The Tuli region in southeastern Botswana consists of the Tuli Block, a 10 km wide strip of land that runs for 180 kms along the Limpopo River from Martin’s Drift Border Post eastwards, and the Northern Tuli Game Reserve which lies adjacent to the Tuli Block in the extreme southeastern corner of Botswana.
The Tuli Block comprises both agricultural and game farms, some of which offer tourist facilities.
Northern Tuli Game Reserve covers an area of 700 sq. kms and is one of the largest privately owned game reserves in Southern Africa including three concessions, Tuli Safari Lodge, Nitani Private Game Reserve and Mashatu Game Reserve. It is home to 48 species of mammals and 350 species of birds with a variety of diverse habitats that include mopane shrub, riverine woodland and marsh, beautiful sandstone cliffs, basalt formations and scattered hills. Wildlife in Northern Tuli Game Reserve include eland that are rarely seen in other parts of Botswana, kudu, waterbuck, wildebeest, impala, duiker, steenbok, warthog, zebra, elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyaena and jackal.
Solomon’s Wall is a 30 metre high basalt dyke that occurs on either side of the Motloutse River. This spectacular natural feature used to run unbroken across the river in wetter times creating a natural lake with waterfalls spilling over the dyke. The Motloutse River is now an ephemeral river that fills up in the rainy season.
There are many archaeological sites in the Tuli region revealing evidence of previous civilisations from Stone Age Bushmen to Iron Age Bantu tribes. Mapungubwe, a World Heritage Site located across the Limpopo River from Tuli in South Africa, was a large Bantu kingdom in the 13th century that was part of a massive trade route extending to Egypt, India and China.
The Tuli region thus offers the visitor both wildlife and cultural experiences in an area that is beautiful and vastly different to the rest of Botswana.