The Kalahari Desert had been on our radar for a while. This area in the Northern Cape of South Africa near Botswana is a special place. It is said to be one of the rare places to see some elusive animals like pangolins, aardvarks, aardwolves, bat-eared foxes, and brown hyenas.
Why we chose the Motse Safari Camp
There are a number of camps in the Kalahari area but as we researched these, we felt that the Motse Lodge would best fit our needs. It is part of Tswalu which is advertised as the largest private game reserve in South Africa.
There is also a tented camp option that was considered more exclusive (and pricier) with private chefs and butlers, but we thought we’d prefer the formula of a lodge. We had been freezing in a tent in Botswana on a prior trip and kind of liked the idea of a lodge with a fireplace for those cold desert nights.
Getting there
We booked directly with the Tswalu team who helped organize our transfer to and from Johannesburg with Fireblade Aviation. Turns out, they actually own the airline too.
Since we were coming from another camp and it was not possible to organize a transfer directly from one camp to another, we spent a night at the Joburg Airport Intercontinental Hotel. This was convenient as the charter airlines all pick up from the hotel lobby and transfer you to the satellite air terminals. The flight would get us there in time for afternoon game drive.
Flying Fireblade to get to Tswalu was just as good if not better than FedAir with a private and comfortable VIP lounge offering up complementary drinks and snacks. Our plane was a small twin engine Beechcraft Aircraft. We were alone on the plane except for a musician and staff member from the camp. Like rock stars!
After a short 2-hour flight we were at the Tswalu airstrip where we were met by our guide Reece and tracker DT. At Tswalu, everyone gets a dedicated team with a private jeep. A nice touch!
The drive to the Motse was a short 20 minutes or so and we arrived at the lodge where Emanuel the camp’s manager met us and gave us a brief orientation before walking us to our suite (or legea). More about that later.
The game drives
What’s different in the Kalahari compared to other destinations is the sheer vastness of the park. It’s the largest private reserve in South Africa at almost 300,000 acres.
Unlike other game concessions where you drive around looking to find sightings, here we set an objective in the morning and headed off in a given direction to find a target animal. We would spend much of the day searching for the sighting before heading back.
Game drive times vary with the seasons and since all the guests have private vehicles with a dedicated guide and tracker there was a lot of flexibility. We typically headed out just a bit before sunrise at 7am for the morning drive often returning at 11:30am or 12pm. We then headed out again around 3:30pm for an afternoon drive and stayed out for sundowners followed by some night safari with a spotlight as we headed back to camp for dinner around 6:30pm or 7pm.
Meerkats
Another interesting aspect was that Tswalu employs what they call “habituators”. For example, one woman we met was a meerkat habituator. She would spend the day in the presence of a mob of meerkats to get them used to humans. This would allow the guests to get closer to these shy creatures for photos and observation.
A byproduct of this was that the meerkats were starting to feel even more secure in the presence of humans than being alone! Birds of prey and predators are much less likely to approach when humans are present. An interesting take on a symbiotic relationship. We also learned that these vulnerable creatures actually have separate alarm calls for threats from above or from the ground. They were also really cute!
Cheetah mom with cubs
One morning we set out to see a cheetah that was known to have cubs. The key, Reece said, was to get there early before it got too warm and the mother might head out on a hunt. We dropped DT off in a huge block of land where we had seen the tracks going in across the road. Sure enough, after about an hour of searching we got a call on the radio and sped over to have a look. We came upon the cheetah mom with her three young cubs that were barely 3 months old.
The rambunctious cubs were trying to catch mom’s tail and chew on her hind paws. We sat for well over an hour by ourselves watching as they got used to the jeep.
Two of the cubs came within a few feet of us to investigate before mom’s chirps and purrs called them back. What a wonderful sighting!
Rare animal encounters
While we often headed out with a specific sighting in mind. You never know what the bush may reveal to you. Once we saw some movement out of the corner of our eyes, our tracker and ranger were excited and said that an aardvark had run across the road and darted into its burrow. Neither of us saw it and this clearly showed us we had to pay attention every second! Soon after we saw a rare mole rat on the way back to the camp. But it quickly scurried off.
