TSHWENE LODGE, WELGEVONDEN PRIVATE GAME RESERVE, WATERBERG

Tshwene — baboon — was not a name chosen lightly. After a site meeting, Dael climbed a tree to find cellphone signal and call the office. The troop across the ravine started barking at her, and she barked back. The conversation carried on through construction. The baboons stayed. So did we.

 

Five exclusive double suites perch among the dense woodland, each with expansive glass walls and lofty thatched ceilings that bring the treeline directly into the living space. The design dissolves the boundary between interior and bush — seclusion and immersion in equal measure.

 

Tshwene is designed for romance, intimacy and the particular magic of falling asleep to the sounds of the African wilderness.