Into the Red Kalahari

Cape Town · Franschhoek · Timbavati · Tswalu

14 NIGHTS14 NIGHTS

4 LODGES4 LODGES

FROM $59,998

Your journey, chapter by chapter

Chapter 1 · Days 1–4

Cape Town

Camissa House · 3 nights

Chapter 2 · Days 4–7

Franschhoek

La Clé Lodge · 3 nights

A curved lodge arrival area is framed by trees and stone walls, with warm light streaming through the foliage at sunset. A person walks along the entrance path toward the building.

Chapter 3 · Days 7–11

Tanda Tula

Tanda Tula Safari Camp · 4 nights

Chapter 4 · Days 11–15

Tswalu

Tswalu Loapi Lodge · 4 nights

You begin under a mountain and end in the quiet of the oldest desert on earth. Fourteen nights, four homes, two of the most private corners of the continent. Tanda Tula sits at the heart of it, where the Timbavati meets the Kruger and the bush does most of the talking. A journey built to unfold slowly, and leave you a little changed.

Think of this as a flavour of what's possible. Every journey is shaped around your party, your dates, your pace. Any lodge, night count, or activity can be swapped in or out.

An open-air lounge with cushioned seating and warm lighting overlooks a sandy riverbed and bushveld beyond. A large tree stands beside the deck under the evening sky.

At a glance

Fourteen nights across four homes: a city villa, a wine-estate lodge, the Tanda Tula suites, and the deep red of the Kalahari. The kind of journey that trades climates, textures, and rhythms so often, the contrast does the talking.

14 nights
4 lodges (3 partner)
Best season: May to October
Ideal for: First-time and seasoned safari travellers seeking contrast: city, wine, bush, desert

I. Cape Town: the approach

Camissa House, Cape Town · Days 1–4

Day 1: Arrival in Cape Town

You land at Cape Town International to a meet-and-greet, then a private transfer to Camissa House. The afternoon is yours. Shake off the flight over high tea on the terrace.

Day 2: Table Mountain and a cultural foodie walk

A full day with Escape+Explore. Up the cableway onto Table Mountain, then down into Bo-Kaap and the East City for a cultural food walk. Five tastings, one printmaker's studio, one very good cortado.

Day 3: The Cape Peninsula and the Waterfront

Chapman's Peak Drive south, then Boulders Beach and Cape Point at the far end. Home along the coast, with sundowners at the Silo on the way in.

Activities

Table Mountain cableway, Cultural food walk, Cape Peninsula drive, Boulders Beach penguins, V&A Waterfront

Included at this hotel

Breakfast, high tea, house beverages, Local dinner transfers (10km radius), Concierge service

II. Franschhoek: a valley in the mountains

La Clé Lodge, Franschhoek · Days 4–7

Day 4: Into the winelands

A gentle road transfer from Camissa to La Clé. Check into your Petite Room, settle in, and walk the estate before dinner at one of three on-site restaurants.

Day 5: The Sovereign Sips

A private tasting with Wine Fairy: four estates, three winemakers, one unforgettable pairing menu in a farmhouse dining room.

Day 6: At leisure

The day is yours to shape. A horseback ride through the vineyards, a long afternoon in the spa, a helicopter over the Cape Fold Mountains. The lodge arranges whichever calls you.

Activities

Private winelands tasting, Vineyard walks, Horseback riding (on request), Spa and pool, Three on-site restaurants

Included at this hotel

Bed and breakfast, Welcome drink, Community fee and tourism levy

A spacious main lounge with contemporary seating, a central fireplace, and warm pendant lighting. The bar area sits to the right, with guests seated at the counter and views out toward the surrounding bush.

A modern safari suite is surrounded by lush green bush and tall trees. A small private plunge pool sits on the deck, with a person relaxing in the water.

Guests are seated around warmly lit dining tables inside a modern lodge dining room. A staff member stands near the center while pendant lights and textured wall panels create an inviting atmosphere.

A long rectangular swimming pool glows blue at dusk beside a wooden deck with lounge chairs, umbrellas, and lanterns. The lodge building and surrounding trees are softly lit in the background.

III. Tanda Tula: the heart of the journey

Tanda Tula Safari Camp · Days 7–11

Day 7: Fly to the bush

Airlink from Cape Town to Hoedspruit. A road transfer through the Timbavati brings you into camp in time for the afternoon drive. The first sightings often find you before you've finished unpacking.

Day 8: The full safari rhythm

Coffee at first light. A long morning drive, then brunch on the deck. Siesta through the heat. Out again for the afternoon, with dinner under a canopy of stars. The famous white lions of the Timbavati are in residence this season.

Day 9: A day on foot

A morning on foot with an armed tracker: tracks, signs, the small detail. The same wilderness at a slower, quieter scale. A long lunch follows, and sundowners at a riverbed overlook as the light turns gold.

Day 10: Last light in the Timbavati

A last morning drive. Brunch, and the afternoon at your pace. A bush dinner in the boma around the fire, or a private dinner brought to your deck: whichever the evening asks for.

Activities

Twice-daily game drives, Guided bush walks, Night drives, Bush dinners and sundowners, Sustainability levy included

Included at this lodge

Full board, All activities, Selected beverages, Sustainability levy

IV. Tswalu: the red desert

Tswalu Loapi Lodge · Days 11–15

Day 11: Cross-country to the Kalahari

A road transfer to Hoedspruit, Airlink into Johannesburg, the Tswalu shuttle onto a private airstrip in the reserve. By late afternoon, a different Africa entirely: red dunes, dry air, long silences.

Day 12: Meerkats, pangolin, and black-maned lion

Your own guide and vehicle for every drive. Tswalu's private-vehicle model means you follow the sightings for as long as they hold. Meerkat, pangolin, black-maned lion: whatever the day gives, it gives only to you.

Day 13: Horseback or helicopter

Either will put the scale of a hundred thousand hectares into perspective. The horseback ride cuts across open plains with oryx and springbok. The helicopter covers the full reserve in two hours.

Day 14: A last desert night

A final sunset from a dune. Dinner at Klein JAN, the underground cellar-restaurant by Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen. The honey-lamb is the closer.

Activities

Private vehicle and guide, Walking safaris, Horseback riding, Bird watching, Klein JAN dining, Child-friendly programme

Included at this lodge

All meals, All beverages, All activities, Laundry

A flavour, not a menu

From $59,998

2 GUESTS SHARING · 14 NIGHTS

Shaped to you

This itinerary is where the conversation starts, not where it ends. Every trip we run is built around you: your party, your dates, your pace. Any stop, night count, or activity can be swapped.

Start the conversation

Frequently asked

Yes. Every journey is hand-built. Swap lodges, add or drop nights, pull the safari forward or push it back. Your travel consultant builds around you.

May to October is peak season for big game in the Timbavati. Tswalu is excellent year-round. The green season (November to March) is spectacular for birdlife and newborn antelope.

Tswalu is one of the most child-welcoming reserves in Africa, with a dedicated children's programme. Tanda Tula welcomes children of all ages in the Safari Camp, subject to a few activity age minimums.

Two Airlink flights and one shuttle. Cape Town to Hoedspruit, Hoedspruit to Johannesburg, then the Tswalu Kalahari shuttle into the reserve. All economy on Airlink.