Culture
Eswatini has some of the best Cultural Experiences in Africa
A tiny country with a big heart and warm, friendly people aptly describes Eswatini (Swaziland) – a country that is one of the few remaining monarchies in Africa and embraces and upholds its own unique and ancient traditions. Both the monarchy and the people of Eswatini actively maintain and preserve a remarkable cultural heritage that is probably unmatched anywhere in Africa. Visitors can get a better idea of traditional African culture here than pretty much anywhere else in the region, and what is seen, including spectacular festivals, has not simply been resuscitated for the tourist dollar but is the real deal. The famous Umhlanga (Reed Dance) and Incwala are traditional ceremonies that involve tens of thousands of Swazi people, and attract visitors from all over the world. But traditional attire, ceremonies and dancing are to be found throughout the country at all times of the year.

The Swazi people are proud and extremely friendly people. They welcome visitors with a beaming smile and take pleasure in showing off their beautiful country. As well as a number of community-run tourism initiatives, visitors are able to experience daily life in Eswatini by calling in at a local homestead or village, where they will be made very welcome. Alternatively, Mantenga Cultural Village is an excellent working reconstruction of a traditional homestead from around the 1850s, which gives an experience of all the complexities and nuances of traditional Swati life; as well as a quite tremendous dancing display by a group that tours the world.

Around the country, a series of well presented and fascinating museums and historical sites help tell the story of the country past and present and are well worth a visit.

The skills and creativity of Eswatini’s artisans is widely recognised and a wide range of arts and crafts are produced around the country. Most are socially-responsible ventures, providing employment to local communities, and also creating top level products exported around the world. Visitors can view the artisans in action and, increasingly, there are opportunities to even have a go themselves. Alternatively, there is plenty to choose from for those who prefer simply to go shopping!

Cultural experiences in Eswatini don’t have to end when the sun sets and there is plenty of nightlife to be found. As well as the casinos for which the country built a reputation when gambling was banned in South Africa, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the country’s thriving local music scene, not least at the unique House on Fire venue.

Wildlife
Experience the ‘Big 5’ in the little country of Eswatini
Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) rich variety of landscapes and habitats gives it a profusion of fauna and flora, with the sheer number of species mind-boggling by most European standards. The country is not large enough to offer lots of big game experiences, but it has some 17 protected areas that are home to a very wide range of species, including the sought-after ‘Big 5’. As well as being one of the best places on the continent for rhino experiences (tracking on foot as well as viewing by 4×4, and to see both black and white rhinos), Eswatini is also the perfect place to get to grips with many smaller creatures often overlooked elsewhere. This is a country with a wealth and variety of safari experiences on offer.

Eswatini is also a paradise for birdwatching, with some 500 species of bird recorded in the country. That puts it roughly on a par with France (517) or, more locally, the Kruger National Park (505), and is a remarkable tally for such a tiny, landlocked country.

Thanks to its varied landscapes and wilderness areas, Eswatini’s flora includes over 3500 indigenous species of plants, with about 25 species endemic to Eswatini.

For traditional African big game viewing, Hlane Royal National Park and Mkhaya Game Reserve are the best places in Eswatini. Both are home to a variety of big mammals, including elephant, hippo, giraffe, zebra and rhino. Mkhaya is one of the best places on the continent to see both black and white rhino and Hlane is also home to everyone’s favourite big cat – the lion. Numerous antelope and smaller mammals are also found in both places.

Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary has a similarly diverse offering of fauna, though without the biggest of the animals except for hippos. This is a great place for the family and offers much in the way of activity from horse riding, mountain biking, to hikes and treks.