Kalahari black-maned lions
One day we headed out for well over an hour’s drive looking for black-maned male lions. Our tracker saw all manner of tracks crisscrossing the road and we sat by as the vehicle stopped and started circling back and forth as DT tried to separate the fresh tracks from the old ones.
Eventually they led into a thicket of thorny bushes, and we thought for sure the search was over. Nonsense, Reece said, as he steered the Land Rover into the thick underbrush driving over trees and bushes while DT moved onto the hood.
The thorny bushes tried to steal our blankets and clothes with their hooks, but the vehicle pushed on following the tracks. After about 20 minutes of off-roading our way over trees, rocks, and stumps, DT pointed and said there!
Sure enough, a mating pair of lions were right up ahead. Funny thing, they were right on the side of the road!
We watched them for a good hour, mating, growling, and sleeping. It made all the effort worthwhile.
Searching for rhinos
Another day our quest was to find a rhino. As we headed out to the far end of the game reserve where they had heard of sightings, we bundled up for the early morning cold. The road took us over hills where we had a good vantage point of the valley below.
On one such spot, our tracker DT said he saw what looked like a moving rock (a rhino in other words). We followed through the underbrush again driving over bushes and small trees and came upon a huge white rhino. We found another one grazing on the side of the road! Not bad, two rhinos in one day.
The bush delivers, even on rainy days
On our last day we headed out with a packed lunch on what would be a full day outing to the furthest corner of the reserve to search for two sister cheetahs. The weather was miserable, raining all day and freezing cold. Even with our layers and the supplied blankets and the ponchos we threw in the towel after a few hours. Who knew it would rain so much in the desert! The day was not a complete bust though. On the way back to camp we spotted a rare brown hyena!
Elusive pangolins
One of our goals in coming to Tswalu was to see pangolins. On the website you see pictures of people around pangolins on a nice summer day. Our guide told us that it’s almost impossible to see them, but they have one that is part of a research project that has a GPS tracker on it. Our tracker DT set out to locate it one evening as they are nocturnal. He succeeded in finding it, but it was underground in its burrow. We headed out in the hopes of catching it making an evening exit and found DT deep on a grassy area maybe 500 meters from the road.
We headed in on foot with flashlights thinking, hmm, aren’t there cobras here? We stood on that field freezing for 90 minutes before giving up on that shy pangolin. Somewhere in that time as we looked up at the star-filled sky I thought to myself: Aren’t there black rhinos here too? And poisonous snakes? I once felt a two-inch armored bush cricket climbing up my blanket and shook it off. Soon after we decided we would give up the wait.
Southern Kalahari Desert
We had expected the Kalahari to be quite dry and barren. We were surprised to find so much greenery and rain. It even snowed one evening! The lodge explained that while the Kalahari could be dry in Namibia and Botswana, this area in South Africa was considered the ‘Green Kalahari’.
We did feel that the long rides were quite barren, and it felt like we drove far and fast for our sightings most of the time. We did see bat-eared foxes, warthogs, mongooses, baboons, and more including lots of oryx, a beautiful antelope which we had also seen in Namibia but is rare in other parts of Africa.
We also saw quite a few beautiful colorful birds as well as ostriches, a kori bustard, eagles, and owls. We even spotted a special yellow variant of the crimson breasted shrike, which our guide Reece got really excited about and shared on a guide group getting all kinds of likes.
Unfortunately, we didn’t even get a glimpse of that aardvark that sped across the road in front of the jeep, or any aardwolf or pangolin. Our guide/ranger who had been there for many months said these sightings were very rare and even he had not seen them after months of daily game drives.
We came early in June, and the grass was still quite tall making it that much harder to find the animals. That said, we had a great tracker who amazingly enough was able to find the animals even in difficult circumstances. It’s hard to pick a perfect time around multiple destinations but if you’re planning to visit the Kalahari we’d recommend coming a bit later in the winter. Perhaps July would be ideal if you don’t mind the cold!
