Journeys · South Africa · Botswana
Kalahari Red & Delta Green
The red dunes of the Tswalu Kalahari and the green water-world of the Okavango — two wildernesses that could not be less alike, joined by light aircraft and bookended by golf.
Highlights
- Tswalu Kalahari — South Africa's largest private game reserve
- Habituated meerkats at sunrise and rare desert black rhino
- Gliding the Okavango Delta by mokoro dugout canoe
- A round at the Gary Player Country Club, host of Sun City's 'Africa's Major'
Best months
Mar · Apr · Oct · Nov
Floating in a mokoro through lily channels the morning after the red silence of the Kalahari.
What's on the card — and where you'll sleep
Where you'll stay
- The Palace of the Lost City, Sun City — Sun City, 1 night
- Tswalu Kalahari — The Motse — Tswalu Kalahari Private Game Reserve, 4 nights
- Mombo Camp, Okavango — The Okavango Delta, Botswana, 4 nights
Every property is hand-picked from our register of fifty-two — none paid for, none reciprocated. See the options for this region →
Where you go, and why
Sun City
Land in Johannesburg and transfer straight into Sun City, South Africa's famous resort in the bushveld. Open the trip with a round at the Gary Player Country Club — the nearly-8,000-yard monster that hosts the Nedbank Golf Challenge, 'Africa's Major' — and dare the famous crocodile pit guarding the 13th green at its sister Lost City course if you've energy left.
STAY The Palace of the Lost City, Sun City
Tswalu Kalahari Private Game Reserve
A private plane carries you northwest into the southern Kalahari, to the largest private game reserve in South Africa — over 100,000 hectares of grass-gold dunes that blush crimson at dusk. Sit metres from a colony of wild, habituated meerkats as they warm themselves at sunrise; track desert black rhino on foot with an armed guide; and dine alone under the desert sky at a lantern-lit dune dinner. There is no golf here. You won't miss it.
STAY Tswalu Kalahari — The Motse
The Okavango Delta, Botswana
Another short flight, and the world turns green: the Okavango is a 15,000-square-kilometre inland delta where a river chooses to end in the Kalahari sands instead of the sea. Explore it the old way — poled silently through lily channels in a mokoro dugout canoe — plus by boat and game vehicle, among elephants, red lechwe antelope and some of Africa's last wild dogs. Camps here have fewer than twelve tents; the silence is part of the luxury.
STAY Mombo Camp, Okavango
Maun → home
One last low flight over the Delta's braided channels and island game trails — the aerial goodbye that has booked more return trips than any brochure we've ever printed.
Every journey is a starting shape, not a fixed product — add nights, swap lodges, bring the Gallery. Guide price per person sharing, excluding international flights; confirmed precisely in writing before you commit.
Asked before you booked
How much does Kalahari Red & Delta Green cost?
Guide price is from US$13,800 per person sharing, excluding international flights. For an exact figure, use the Price a Private Version tool — adjust the nights, rounds and experiences and our quoting engine returns your private price, checked by a specialist, usually within one working day.
How many rounds of golf are on this journey?
2 rounds are built in — Gary Player Country Club, Sun City. Every round can be kept, swapped or dropped when you price your private version.
Can my non-golfing partner come?
Absolutely — this is the heart of how we design. While the golfers play, the Gallery programme runs parallel experiences (game drives, spas, wine, walks, markets), and everyone reunites for lunch or sundowners. Non-golfers never sit out a day.
When is the best time to take this journey?
Best months are Mar · Apr · Oct · Nov. We will be honest about the trade-offs of any month you are considering — every season has its version of this trip.
Where will we stay?
Exact, named properties at every stop — on this journey: The Palace of the Lost City, Sun City, Tswalu Kalahari — The Motse, Mombo Camp, Okavango. Every property is hand-picked from our register; none paid for, none reciprocated.
Do I need a visa for South Africa?
Most UK, US, EU, Canadian and Australian passport holders get a free visitor visa on arrival for stays up to 90 days. We confirm the current rules for your nationality when you book.
Is there malaria on this trip?
Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route are completely malaria-free. The Kruger lowveld carries a low seasonal risk — we will advise on simple precautions — and if you prefer zero risk, we can route your safari to malaria-free reserves like Madikwe, Shamwari or Gondwana instead.
What is the weather like for golf?
The Cape plays best from October to April — long, dry summer days. The Kruger and the highveld are at their best for safari in the dry winter months, May to September. Most of our South African journeys work year-round; we will time yours to what matters most to you.
Tell us how you want to feel when you come home.
We'll build the wild, and the golf, around that — and nothing else.
Design your safari Speak to us