Scenery
Eswatini has a incredibly diverse terrain with breathtaking views
With the exception of desert and sea, every geographical feature of Africa’s terrain is found within Eswatini (Swaziland). This is a country of magnificent mountain scenery with rivers, waterfalls and gorges; unique rock formations which are among the world’s most ancient; lush and fertile valleys, plus typical African bush. From west to east, Eswatini moves from mountainous Highveld, through Middleveld to Lowveld, and then rises again to the Lubombo mountains. Altitudes vary from 21m to 1800m (70ft to 6000 ft) – yet the country’s east and west borders are less than 200 km (125 miles) apart.

The highveld is a land of hills, waterfalls and great buttresses of ancient rock – providing the country’s most dramatic and impressive landscapes. A temperate climate means some rainfall all year round and regular mists in summer, so the scenery is generally reasonably lush. The middleveld is generally less striking – an area of undulating bush and moist savannah lying at an average 700m above sea level. It is home to the bulk of Eswatini’s population and the tourist hub of the Ezulwini Valley. The lowveld is hot, bush country sitting as low as 21m above sea level. Although much drier than the other areas, it is home to vast, heavily irrigated sugar estates which are impressive in their own right. The remaining tracts of wild bush here harbour Eswatini’s major game reserves and offer easy access to areas of genuine wilderness.

With such a remarkable and varied ‘natural playground’, there is a wide choice of activities available in Eswatini for visitors to explore and enjoy the scenic landscapes. Hiking trials can be found all around the country but particularly in the highlands and mountains, and there are two championship-standard 18-hole golf courses in scenic settings and a smattering of 9-hole course around the country. For those who prefer to remain seated, both cycling and horse riding offer alternative ways to explore a variety of locations, at levels from beginners upwards, and there is even a chance to go quad biking through areas of wilderness.

The country’s mountains and gorges also provide opportunities for climbing and abseiling as well as a thrilling tree-top canopy tour of zip-wires, bridges and platforms in the Malolotja Nature Reserve. And from the highest peaks, to underground, Eswatini is home to the only major granite cave system in southern Africa, which can be explored even by visitors with no prior experience of caving.

When it comes to water, boat trips are available on a few of Eswatini’s dams, and the Great Usuthu River offers thrilling white water rafting, whilst fishing is possible on a number of the dams and rivers.

Adventure
The perfect African destination for the thrill seeker and adventurous traveller
Eswatini (Swaziland), otherwise known as ‘Africa in a nutshell’, is equally equipped for the thrill seeker as it for the safari lover or culture enthusiast. The variety and range of activities available in this small country is truly remarkable. From getting up close and personal with wildlife and leisurely hikes through a pristine wilderness, to high-speed journeys down river or gorge – there is so much to keep all visitors fully occupied! With nowhere more than 2 hours away from the country’s central tourism hub, activities can be enjoyed with ease and visitors are able to pack in as much, or as little adventure as they wish.

With wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves dotted around the country, and home to the famed ‘Big 5’, Eswatini is a wonderful safari destination. And the opportunity to horse ride, cycle and walk alongside wildlife in some reserves gives and added element of adventure

The country’s highlands and mountains offer a wide choice of hiking opportunities, including through areas of genuine, un-touched wilderness. Those and other areas can also be explored through cycling and horse riding, with quad biking another option

For the even more adventurous, Malolotja Nature Reserve is home to a thrilling tree-top canopy tour of zip-wires, bridges and platforms, and various mountains and gorges also provide opportunities for climbing and abseiling. Moving underground, local adventure operator, Swazi Trails has pioneered adventure caving in southern Africa’s only major granite cave system. And to top everything off, perhaps the ultimate adventure comes from white water rafting on the Great Usuthu River. Another Eswatini-based operator, All Out Africa has the tagline “adventures that change lives” and offers a variety of volunteer projects and activity tours.

Sports
From championship golf courses, to fishing in the dams
Sports such as squash, tennis, swimming are available in Eswatini (Swaziland) at hotels and lodges as well as the Country Clubs on the Sugar Estates. Football is played throughout the country and international matches are held at the Somhlolo National Stadium in Lobamba. Rugby is less widely played but growing in popularity thanks largely to a charity, SKRUM, that uses the game help educate and develop the country’s youth.

