds are dressed with exquisite cotton linen and romantic muslin nets. Sliding glass doors give guests vistas of the open savannah grasslands across to the Korannaberg Mountains. The suites embrace the natural outdoor experience with organic-shaped flowing outdoor decks off the bedrooms and the addition of natural Kalahari stone walls to add privacy and seclusion to each deck space. The sunny decks lead onto private terraces with outdoor star beds which can be made up for guests who would like to experience the thrill of sleeping under the stars. The colours and textures of the fabrics used throughout Tarkuni take their cue from the abundant hues of the surrounding natural palette. Natural fibres like stonewashed linens, hemp and cottons, have been selected to harmonise with the colours of the environment - the grasses, dunes and wildlife. In each suite and living space, artworks from the private collection of the Oppenheimer family have added a highly personal aesthetic to the villa. On the expansive main veranda spaces have been created for guests to relax on comfortable daybeds, occasional chairs, sofas and a hanging basket chair so that they can enjoy the views towards the waterhole, read a book, or doze off for the afternoon. A large fire-pit adds to the romantic southern Kalahari experience. Several indoor and outdoor dining areas provide opportunities for guests to dine privately or in groups. An outside boma creates a warm, inviting space around an open fire to feast on typically South Africa barbeque fare. On the veranda, a barbeque grill under cover and protected from the elements offers another outdoor dining option. A wine cellar has been built into the dining room wall, transforming the room into a complete wining and dining experience, with opportunities for wine tastings. Upstairs in the library, comfortable couches and a large square leather ottoman create a space that is conducive to conversation and a casual evening watching television or viewing the day’s game photographs on a smart TV with integrated media facilities. For the younger guests, this is an ideal space to play games while the adults linger at the dining table or around the boma fire.
Luxury suites
Tarkuni is an exclusive homestead which can accommodate up to 10 guests in 5 individual suites. Each suite has a king-size bed with exquisite cotton linen, and and en-suite bathroom.
Tarkuni
Tarkuni offers unparalleled safari accommodation for guests who want to travel in small groups. Guests can expect genuine indulgence and pampering and, with their own private vehicle, guide, and tracker, a completely flexible safari experience
Property Facilities
Accept Credit Cards, Air conditioner, Baby Sitting, Bar, Eco Friendly, Guided Tours, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service, Malaria Free, Meal On Request, Outdoor Pool / Pool Deck, Pool, Restaurant, Spa, Vegetarian
Room Facilities
Air Conditioning, Balcony / Deck, Bath Towels, Bath, Bed Linen, Complimentary Wi-Fi, Disabled Rooms, Dressing Gowns, Fan, Fireplace, Fridge, Heated Towel Rails, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Facilities, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Lounge Area, Mini Bar (Complimentary), Mini Bar, Mosquito Nets, Mosquito Netting, Outside Shower, Private Pool / Jacuzzi, Pure Cotton Linen, Safe, Sala, Shower, Tea / Coffee, Telephone
Available Services
Credit Card Facilities, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Private Vehicle (Available), Room Service
Activities on Site
Big 5, Bird Watching, Cooking Courses, Fine Dining, Game Drives, Game Viewing, Game Walks, Gourmet Picnic, Helicopter Scenic Flights, High Tea, Horse Riding, Massages, Safaris, Sleep Outs
Activities Nearby
Animal Encounters, Bird Watching, Child Friendly Activities, Game Drives, Game Viewing, Game Walks, Health and Fitness Centre, Hiking, Horse Riding, Horse-back Safaris, Night Drives, Rhino Tracking, Safaris, Walks (Guided)
Game drives are tailored to each guest and led by highly skilled guides and trackers trained in the ecology of the southern Kalahari. Exclusive access to the reserve ensures sightings are quiet and unrushed, with no competition from other vehicles. Guests are free to spend as much time as they wish observing animal behaviour, tracking movements, or simply absorbing the vastness of the landscape.
Immersive bush walks offer a slower, more intimate way to experience the Kalahari. Led by expert field guides, these walks focus on observation and interpretation — what guides describe as “reading the newspaper” of the reserve. Tracks in the sand, the scent of a tree in seasonal change, and subtle changes in the land reveal stories of movement, interaction, and survival. These walks invite guests to engage with the environment through all the senses, discovering how much life and meaning is held in every detail. For safety reasons, immersive bush walks are available to guests aged 16 years and older. Younger guests are invited to participate in specially designed, age-appropriate nature experiences as part of the Junior Ranger Programme. These include guided children’s walks, spoor identification, track casting and hands-on learning activities — offering a safe and engaging introduction to bush skills and wildlife interpretation.
Tswalu’s vast semi-arid landscape supports a remarkable diversity of birdlife, with more than 260 species recorded across the reserve. Guided birding experiences — from early-morning walks to focused drives — reveal iconic Kalahari species such as sandgrouse, bee-eaters, sociable weavers, and a variety of raptors and desert specialists. Birding at Tswalu offers both rewarding sightings and a deeper understanding of the southern Kalahari’s unique ecosystems, making it a compelling addition to the safari experience.
Tswalu is home to three habituated meerkat colonies, offering exceptional opportunities to observe these charismatic animals at close range. Early-morning visits to their burrows allow guests to watch daily routines unfold naturally without disrupting their behaviour.
Exploring Tswalu on horseback offers a rare sense of freedom and connection with the landscape, allowing riders to move quietly through the Kalahari and experience the reserve from a different perspective. Horseback riding at Tswalu is offered to intermediate and advanced riders only. Each ride is led by an experienced horse guide and supported by a backup rider, both equipped with a radio and a comprehensive first aid kit. Riders must be comfortable at trot and canter and able to control a horse independently. The weight limit is 100 kg. Trail saddles are used as standard, with a limited number of English saddles available on request.