Tswalu Motse Safari Camp
The Motse is made up of just nine private bungalows including three family suites. The suites are huge and beautifully decorated. We had suite number 6 which was not far from the lobby and restaurant area and had a partial view of the watering hole.
A huge door frames the entrance where you find a well-stocked minibar and a barista quality coffee maker capable of making varieties of cappuccinos and espressos. The machine grinds beans for each serving. Nice! A huge jar of cookies, date bars, and other treats was also provided and restocked daily.
The king size bed complete with heating pad, thick comforter and crisp sheets was very comfortable. They would do a turn down service complete with a mosquito net over the four-poster bed frame. And they would leave a box of homemade chocolates on the bed and prepare the kindling for the wood stove. Nice touch!
There was ample lighting with USB plugs on the headboard for charging our phones. The woodstove on the side of the bed was a nice addition for those cold evenings and we did end up using it nightly. A couple of lounge chairs next to the fire made it a great place to warm up.
Next to that was a separate room with a desk area and another lounger. This proved to be a good place to setup camera gear and to review our pictures.
His and hers closets leading into the massive bathroom had ample shelves and a small safe. The bathroom had dual sinks, a huge tub, indoor and outdoor showers and a toilet area in a separate room. Insect repellant, sunscreen and after-sun lotion were there for our use, and they even supplied lens wipes for glasses and camera. A nice touch even if we would not leave it to chance.
There was plenty of hot water and lots of fluffy towels. A good supply of filtered water was provided, and we used that for both drinking and brushing our teeth. When we arrived, we asked the manager if the water was ok for us and he said he usually gets used to it after about 5 days. Enough said!
The decorations were beautiful too with bathroom lamps in the shape of birds’ nests and a map of the camp on the ceiling of the four-poster bed. The raised thatched roof was about 30 feet tall with lots of lighting. There are three individually controlled split heating/cooling systems to warm or cool the place. We really appreciated the heater in the bathroom, especially on those cold mornings.
The outdoor area was equally impressive with a huge two-level lounging deck with a sitting area complete with couch, table and two chairs. Lower down was a separate section with two lounge chairs. We sat out there during the day watching birds approach the resident watering hole.
We had told them we were celebrating our birthdays, and they were kind enough to leave us a couple of hand drawn and signed artwork pieces as a gift. Very thoughtful and very nice.
Motse Main Camp
The common areas were also large and nicely decorated. There are various sitting sections both inside and outside for the common dining area. There is also a separate outdoor boma.
A multilevel area has two pools and various spots that had firepits and sitting areas. We froze our hands testing the temperature of the water but actually saw someone swimming in there one day doing laps. A brave soul.
The camp itself was really very nice. On the scale of other luxury camps, we’ve stayed at, it was right up there near the top with all the creature comforts one would expect, and more.
Aside from seeing huge corn crickets everywhere outside, the rooms themselves were bug free which is never a given in Africa. We expect they spray regularly.
The Motse staff were also great, and we had a wonderful time. Everyone was really nice and went out of their way to make our stay special.
The food
There certainly wasn’t any lack of food here. All measure of snacks and cookies and cakes before, during, and after the game drives was provided. We could not keep up and ended up passing on some of the snack times and breakfasts and lunches just because we were too full!
Our first night they did a dinner in the outdoor boma which was delicious. There were the usual flame broiled meats as well as fresh salads and wonderful vegetable dishes. We loved the Zulu cabbage which was prepared in a traditional way by one of the resident chefs.
One evening they took us to an old farmhouse that had been converted into a fine dining establishment called the Boscia. There used to be a famous Klein restaurant, but unfortunately this had been flooded, and the main dining area was still under renovations, so dinner was held in Boscia instead.
For us, it was a bit over the top with a handwashing ceremony and a presentation about the farm, the building, and what the chef was trying to achieve with each of the courses. Each dish was paired with a wine (for non-drinkers they had even made 6 different nonalcoholic pairings!) Ultimately, I think it was intended as a way of presenting traditional Kalahari flavors and ingredients in an authentic manner.
