A Spotlight on Sustainable Lodges

Tswalu is the largest private reserve in South Africa, with three lodges spread across 1200 square kilometres on the edge of the southern Kalahari. This extraordinary reserve offers an exclusive and immersive safari experience, with a focus on conserving biodiversity and celebrating the region's cultural heritage. 

The Tswalu Foundation has worked on habitat restoration across the vast 114,000-hectare reserve, scientific research and community partnerships that provide healthcare and education in the region. Tswalu also serves as a protected refuge for iconic Kalahari species such as black-maned lions, cheetah, aardwolf and pangolin. 

The luxurious safari camp offers a unique opportunity for wildlife lovers. Okonjima Reserve is home to the AfriCat Foundation, a conservation-focused research foundation that has been in operation since 1991. Initially, research centred around the cheetah and leopard, but this has since extended to include the landscape as a whole. 

Alongside game drives and nature walks, guests have the opportunity to join researchers tracking leopard, cheetah, pangolin or rhino, as well as visiting the research centre for an insight into the foundation's work. 

Borana Lodge is set in Laikipia, within a wildlife-rich conservancy that offers authentic wildlife and community experiences. As a member of The Long Run, a global membership of community-focused tourism businesses, Borana Lodge ensures conservation and community are at the forefront. Every stay at Borana contributes towards projects across the conservancy and local area.

Projects range from education programmes that fund bursaries and teachers, a mobile clinic to support medical care in the local community and conservation of the 92,000-hectare conservancy, which is home to a variety of species, including 273 rhinos.