The Tuli Block is very different to anywhere else in Botswana. It has dramatic rocky outcrops and dry riverbeds and contains the Tuli Game Reserve. Walking, cycling and horse riding are popular here.
The Limpopo Rivers brings life to this area and is lined by riverine forest. The eastern corner of the region houses the Tuli Game Reserve which stretches to the Motloutse River. Much of the area is made up of private game reserves and lodges. The Tuli Block is long and thin in shape, being about 10km - 20km wide and about 350km long. The entire conservation area including the safari area on the buffer zones comes to around 120,000 hectares.
There is an international airport just 5km from Pont Drift, but most people visit this region from South Africa which has easy road access via Pont Drift border. When the Limpopo is in full flood and river crossing is not possible, a cable car 'cage' is used to ferry visitors across the water.
The Tuli Block was originally given to the British South African Company in 1895 by King Khama as they wanted to build a railway line through Africa. The area was eventually decided unsuitable due to the number of rivers and the railway was built further west.
The vegetation in the Tuli Block is spectacular and the scenery here is unlike anywhere else in Botswana as it actually has 'hills' and huge rock formations. Some of the trees along the Limpopo River are huge, especially the Nyala Trees which are only found in this part of the country (known locally as the Mashatu tree). The wildlife here is prolific and in recent years has been steadily growing. There are over 600 elephants and the rocky outcrops provide perfect hide outs for leopard. There are also lion present and the endangered wild dog has a good population here.