Most nights the Motse Camp chef made a good selection of dishes for us with starters, salads, soups, entrées, and an always delicious dessert! They even made a beautiful birthday cake for us which was a nice surprise.
One day, we drove to a hilly section of the park for our sundowners. Waiting for us was a fancy spread of cheeses, biltong, and even some of the local melons that had been candied. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset in good company. They had a modified Land Rover that they called the ‘Bush-Bar’ that housed all the necessities. It gave new meaning to having sundowners in style. So thoughtful!
Other activities
We didn’t see the gym but saw that there was a spa menu in the room. We really came for the animals and with the 7am departures and 3pm afternoon drive followed by dinner there was really not a lot of extra time for anything. You would definitely not see us missing a game drive for a massage but to each their own. There were also supposed to be some rock engravings, but our ranger said these were inaccessible.
Overall conclusion and parting thoughts
We enjoyed our time at the Tswalu Motse Camp in the Kalahari Desert. The sheer vastness of the park is in itself impressive, and the warm hospitality of the people made the experience truly enjoyable. Add to that the encounter with the habituated meerkats, the black-maned lions, a family of bat eared foxes, and the brown hyena, we got to see sightings we would probably not see anywhere else.
While the website shows the Elusive 5: aardvark, aardwolf, pangolins, bat-eared foxes and brown hyenas, the guides told us these are extremely rare, for the most part nocturnal, and even they had only seen them a handful of times.
An aardvark did run across the road in front of the moving jeep, but we missed it. However shortly after, we did manage to observe the mole rat which was again a unique nocturnal animal endemic to this area.
We also spent over an hour freezing in the cold one night in the middle of a pitch-black field hoping to see a pangolin, but to no avail. I’m not sure that many guests get to see these elusive creatures, even at Tswalu but we understand that nature sightings are never guaranteed.
We were also surprised to hear about the use of tracking collars, and to see one on the mother cheetah. I don’t think that the guides have access to the data, but it does seem intrusive.
The Tswalu Private Wildlife Reserve is self-contained, so they know to a pretty good degree which animals are present. They told us that they introduce new male lions to mix up the gene pool, but it still seemed that the overall number of animals was smaller than other parks we have visited such as the general Kruger area, the Masai Mara, Serengeti, and Okavango Delta. For example, in the Kruger area many of the private reserves share an unfenced border with the national park allowing much more freedom of movement for the larger population of animals.
We also felt a bit unprepared. We should have brought a proper winter coat, a good hat and thermals. It was actually snowing one night as we made our way to our room. Because the sites are quite far apart, the drives in the open jeep were very cold, even with the hot water bottles and ponchos and blankets provided and placed over all our layers.
We also should have brought boots or hiking shoes for walking out into those grassy areas on foot. Be prepared for the cold if you come in May or June and we were told that July and August were even colder. In fact, the beginning of June was a bit early to visit as the grass was still long making it harder to spot animals. It would be a tradeoff regarding the extreme cold of July and August with having a clearer view of the terrain.
Having spent 5 nights here as part of their 5 for 4 promotion we felt that we had experienced the camp doing all the activities we had hoped to do. We could probably have done the highlights in 3 or 4 nights, and they sometimes have 4 for 3 specials as well. The camp itself was beautiful, and we were even told that new renovations and new décor were coming.
Would we recommend it? Yes, but maybe more for those that have been on safari before and want to experience something different. First-time safari-goers might feel like they missed out with no elephants and no leopards present. Also, there aren’t any hippos or crocodiles. We didn’t see the large herds of buffalo or impalas we’d seen in other safari destinations although we did see a few wildebeests, kudus, elands, springboks, many giraffes as well as small herds of oryx.
We left Tswalu having experienced many special moments in the Kalahari Desert. Those meerkats were just adorable, as were those three curious cheetah cubs, just to name a couple. We had a wonderful time and have fond memories of the people, the camp, and the beautiful scenery of the Green Kalahari Desert.