​Overview – Northern Tuli GR

Anthony Ham
Expert
By Anthony Ham

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the Botswana & Namibia guide.

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of the Botswana & Namibia Lonely Planet guide.

Anthony is the author of the Botswana & Namibia Lonely Planet guide.

Northern Tuli Game Reserve spans over 720km²/278mi² of privately owned land in the Tuli Block area. It incorporates several private concessions including Mashatu Game Reserve and Tuli Safari Lodge. Wildlife viewing is excellent; elephants are abundant, and leopards are habituated. On top of standard game drives and walking safaris, horse riding, mountain biking and ballooning are also available.

Best Time To Go May to September (Winter)
High Season July to December (Higher rates apply but not busy)
Size 720km² / 278mi²
Altitude 517-677m / 1,696-2,221ft

Pros & Cons

  • Excellent wildlife viewing (especially leopard and elephant)
  • Off-road driving is permitted, which facilitates quality sightings
  • Game drives, walking safaris and predator drives with a scientist are offered
  • Adventure activities, such as horse riding and mountain biking, are available
  • Several accommodation options available
  • Excellent guiding and tracking
  • Beautiful arid scenery
  • Limited variety of animals with buffalo and rhino absent
  • Self-drive is not permitted in the reserve

Northern Tuli GR Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

Wildlife

Northern Tuli offers high-quality wildlife viewing. Elephant-lovers are in for a treat and this is also a great place to see predator behavior. Leopards thrive in this habitat, and the scarce vegetation makes it possible to track them. Lion, cheetah and wild dog are regularly spotted as well. Some antelope to look out for include klipspringer, waterbuck, impala and eland, the largest antelope in Africa.

Scenery

Tuli lies in a semi-arid region with a variety of landscapes, including riverine forest along the riverbanks, sandstone outcrops, massive rock formations and mopane woodland. A well-known landmark is Solomon’s Wall, a 30m-/100ft-high basalt dyke.

Weather & Climate

The Northern Tuli reserve has a semi-arid climate characterized by a mild, dry winter (May to September) and a hot, wet summer (October to April). Warm clothing is a must for early morning game drives in the heart of winter, when it can get very chilly. By contrast, even though December through February is the hottest time of year, the early morning climate is perfect for getting out and about.

Best Time To Visit

The rivers of the area draw plenty of thirsty animals in the drier months (May to September). These animals attract predators which, in turn, attract more visitors to the reserve, although it rarely feels crowded. If you prefer your sky to be bright rather than hazy, and your vegetation as lush as possible, you may want to visit in the wetter months. This is also when baby animals might be spotted taking their first steps.

Want To Visit Northern Tuli GR?

Northern Tuli Operators

Northern Tuli GR Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review
Expert
Anthony Ham  –  
Australia AU

Anthony is a photographer and writer for travel magazines and Lonely Planet, including the guides to Kenya and Botswana & Namibia.

Botswana’s Forgotten Corner
4/5

Home to some of the more interesting scenery in southern and eastern Botswana, the Tuli Block combines Limpopo River frontage with a series of kopjes (rocky outcrops) in the riverine hinterland. It’s here that I managed some of my...

Full Review

Latest User Review
Gertrud  –  
Germany DE
Reviewed: May 15, 2020
Ethiopia surprises its visitors with out of this world scenery and more birds than I ever thought p
5/5

Our group experienced a great varity of aktivities during our visit to Ethiopia. The scenic views were breathtaking, especially in the Simien and Gheralta Mountains. Our guides met my exspectations highest form. They were flexible and...

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