On the Road: South Africa

By Darren Humphreys

Watching Soren stand still as a statue in hopes the nearby family of meerkats would drop their high-alert status was a true test of four-year-old patience. His eager anticipation melted our hearts. His reward was an immersion into the African bush as the meerkats began to move freely within feet of him. Our reward was watching our youngest gain confidence with each new situation he encountered—even within the animal kingdom!
 
Tswalu, translates to “a new beginning”. During our time at this private game reserve, we experienced just that. Our stay provided opportunities for Soren to navigate new circumstances, meet people whose English was not their first language, and who looked and dressed differently. These experiences bolstered his understanding of a world outside of our New England town.
 
Soren visited a Montessori school, funded by the Tswalu Foundation, established for the children of the local community. Here, Soren felt at home with familiar toys, books, and games. He relished the attention he received from his peers in the class he joined. They mirrored his actions on the playground and shared silly smiles and games of tag. As a second child, Soren typically shadows his older brother’s behavior. He was pleasantly surprised to have the tables turned on him and a gaggle of kids imitating his every move.
  
For wildlife viewing, we could choose both guided walking safaris and riding horseback through the bright ochre-colored Kalahari landscape. Our talented tracker, William, and ranger, Calamari, bonded with Soren from the first game drive and made an effort to connect with him on his level. They promptly named him “Mr. Safari” and pointed out a local “unicorn” on the reserve, which was an oryx with only one horn. One of Soren's highlights was tracking a lion and making a mold of its paw print as a keepsake.
 
Tswalu has always held a special place in our hearts, and we are thrilled they are soon expanding their offerings to include Loapi Tented Camp. Having seen this property firsthand, we are confident this fully self-contained experience will be the pinnacle of family travel. Surrounded by the vast savannah grasslands, the wilderness found in “the space below the clouds” is unparalleled and offers unique wildlife that includes aardvarks and endangered pangolins.
 
Let us incorporate monumental moments of discovery for your family.