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Buried beneath a dune, the Restaurant Klein JAN is positioned to take full advantage of the view without disturbing the deep roots of the ancient shepherd’s trees that grace the site. -
The journey down the spiral staircase into Klein JAN is a full sensory immersion, with the sound of cascading water, the smell of damp earth, cooler temperature and low-level, moody lighting. -
Beyond its functional purpose of storing food, the root cellar is a showcase of the “provenance” out of the Kalahari. The monastic simplicity of the space ensures that the colourful bounty lining the shelves remains the focus. -
Guests are greeted by a pastoral view of Boscia House, a diminutive 100-year-old Kalahari farmhouse. -
A period-style “Uithuis” (outhouse) was constructed adjacent to Boscia House from reclaimed materials that were sourced in the area. -
The interior of Boscia House has been sensitively restored, and furnished with vintage decor that takes visitors back in time. -
The cosy domestic scene inside Boscia is accompanied by the smell of freshly prepared food. -
The materials, colours and textures used at Tarkuni are a sophisticated and contemporary interpretation of the natural surroundings. -
The visual impact of the Tarkuni guest rooms is largely a result of architectural curves and soft, layered textures. -
The bathrooms are places of cool, luxurious simplicity. -
Tarkuni’s earthy design communicates an easy relationship with nature. -
The true luxury of Tarkuni is the way it provides an intimate experience of the views, sounds and scents of the bush. -
The Malori star bed presents a unique opportunity to sleep under canvas in blissful solitude in the middle of the southern Kalahari.
WORDS Biddi Rorke PRODUCTION Annemarie Meintjes PHOTOS Dook
A recent refurb at Tswalu Kalahari – the biggest privately owned reserve in South Africa – has given the Tarkuni Homestead a makeover that both looks to the future and honours tradition. And then there’s the breathtaking restaurant Klein Jan…
Remote, exclusive and eco-conscious – and complete with tawny desert sunsets – Tswalu Kalahari embodies all the elements of a memorable safari experience. The Oppenheimer family, committed conservationists and custodians of this tract of stark beauty for more than two decades, are driven by their intent “to leave our world better than we found it”. And they are succeeding.
Two camps – Motse and the private villa Tarkuni – shimmer graciously in the sun. We featured Motse in VISI #106; now we focus on Tarkuni, and the camps’ acclaimed Klein JAN restaurant. As with Motse, an artful revamp by multidisciplinary design practice Savile Row has given the spaces a fresh, contemporary feel that doesn’t compete with the dramatic landscape that unfurls around them.
READ MORE: Motse at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
As project architect and director Adrian Davidson explains, one of the key reasons for the renovation was to invite more light into the Tarkuni homestead, and to create a more connected flow between the indoor and outdoor living spaces.“We drew inspiration from the surrounding fauna, using a palette of earthy tones and dusty botanical greens for muted, cool, simple interiors,” he says. “There’s nothing fussy or layered in our approach – we wanted the extraordinary vistas to be the hero of the site.”
Thanks to a few well-considered tweaks, a gnarled boscia (shepherd’s tree) has become the focal point at the entrance. The en suite bathrooms are filled with light, and the once-oversized pool has been pared down in keeping with the reserve’s overarching eco-conscious ethos.
In addition, the boma, with its low, stone-packed walls, has been relocated to the front of the five-bedroom exclusive-use villa.
The real architectural marvel at Tswalu is undoubtedly Klein JAN, the 20-seater destination restaurant set in a modest Victorian farmhouse on the Kalahari plains. Spearheaded by Michelin- star chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, this gourmet hub combines seasonal heritage food with culinary traditions (such as fermentation and preservation). Jan Hendrik’s rural roots (he was raised on a farm in Mpumalanga) are evident in both the architectural and culinary details.
READ MORE: Local Travel Destinations
As Adrian explains, the brief for Klein JAN entailed extending and including the humble 100-year-old Boscia House building without changing any of its features. “It must look like Ouma has just stepped out to hang up the washing, and you can smell the food she is preparing on the stove,” said Jan Hendrik at the concept stage.
The end result is nothing short of magical theatre. Patrons are led behind the modest building towards a re-created corrugated-iron reservoir. Here, a concealed door serves as a portal to another world: a helical timber-and-steel staircase leads down to a fully submerged larder and dining space. The 20-metre-long subterranean storehouse buried below the ochre sand is a sensual feast of raw, cured and preserved ingredients. “It’s a ceremonial procession,” says Adrian. “In the distance, Jan Hendrik’s grandmother’s original coal stove stands like an altar, complete with pots of fragrant soup that evoke feelings of nostalgia.”
of the Kalahari landcape.
From there, guests move to the glass-fronted dining room, which has been cut into the hillside. “The decision to set the restaurant into the earth was not only to create an element of surprise, but also to harness the known benefits of ‘thermal lag’ found in pit architecture,” Adrian says.
The restaurant celebrates modern Kalahari cuisine, and champions local, independent organic producers, farmers and artisans who align with Klein JAN’s sustainable ethos. “The order of spaces and experiences evolved to mirror Jan Hendrik’s personal culinary journey,” Adrian explains. “The humble Boscia homestead represents his traditional past; the restaurant represents an exciting future.” | tswalu.com
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