Tsolwana Game Reserve

Giraffe in Tsolwana Game Reserve

Nestled against the northern slopes of the Winterberg Mountain range at the edge of the Karoo, Tsolwana Game Reserve lies between Cradock and Queenstown, near Tarkastad. It is situated in a mountainous area with its grassy plains and acacia thornveld home to a wide variety of wildlife that makes game viewing one of the major draw cards to Tsolwana.

The reserve derives its name from the Xhosa word ‘spike’, which refers to a 1.9 metre conical shaped hill that sits prominently in Tsolwana Game Reserve. The reserve is home to a range of wild life that includes the white rhino, giraffe, eland, blesbok, mountain reedbuck, Cape mountain zebra and springbok. Tsolwana Game Reserve is regarded as having some of the best plains game viewing possible.

Hiking through the reserve can either be game ranger led or you can venture out on your own, and trails tend to follow game tracks and gravel roads, although routes can be adapted for any group’s needs. The trails range in length from a couple of hours to a two-day overnight trail in the western part of the reserve. Hiking does allow one full benefit of the incredible views in Tsolwana, including some extraordinary rock art sites and crisp river swimming.

The reserve is an ideal outdoor experience, managing to easily combine game viewing with other outdoor encounters such as horse riding, and mountain trails and beautiful scenery.