Tuli Safari Lodge
Tuli Safari Lodge is situated in the timeless Northern Tuli Game Reserve, next to the legendary Limpopo River, a unique and historically significant location within Botswana where the country meets its neighbours Zimbabwe and South Africa and at the confluence of two great rivers, the Limpopo and the Shashe.
Tuli is scenically very different to the rest of Botswana, with dominant basalt formations and large areas of sandstone hills and ridges, together with a network of dry riverbeds and riverine forests as well as open grasslands and marshy areas.
The Reserve was created in 1964 and extends to 72000 hectares, shared between private landowners and local communities. Bushmen paintings provide a reminder of the area’s original inhabitants many thousands of years ago. The area holds remains of ancient settlements relating to the Mapungubwe era which has been recognised as a world heritage sight.
The Northern Tuli Game Reserve (Noturge) is also known as ‘The Land of Giants’. This is in relation to the huge vistas and big skies, enormous Baobab and Nyala berry trees, the large herds of plains game, Tuli’s renowned Elephants and the regions great historical heritage.
Growing from its original farm in 1957, Johburg businessman, Monty Fuhr, purchased the property in 1964 and started transforming the farm into a safari Lodge. Monty set a precedent that has stayed with Tuli to this day by warmly welcoming children of all ages, and by establishing the idyllic gardens which make the Lodge such a relaxing retreat over and above the safari experience.
Tuli Safari Lodge’s extensive grounds are always a few degrees cooler than the surrounding reserve. There is plenty to do within the Lodge, with a large swimming pool, waterhole, hide, walking trail and lots of lovely vantage points overlooking the Limpopo River and game reserve.
Info
Accommodation
10 elegant suites nestle in Tuli Safari Lodge’s peaceful, spacious gardens. 8 of these are tented Suites under draped canvas and rest on elevated walkways. Large wrap-around decks are designed to provide a relaxing outdoor space with views over the Tuli grounds and surrounding bush. The interiors are a modern take on classic ‘out of Africa’ décor, with a flowing open plan design. All suites feature an island bed, lounge area, freestanding bath, separate wet room shower, double basin vanity area, toilet and lots of all-important hanging and drawer space plus tea/coffee facilities, hairdryer and safe. The tented suites are 72m2 plus 60m2 decking.
The remaining 2 suites are classically thatched with solid walls and air conditioning. Both have very similar internal layouts and features to the tented suites, with a shaded veranda area.
All the suites can be made up as doubles or twins and are large enough to accommodate two children under 12 on single beds sharing with their parents if required.
Tented suites have all been given a name for a bush animal in the local language, maintaining that unique Tuli feel! There is also a curio shop, a swimming pool (with a shallow section for children) and wi-fi in public areas.
Activities
Safari activities on offer at Tuli Safari Lodge are varied, with guided game drives, bush walks, several hides (with the option of sleep outs), night drives and meaningful community visits.
The Northern Tuli Game Reserve’s wildlife roams in abundance and diversity, home to 48 large mammal species, totalling approximately twenty thousand animals, which include Elephant, fifteen large herbivore species and four cat species. Tuli Safari Lodge must be one of the few places where Elephant Shrews and Elephants are (almost!) guaranteed sightings, sometimes from the same spot!
A Typical Summers Day at Tuli (though timings are flexible to fit with guests’ requirements)
05h30 – Leave for morning activity (game drive or bush walk or a combination of the two)
08h30 – Back to the Lodge and full breakfast is served followed by relaxation time
12h30 – Lunch is served
15h30 – Afternoon tea is served on the deck (weather permitting) or in the lounge
16h00 – Depart for afternoon activity with snacks and sundowners 19h30 – Arrive back at Lodge
20h00 – Dinner is served at a designated dining location for the evening
Number of rooms: 10
Level of luxury: 5 star
Game viewing: 8/10
Access & Transfers
Getting there
Tuli can be approached from either Botswana or South Africa (the Lodge is just 10 minutes’ drive from Pont Drift border post). The lodge is a 5 hours’ drive from Johannesburg and around 6 hours’ drive from Gaborone. When the Limpopo River is not crossable at Pont Drift, guests may leave their vehicles at the border post on the South African side and cross to Botswana using a passenger cable car (please note that an additional cost of BWP50 per person per crossing is levied by a third party operator for this service). A Tuli Safari Lodge guide will meet guests on the South African side. Road transfers can be arranged from Johannesburg, Polokwane, Gaborone or other locations. Please note that Tuli use third parties to provide road transfers and therefore cannot be held responsible for any rate changes or problems with their service.
They can also help organise flights via a semi-regular scheduled service (currently only available from Johannesburg) or as a private charter (this can be quite cost effective if there are several passengers). There are also twice-daily flights from Johannesburg to Polokwane.