With minimal light pollution and dry, crystalline air, the southern Kalahari offers some of South Africa’s clearest night skies. Stargazing may take place from a private deck, during an evening pause on a game drive, or from a chosen lookout in the dunes. Guides help identify constellations and share stories linked to the stars, from Southern Hemisphere astronomy to cultural interpretations rooted in local Kalahari tradition.
Tswalu’s photographic safaris offer a highly tailored way to capture the wildlife, landscapes and light of the southern Kalahari. Each booking includes a purpose-adapted photographic safari vehicle and a specialist photographic guide providing practical field assistance and tuition, supported by a tracker. Two hours of informal, classroom-style tuition and assistance with post editing in Adobe Lightroom in Motse’s Photographic Studio. This experience caters to photographers of all levels, from enthusiastic beginners to seasoned professionals, and offers a rare opportunity to refine skills in an exceptional wilderness setting.
- Available at an additional cost per day
- Advance booking is essential
- Minimum commitment of two days required
- Best suited for 1-2 guests per vehicle
Guests may visit ancient San engraving sites protected within the reserve. Tswalu provides protection for many valuable rock art sites, featuring rock engravings (petroglyphs), cupules and paintings of people, animals, birds, and abstract shapes that document the culture and history of the San and other early inhabitants of Tswalu. Guided visits reveal the cultural and spiritual significance of this landscape, offering a powerful reminder of the deep human history embedded in the Kalahari.
One of Tswalu’s unique experiences is starlit dune dining, set atop one of the reserve’s quiet red sand dunes. As the sun sinks behind the Korannaberg mountains, guests gather for an open air dinner shaped by seasonal ingredients, local flavours and the warmth of a wood-fired barbecue. Lantern light, star-studded Kalahari skies and the surrounding silence create an atmosphere found nowhere else, making each dune dinner an intimate celebration of place.
The Spa and Gym at The Motse provide both relaxation and stimulation for body and mind, with inspiration coming from the savannah views and the use of organic materials both in the construction of this space, and in the spa treatments.
The Tswalu Foundation exists primarily to support ecological research at Tswalu. Through accumulating a growing body of quality output on the fauna, flora and the unique habitat of the southern Kalahari we have been able to make informed conservation management decisions to better support our shared vision.
This information has been made freely available to our neighbours and other interested parties so that, as we seek to add to our shared understanding of this rich and diverse landscape, they too can care for their land in the best long-term interests of the wildlife and people of the Kalahari.
During your stay at Tswalu, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with researchers studying both iconic and more obscure species and witness scientific conservation in progress.
A balmy summer night is a perfect time to sleep under the stars in the middle of the Kalahari. The Malori is Tswalu’s under canvas experience with comfortable beds, an open-air bathroom and a spacious deck area for dining, dreaming and stargazing. ?
?Whether reserved for romance or for family bonding time, a Malori sleep-out is about tuning out so that you can soak up the solitude, tune into the silence and count shooting stars.? With comfortable beds, an open-air bathroom and a spacious deck area for dining, dreaming and stargazing, the tent is perfect for two but spacious enough to invite the family. The Malori sleep-out is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences you will never forget.?
A night at Malori needs to be booked in advance, carries an additional cost, and is offered subject to availability and prevailing weather conditions.
Children are welcome at Tswalu and the reserve is well equipped to cater for them. Tswalu believes that they too can be part of the conservation vision.
The youngsters will be introduced to the Junior Ranger programme and given a backpack with guides and tools to help them learn about the Kalahari. During their stay they will make their own bow and arrow for archery, learn how to identify spoor, and track game on foot.
From a late breakfast at the pool, a picnic in the dunes, a feast in the boma, or sundowners and snacks on your private deck... guests will delight in the delicious gourmet meals prepared by Executive Chef Marnus Scholly.
Every moment of every meal at Tswalu reflects the culinary heritage of South Africa and is carefully designed to be as inclusive as possible. Sustainability is key: we forage for Kalahari ingredients and work with local suppliers who share our low-impact ethos.
We believe that luxury is found in contextual, relevant flavours rather than wasteful over-abundance. Our food offering helps tell the story of Tswalu – it’s inspired by and captures the essence of the Kalahari.
Working in partnership with Michelin-starred South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, our chefs look to reinterpret the flavours they find around them and create unique taste touchpoints at every turn. Our choice of ingredients is only half the story; the context from which they come and in which they are served completes the picture.
Tswalu's wine list has been carefully selected from the best South African wines available.
All guests now have the once in a lifetime opportunity to experience Restaurant Klein JAN.
The opening of Klein JAN restaurant at Tswalu is the culmination of nearly three years of research by South African-born chef, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, into the culinary traditions and ingredients of the cultures and communities that call the Kalahari home.
His vision? To tell the stories of the Northern Cape region on every plate - stories rooted in the ancient wisdom of this remote, off-the-radar place of extremes and dramatic, vast landscapes. It is a region of South Africa where life is determined or measured by the absence or presence of rain, where resources in a year of plenty are carefully stored or preserved for leaner times.
Jan Hendrik felt an instant connection to the vastness of the Kalahari, and knew that the time had come to elevate the unsung heroes of the Northern Cape and their superior produce and products to their rightful place. Opening Klein JAN at Tswalu, rather than in South Africa’s foodie capital of Cape Town, added authenticity and sustainability clout to the venture, echoing the importance of local expression, provenance and procurement that Jan and his team have nurtured at Restaurant JAN in Nice, France, since it opened in 2013
