Botswana is well known for having some of the largest and most beautiful national parks in Africa and when you get to the country, you will find these jewels hidden in the country and one of them is the Northern Tuli nature reserve which is located within the Tuli block. The Tuli block has several other game reserves that are located within and once you visit the Tuli nature reserve you might as well join the trip with other game reserves.
The Northern Tuli nature reserve is the largest private reserve in Botswana and one of the best places for tourists who come to Botswana in search of an adventure. The Tuli nature reserve is located within the Tuli block and it is next to the Mashatu Nature reserve. Its strategic location between two rivers that is the Limpopo and Sashe has seen it get a great number of animals that roam around the reserve just to get a drink from these two Rivers and the ambiance that is within the reserve is just enough of an attraction to all those that want to visit the Northern Tuli Nature reserve.
The Northern Tuli Nature reserve has a lot to offer to tourists that is game drives, birding, fishing, nature walks and many more other entertaining things that you can think about but since it is a privately owned you will need to book early in order for you to get the best services offered in the reserve. There are several reasons as to why you should visit the Northern Tuli nature reserve and some of these include the following:
- The game viewing within the Tuli nature reserve is great and you will not be disappointed because these can be seen moving from the different parts of the reserve especially during the dry season for all those that love animals viewing and for those that love birding, the wet season is best for you.
- There are several activities that tourists can engage in when they visit the Tuli nature reserve and some of these include trekking through the reserve, fishing along the Limpopo River and enjoying local visits with the local san people.
- For all those that wat to travel with their children when visiting Botswana, this is one of those places that you should keep on your wish list. It is an extremely good and convenient place for families not with all the activities that you and your children will be engaged in.
- The beautiful scenery that the Tuli nature reserve has is just reason enough on its own for you to go and visit and once you get there you will not be disappointed.
- The good thing about visiting the Northern Tuli nature reserve is that it can be visited throughout the whole year and all you need to do is ask for the activities that you need to carry out during the time of your visit to the reserve.
The Northern Tuli nature reserve being a hidden treasure in Botswana has a lot of tourist attractions and activities that tourists can engage in and these have been listed below so that you can choose whichever activities that you would like to carry out when you visit the reserve.
Game drives through the Tuli reserve, these are mainly arranged by with the tour guides and it is one of the easiest ways to view all the animals that habitate within the reserve. The best time to go for a game drive through the Tuli reserve is during the dry season because this is the time that the animals will be seen looking around for the few left water holes within the reserve or standing at the banks of the Limpopo River. Some of the animals that you get to see when in the Tuli Nature reserve include elephants, waterbucks, kudus, hyenas, jackals, zebras, impalas, wildebeest, giraffes, lions, elands, caracal and Aardwolf which are normally seen during the night drives and bush pigs and note that some of the game drives are carried out either during the day or in the night.
Birding in the Tuli Nature reserve is done during the wet season and this is because many migratory birds fly into the country around this time and some of the birds that can easily be seen in the Tuli include the ostriches Senegal coucal, hamerkop, the Verraux’s eagle, three banded plover, , cormorants, boulder chats, shrikes and many more others. Before you go for birding, you should first find out the exact time when you should visit for birding because you do not want to go birding when the roads are extremely impassable.
Take bush walks through the reserve, the guided bush walks will help you discover all that you missed while driving through the reserve for example the small animals that roam around the reserve like butterflies and lizards. The bush walks are always prepared in the morning and in the evenings and this is because the heat during the afternoon is sometimes unbearable for tourists to take the walks and you are always required to have an armed trained tour guide to take you through the walk.
Go for cultural visits that is take a walk to the people who live around the reserve and get to know more about them and their culture. The cultural visits will give you an insight on how the local people live, their traditional and religious values, taste their good food as you listen to their stories that are in most cases told through songs and dance. And you will also be showed how they go about their hunting and animal tracking and if you are lucky, you might learn a word or two from the local language for easy communication. The san people who live around the reserve are pleasant people and welcoming and they will show you all the ropes and all that you need to know about Northern Tuli nature reserve.
Personal walks through the reserve, these are carried out by all those that do not want to take walks through the reserve with a tour guide although if you want to take self walks, you will need to first inform the management about it and you will also need a clear map showing you exactly where the walking routes are in order for you to avoid meeting with the dangerous animals. There are many things that you will see while on your personal walks and these include birds, caterpillars, animals and also get to meet the famous San people who are believed to have been the first settlers in Botswana.
Go for horse riding through the reserve, a horse ride through the Northern Tuli nature reserve is used by tourists to explore the reserve and get a close look at the wild life that is in the reserve. The horses are trained and only those who are well trained in horse riding are allowed but only if they are twelve years and above and you will need to have an experienced tour guide with you before you are allowed to ride through the reserve.
Explore Solomon’s wall which rises to about 30 meters high and is believed to have a historical significance to the people in Botswana. You will also meet the local san here and it is a beautiful place from where tourists can take good photos of the reserve and the wall itself. It is a basalt cliff and one of the outstanding tourist attractions within the Tuli nature reserve.
Camping within the Tuli nature reserve, this is majorly done during the dry season and it is one of the many ways that the tourists can get the real feel of the wild in Botswana. Since the Tuli reserve is a privately owned reserve, there are several camps that have been set up for tourists or if not you can carry your own camping equipment and get to enjoy all that the reserve has to offer especially during the night after a night drive through the reserve.
Go for a photo safari in the reserve, the Tuli reserve has a lot to offer when it comes to photo safaris due to the many things that it has to offer like vegetation, animals, birds, Solomon’s wall and many more others. With all the uniqueness that Tuli nature reserve has to offer, your trip to Botswana will not be complete if you do not visit the Northern Tuli nature reserve and the best time for you to visit will highly be determined by the activities that you want to carry out.
The best time to visit the Tuli game reserve is from May to September that is during the dry season and this is also considered to be the peak season and therefore when visiting the reserve during this time you need to go with some extra money and you need to book early so that you get the best services.