Tswalu Loapi

Your private guide and tracker, experienced and adept at navigating the reserve’s network of dirt tracks and animal trails unblemished by tell-tale tyre tracks, are always on hand to interpret the signs of the wild and share the wonders of the southern Kalahari with you.

You will have front-row seats on your wildlife safari experience for sightings of six of the most elusive species in Africa: pangolin and brown hyena (which are also rare and endangered), aardvark, aardwolf and bat-eared fox, and African wild cat. Whilst you may not see all of them on your first visit, its a reason to come back!

Tswalu is renowned as a place to take excellent photographs of wildlife sightings and Kalahari landscapes, regardless of the weather or the season.

Much of Tswalu’s beauty can be found in the smaller details, which is best appreciated by getting off the vehicle. Then you will get up close to the ripples left by the wind on the crest of a sand dune, notice a yellow flower opening to face the sun, or be able to trace the tracks left in the sand by a porcupine digging for roots. A walking safari makes it possible to see these and other signs left in the wild that add to our understanding of this fascinating wilderness. Following the tracks of iconic Kalahari species, including cheetah, brown hyena and aardvark, adds to the thrill of exploring on foot.

Join a group of habituated meerkats as they emerge from their burrows and warm themselves in the rising sun or meet up with them as they return home at the end of the day and groom and play at dusk.

Tswalu provides protection for many valuable rock art sites, featuring rock engravings, cupoles and paintings of people, animals, birds and abstract shapes that document the culture and history of the San and other early inhabitants of this place. Whether created as memories, maps or self expression, a visit to one of these sacred sites with your guide and tracker is bound to be thought provoking.

An exhilarating way to appreciate Tswalu’s vast landscapes is on horseback. The open plains and rolling dunes are very different when experienced from the saddle. Suitable for competent riders, these fully guided excursions allow for immersive, even up-close, animal encounters that are not the same when experienced on foot or from a vehicle.

Spending a night in one of our star beds, either directly under the night sky or under canvas, is an adventurous way to appreciate the sights and sounds of the southern Kalahari after dark.

The Tswalu Foundation stemmed from the vision that Jonathan and Jennifer Oppenheimer had to provide a means of both encouraging and facilitating environmental research at Tswalu Kalahari. In 2009 this vision became a reality when the Foundation was created with seed money from the family being used as initial capital to fund various research projects on Tswalu. From its humble beginnings the Tswalu Foundation has grown into a world leader in the field of environmental research within the southern Kalahari and attracts research teams from across the globe. In order to generate income for research, a core objective of the Foundation has always been to stimulate interest amongst our staff and guests through ongoing interaction with both researchers and Foundation staff while visiting Tswalu.