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African Safaris and Tours
Tuli Block Lodges
Tuli Block Lodges – Mashatu, the Northern Tuli and the Limpopo River
The Tuli Block is a narrow strip of private game land along Botswana's eastern border, wedged between Zimbabwe to the north and east and South Africa to the south. It runs south-west along the Limpopo from the meeting point of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers. It looks nothing like the Okavango Delta: red sand, sandstone ridges and rocky hills, baobabs on the open plains and tall riverine trees along the Limpopo.
At its eastern end lies the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, a group of private reserves that includes Mashatu Game Reserve, with South Africa's Mapungubwe National Park just across the river. The area is best known for its big elephant herds, and lion, leopard, cheetah and spotted hyena share the plains with eland, zebra and giraffe.
Where to stay in the Tuli Block:
- Mashatu Game Reserve – Mashatu Lodge, Mashatu Tent Camp and Mashatu Euphorbia Villas, from waterhole-facing suites to Meru-style tents and clifftop villas.
- The Limpopo riverbank – Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, and Koro Island Camp and Koro River Camp further south-west in the Kwa Tuli Private Game Reserve.
On these private reserves, game drives are only part of the day. Depending on the camp, you can add guided walks, mountain biking, horseback safaris, night drives and time in a photographic hide. Many Mashatu guests arrive from South Africa through the Pont Drift border post, and others fly into the reserve's Limpopo Valley Airfield. The Tuli is a long way from Maun and Kasane, so it often combines more easily with a South African safari than with the Delta or Chobe.
For seasons, see when to visit Botswana. Before you travel, check our Botswana malaria guide and malaria in Africa.
Tuli Block Lodges and Camps
Koro Island Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Reached only by a suspension bridge, Koro Island Camp occupies a small island in the Limpopo, in the Kwa Tuli Private Game Reserve. A few tents under riverine trees, a thatched lounge and a riverside boma make it a good fit for small groups and families.
Koro River Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Koro River Camp stands on a wooden deck on the Limpopo's bank, upstream of its island sister in the Kwa Tuli Private Game Reserve. Canvas suites, a pool above the river and a riverside massage area, with game drives and walks from camp.
Mashatu Euphorbia Villas
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
For privacy, Mashatu Euphorbia Villas hides its villas, each shaped like a mopane pod, in a euphorbia forest on a cliff above the Majale River. Each has its own plunge pool, game drives carry no more than four guests, and the camp runs on solar power.
Mashatu Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Mashatu Lodge faces a floodlit waterhole where elephants come to drink. Air-conditioned suites ring the lodge, some interconnecting for families, and the Discovery Room shows finds from the reserve. Walks, cycling and horse riding add to the drives.
Mashatu Tent Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Choose Mashatu Tent Camp if you want canvas rather than walls: Meru-style tents under big trees, open-air bathrooms and no air-conditioning. Dinner in the boma looks out over a floodlit waterhole, and a plunge pool takes the edge off hot afternoons.
Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu sits in shady gardens on the Limpopo in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve. Tented suites stand on timber decks, the pool is set into a sandstone outcrop, and the grounds hold a waterhole, hide and walking trail.
Choosing a Tuli Block Lodge: Your Questions Answered
Which Tuli Block lodges are inside Mashatu Game Reserve?
Mashatu Lodge, Mashatu Tent Camp and Mashatu Euphorbia Villas are in Mashatu Game Reserve, part of the Northern Tuli Game Reserve where the Shashe meets the Limpopo. Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu is also in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve. The two Koro camps lie further south-west along the Limpopo, in the Kwa Tuli Private Game Reserve.
Which Tuli lodges are on the Limpopo River?
Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu and both Koro camps sit on the Limpopo itself. Tuli Safari Lodge is set in shady riverside gardens, Koro River Camp is built on a deck on the bank, and Koro Island Camp occupies a small island reached by a suspension bridge. Mashatu Euphorbia Villas overlooks the Majale River from a cliff.
Should I choose a tent, a suite or a villa in the Tuli?
It depends how close to the bush you want to sleep. Mashatu Tent Camp has Meru-style tents with open-air bathrooms and no air-conditioning, and the Koro camps and Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu also use canvas suites. Mashatu Lodge has air-conditioned suites, while Mashatu Euphorbia Villas offers sculpted villas, each with a private plunge pool.
Which Tuli camps offer walking, cycling and horse riding?
The Mashatu camps offer guided walks, mountain biking and horse riding, usually at extra cost and best booked ahead. Horse riding needs some riding experience, so confirm the requirements when you book. Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu runs bush walks and can arrange rides with a horseback operator close to the lodge. The Koro camps offer guided walks alongside game drives.
Are there photographic hides at the Tuli lodges?
Yes. Mashatu has photographic hides, including a sunken hide at a waterhole that puts you at ground level with drinking elephants, and a resident photographer for guests who want help. Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu has hides at waterholes in the reserve and one in its own grounds. Hide sessions at Mashatu are usually booked as an extra.
Do the Tuli Block lodges have swimming pools?
Yes, every camp on this page has a pool. Mashatu Lodge has a large pool, Mashatu Tent Camp a plunge pool, and each Mashatu Euphorbia villa its own plunge pool. Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu's pool is set into a sandstone outcrop, Koro River Camp's overlooks the Limpopo and Koro Island Camp has a rim-flow pool.
Map of Lodges in and around the Tuli
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