Tuli Block

• Over 350 species of bird
• Historical San Bushman paintings

The Tuli Block is a thin 350km strip of land in the extreme southeast of Botswana, bordering Zimbabwe to the north and South Africa to the south, at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers.  The area is becoming increasingly popular for its arresting topography-notably Solomon’s Wall and the Tswapong and Lepkole Hills-its spectacular wildlife, scenic landscapes and archaeological heritage.

Although the area is one of the few areas actually capable of commercial farming in Botswana, private game reserves have been established with large elephant herds and a fantastic diversity of bird species.  The area of approximately 300,000 hectares of privately owned reserves and conservation concessions forms the largest privately owned game conservation area in southern Africa.  The two main reserves in the Tuli Block are the Mashatu Game Reserve and the Tuli Game Reserve. 

As an area of protected wildlife areas, stunning scenery and diverse animals and bird life, together with bushmen paintings, dinosaur fossils, ancient ruins and the remains of implements from a forgotten age, the Tuli Block makes for a memorable experience.

Special features include:

• Mashatu Game Reserve
  This area of private game concessions is renowned for its large population of elephants that roam free on the banks of the Limpopo River.  The area comprises a unique wilderness of savannah, riverine forests, marshland, sandstone cliffs and open plains.  As a private reserve, they offer night drives that are not allowed in Botswana’s national parks.   
• Tuli Game Reserve
  Far less known than the bigger Mashatu Game Reserve, Tuli Game Reserve, at 75 sq km in size, is one of the small pockets of wildlife that make up the Tuli Block in eastern Botswana.  The reserve features a spectacular landscape of red rocks and lush riverine forests along the Limpopo River and offers a rich variety of wildlife and numerous beautiful bird species.
• Tswapong and Lepokole Hills
  The Tuli Block is also famous for its Tswapong and Lepokole hills.  Tswapong, to the east of the town of Palapye, comprises an area of deep gorges carved into the ancient granite rocks by seasonal rivers and springs.  The waterfalls, rock pools and exotic vegetation in the area are unique in Botswana’s overwhelmingly dry climate.  The large piles of granite blocks of the Lepokole Hills can be found to the north of Bobonong.  The last of the San Bushman in eastern Botswana lived in the hills and left rock paintings in the caves and rocks. Ancient pottery and Stone Age tools scattered around the hills are evidence of earlier occupation, making Lepokole an area of archaeological interest.