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It is the month of January – the height of summer in the Southern Hemisphere – and we find ourselves at Tswalu Lodge in the Kalahari Dessert, owned by the famous Oppenheimer family. The wider Kalahari is a massive, arid region of sandy, porous land which extends across much of southern Africa. The big sky is swollen with bulging dark grey clouds and the visceral smell of Africa infuses me like a long-lost elixir. Tswalu is South Africa’s largest private game reserve, covering an area of over 100,000 hectares and it is a sensory revelation. It takes us about 20 minutes to get to the lodge and from the moment I step into the opulent yet consciously understated reception area and lounge, I know this is not your common-or-garden game lodge. The décor and ambience resonate all that is Africa in terms of colour, design, tactile fabric and proportion. The lodge has been revamped recently by world-renowned interior designer Boyd Ferguson who made sure it retained its character – the high, thatched roof, the wide verandahs and the open-air feel is all part of the original design. Massive and luxurious leather couches, huge and interesting lamps with hues of soft lighting and the use of natural materials everywhere, make you feel like you are in the most luxurious African hut in the entire world. After a delicious light lunch it’s off to our, eh, “rooms” for a siesta. The main property, the Motse, nestles at the foot of the Korannaberg Mountains, facing westwards across the grasslands of the Kalahari. Motse means village in Tswana and the village consists of just eight spacious and secluded “legae” (another Tswana word, for “little house”) or suites. These legaes are built of local stone, rich red clay and traditional Kalahari thatch. Each suite comprises a spacious bedroom with an open fire, a humungous en-suite bathroom with both indoor and outdoor shower and a large dressing and study area. My private sun deck overlooks the African plains where a variety of curious antelope walk by meters from me. Two legae have been designed especially for families. Each offers two separate bedroom suites with their own en-suite bathrooms, separated by an expansive living room again leading on to a shady, private terrace. The Motse accommodates no more than 20 guests at any one time. An infinity pool at the main house offers an endless view over the savannahs and a secluded spa is designed to complete your total relaxation. The mezzanine library is equipped with satellite TV (the Motse also has full broadband Wi-Fi access throughout) and its museum cases display rare artifacts from the area. We all meet later for the high tea and an afternoon game drive but I opt instead to luxuriate in the surrounds and explore the immediate area. And anyway, there are rumours of rain… Later, after the game-driving guests had literally trickled in like drowned rats before luxurious baths no doubt, we are seated for dinner by candle light. I am joined by Jolyon De Wilde, a senior game ranger at Tswalu with loads of experience under his belt who regales me with tales of the unique piece of Africa surrounding us. Dinner is superb – steak done to perfection accompanied by good old fashion comfort food broccoli and cauliflower, sweet potatoes and a host of salads. The food here is unpretentious, made from the freshest ingredients and simply mouth-watering. And the service is, well, quite beyond reproach. The staff members are hand-picked, this is clear. They are discreet, genuinely helpful but more importantly, they exude an inner friendliness which cannot be taught. I get to bed early in anticipation of a wake-up call for the game drive at the unholy our of six ‘o clock. In the immortal words of Bart Simpson: “Do they have a six ‘o clock in the morning nowadays?” It turns out they do and we hit the road early. Jo tells me Tswalu offers sightings of some of southern Africa’s rarest and most extraordinary wildlife. In particular, their population of desert black rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis) now represents one third of South Africa’s remaining population. Kalahari lions are also found here with their unique black manes. Frequent cheetah sightings are possible in the open savannah and meerkats, with their enchanting antics, can be viewed at close range here. Sadly we do not spot these. Well, apart from the meerkats and their oh so gorgeous babies. | 
