What’s my eco-friendly bucketlist trip post CV19?
My dream trip is to Tswalu Kalahari in South Africa’s Kalahari Private Game Reserve. Private flight straight from Cape Town to the lodge. With only 14 rooms over 2 camps, The Motse and Tarkuni, it’s the perfect size for taking in the surroundings. I will spend their days exploring the sweeping plains and grasslands on game drives, horseback riding, and even taking private helicopter tours. A diverse range of wildlife is protected here at Tswalu, one of South Africa’s largest private game reserves, including many rare and critically endangered species and five of the most elusive species in Africa. There are 85 mammals and 264 bird species at Tswalu, and many reptiles, insects and butterflies, offering opportunities for extraordinary sightings and encounters while on safari. Many of the animals on the reserve are dry savanna specialists, well adapted to the harsh conditions of the savanna biome with its extreme temperatures and scarcity of water in the winter months.
Wellness is an increasingly sought-after aspect of today’s traveller. Tswalu offer the whole spectrum. Their skilled spa therapists are there to work their magic with reviving face and body treatments in the cool, calm sanctuary of one of two treatment suites at the Motse or in Tarkuni’s private, upstairs spa suite. Treatments are available at any time, even in the evenings. The spa uses two proudly South African, eco-conscious product ranges, Katavi and Just Pure, in line with Tswalu’s ethic of sustainability and vision to leave the world better than how we found it.
Flooded with natural light, the gym at the Motse is air-conditioned and equipped with Technogym apparatus, free weights and a mat area for stretching, Pilates or Yoga.
Award winning chef, the first Michelin star to be rewarded to a South African restaurant in 2016, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, oversees the lodge’s sustainable dining program – cooking with ingredients procured from local suppliers or foraged right from the land makes for low-impact indulgence. From breakfast in the bush to dinner under the night sky, it’s all happens here.
Sustainable travel: 3 Vital Questions:
- Would I have contributed to local conservation? – YES
- Would I support local communities? – YES
- Would I preserve the cultural and natural heritage? – YES
Wilma Rossouw