The Tuli Block lies to the southeast of Botswana, where the countries of Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe meet. The Shashe and Limpopo rivers converge in this small region and the landscape is rugged and prehistoric. In addition to the Big Five, you will also find the Small Five here - caracals, servals, African wildcats, aardwolves and aardvark.
The spectacular nature that is to be found when travelling in the Tuli Block includes magnificent rocks, large varieties of game, many different birds and a rich archeological heritage. This rough landscape, which is bestrewn with rivers and gorges, yields plants that you will encounter nowhere else in the world. In addition, remarkable geographic phenomena are to be found is this area, such as Solomon's Wall and the Tswapong and Lepokole hills - where rock paintings made by the forefathers of the San Bushmen can be seen.
The North East Tuli Game Reserve is located at the place where the Lampoon and Shashe rivers converge. The name of this reserve is a collective name for a variety of privately-owned game parks and concessions. This 'collective reserve' covers the entire region north of the Motloutse River, and its 300,000 ha make it the largest privately-owned reserve in the south of Africa. Fences have been removed in a large part of this area to enable the wildlife to roam freely between the Motloutse and Limpopo rivers. The region also boasts large herds of elephants and hundreds of species of colourful birds; no less than 350 difference species are to be found here. Wildebeest, kudu, eland, impala and waterbuck migrate through this area, closely followed by lions, leopards and cheetahs that mingle freely among the elephants. You will feel more of a guest than a visitor during the walking or mounted safaris, leaving the beaten tracks behind you and being led by professional guides who know the area like the backs of their hands, and would like nothing better than to share their passion for this area with you.
Night drives are also organised here, which give you perfect opportunity to see nocturnal animals such as leopards, caracals, aardwolves and aardvarks. In addition to traditional safaris, the landscape also lends itself excellently to mountain biking or horse riding. All-in-all, this is the ideal destination for those who have already been on safari.
Solomon's Wall is exceptionally impressive, with its sheer basalt cliffs stretching 30 metres into the sky. These blocks once formed a natural dam in the Motlouse River, which created a vast lake that would flood in the rainy season and send a waterfall tumbling over the damn - leaving deposits of semi-precious stones and rich minerals, such as agate and quartz. The very first diamonds to be found in Botswana were discovered further up the Motloutse River.
Over the ages, the rising and receding rivers, and the natural springs have carved deep gorges into the granite rocks of the Twsapong Hills. The resulting rock pools, waterfalls and exotic vegetation are unique in Botswana. The last of the San Bushmen in the east of Botswana lived in the Lepokole Hills and here they drew rock paintings in caves and on rocks, just as they did at other locations in the south of Africa. Stone Age tools and ancient pottery also found in the hills are evidence that they weren't the first inhabitants, however.
Just to the north of the Tuli Block the descendants of the original inhabitants have devised a unique way to protect their livestock against the surrounding predators: they allow puppies to be reared by goats. The puppies are raised to think that they are goats, while still preserving their own canine instincts. When they grow older they accompany the goat herders into the bush and instinctively protect the goats that they have been reared with against predators. The ferocity with which they do this puts the predators off their stride.
