Jembisa
Jembisa is a small and stylish bush home in the heart of the beautiful Waterberg that specialises in family safaris.
The lodge was built from local stone and thatch to create a sense of harmony with its surroundings. The large, spacious bedrooms are decorated with natural materials and a contemporary take on colonial style. There is a separate children's bunkroom allowing adults privacy and children independence and space to play, and cots are available for the youngest visitors.
The resident chef prepares delicious meals using fresh local ingredients and seasonal produce form the organic kitchen garden. A wide range of drinks are always available along with wines from the finest South African estates.
Things to do besides relaxing include swimming in the natural saltwater pool; tennis on the floodlit court; an avocado oil massage on the sundeck; bush walks on the trail of rhino or a traditional game drive, day or night, in open Land Rovers. Game on the reserve includes rhino, leopard, brown hyena, hippo and crocodile, with opportunities on night drives to see aardvark, civet cats and porcupines.
Why We Love It
Dining locations vary: there are picnics in the bush, dinners under the stars, lunch on the terrace and al fresco poolside breakfasts.
Tswalu
Tswalu is a private, malaria-free game reserve situated in the Kalahari wilderness of South Africa's Northern Cape Province.
Tswalu accommodates guests in two stylish, rustic camps. The 'Motse' built in the style of a small African village, sleeps a total of 20 guests in eight thatched bungalows (including two family suites). Tarkuni is a separate bush home set in its own private area of the reserve and booked on an exclusive basis only. It accommodates twelve, and is ideal for families or groups of friends. All rooms come with en suite bathrooms, private sun decks and open fireplaces, and both camps have swimming pools and overlook waterholes.
Activities at Tswalu include game drives, bushwalks, tracking black rhino on foot, archery, hot-air ballooning and horse riding. Night drives are also available, and there is a high-powered telescope for stargazing. For adults, there are visits to Bushman rock art sites, a good wine cellar and a variety of spa treatments and massages.
Why We Love It
This is the biggest private game reserve in South Africa, covering 100,000 acres of beautiful grassy plains and rolling, red-sand dune veldt, with the Korannaberg Mountains as a backdrop.