The mashatu trees
Giants by the river.
Sjolseth — Public domain · Mabrndt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Peter Archdale — CC BY 4.0 · Wynand Uys — CC BY 4.0
The Northern Tuli Game Reserve brings together private reserves where the Limpopo and Shashe rivers meet, in the far east of Botswana near the borders of South Africa and Zimbabwe. The land here is known for its rock outcrops, red sand and massive trees along the Limpopo, utterly different from the delta and the Kalahari. It lies within the Tuli Block, a narrow strip that Chief Khama III ceded to the British South Africa Company. Cecil Rhodes meant to run a railway through it but found the terrain unsuitable and moved the line west. The company then sold the land to farmers, who found it fit only for sparse livestock and later turned to tourism, so most of the area became private game farms and reserves. The area is called Hardveld for its rocky outcrops and stones, and a famous landmark is Solomon's Wall, a rock formation by the Motloutse River at the block's far corner. Elephants, antelope, wildcats and elephant shrews live here. Massive mashatu trees are a highlight, and the area also has a rich archaeological heritage and plentiful birds. It is 199 km in a straight line from Francistown, and many visitors arrive from South Africa by a border crossing. The public can generally enter only through lodges and safari companies, so book ahead, while independent visitors are limited to the main road. Rivers can flood suddenly in the rains, so ask about crossings.
Giants by the river.
Among red rocks.
A rock formation by the river.
Tuli Block, far eastern Botswana
Entry is usually through lodges and safari firms, and independent visitors keep to the main road.
Yes, and many visitors arrive from there by a border crossing.