A 350km2 area of land in the southeastern region of Botswana, the Tuli Block was originally ceded to Cecil Rhodes in the 1890's to facilitate the construction of the Cape to Cairo railway. After some time the construction came to a standstill due to the rocky and inhospitable nature of the land, and the railway was built elsewhere.

Subsequently, the Tuli Block was given to farmers who also discovered that the terrain was unsuitable for cattle or agriculture. In the end the area was dedicated to game conservation and today many visitors enjoy the private game reserves here which offer beautiful scenery of lush woodlands, rocky sandstone outcrops, rivers and gorges. The larger reserves include Mashatu (the largest private reserve in Southern Africa) and Tuli Nature Reserve.