Royal Swazi Spa in the Ezulwini Valley and Nkonyeni Golf Estate to the south are home to the country’s best golf courses, both with 18 hole championship courses and scenic views for the golfer to take in as they travel the course. Fishing is also available at a number of dams and rivers around the country, with trout, tiger fish and a number of native species to be found.

Volunteer
Numerous NGOs work in Eswatini (Swaziland) to help the most vulnerable in society – helping people to help themselves rather than simply providing handouts. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has resulted in orphans and vulnerable children now accounting for an estimated 15% of the country’s population. There are many ways for visitors to become actively involved during their trip as a volunteer, to help the people of Eswatini or work on environmental projects to help conserve the natural world.

All Out Africa is an Eswatini organisation well well known for their volunteer projects across southern Africa, offering a variety of social volunteer projects and sports volunteer projects that make a real difference to local communities as well as conservation volunteer projects in Eswatini and on the Mozambique coast.

All Out have social projects operating in Eswatini, Mozambique and in South Africa (Cape Town). These social projects work with vulnerable children to promote an early childhood education which they believe is the foundation for alleviating poverty in rural areas. Eswatini is in a biodiversity hotspot, in the top 2% globally. This is why All Out’s conservation projects in Mbuluzi Game Reserve are so important for conservation efforts that are implemented world wide. Their Savannah Research centre (SRC) focuses on population growth encroaching on indigenous savannahs and how this effects animal behaviour. A few species of bats and beetles new to the scientific community have been identified at the SRC and each year it hosts hundreds of students from all over the world who join to study biodiversity and ecology. All Out also have a Marine Research Centre in Mozambique which focuses on sustainable marine tourism conservation. The 2 research centres have together have had work published in over 60 publications.

Additional opportunities for sports volunteer projects are available particularly through the organisation SKRUM, which uses rugby to help with the education and personal development of young people around the country.

Alongside being a volunteer with organisations, there are a number of Community Tourism projects across Eswatini that were established by seed funds from the European Commission and Eswatini Government, but are now maintained by community members. Communities are empowered through the development process to assume responsibility for sustainability. Eswatini is proud of its many community projects that give visitors to the country an opportunity to have unique experiences such as exploring the peoples and customs of the bushveld and savannah or wondering at the great rock buttresses of the Sibebe and the Lubombo Mountains, among much, much more. Supporting these projects as a visitor or guest is valuable ‘hand up’ in itself, but within these projects, there are also opportunities for volunteers to get involved and make a real difference to their success.

Even visitors not taking a ‘hands-on’ approach as a volunteer can feel assured that the country’s tourist industry actively supports both local communities and wildlife & environmental conservation projects, so the ‘tourism dollar’ is one well spent in Eswatini.

Canopy Tours
Malolotja Nature Reserve is home to Eswatini’s first and only Tree Top Canopy Tour: the Malolotja Canopy Tour. This is located in the Sihlotswane Gorge, where one 50m suspension bridge and 11 wooden platforms have been ingeniously affixed to the steep sides. Participants descend the gorge by zip-lining down on a steel cable from platform to platform high above over the forest canopy and Majolomba river. Some lines are more than 300m long. The canopy tour offers views of towering cliff faces and the tree tops across the forest. Safety is paramount, and the system has been built to the highest civil engineering standards. Guides are trained professionals and this breath taking experience can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Horse Riding
Exploring on horseback offers perhaps even greater freedom than on foot or on a bike and views always seem to be more spectacular when seen from the back of a horse! Eswatini offers visitors the opportunity to discover the beautiful country along a number of horse riding trails and, again, duration can be anything form a couple of hours to a number of days, depending on experience and ability. The main stables all have good facilities and cater to all levels they are found at: Mlilwane (Chubeka Trails), Ezulwini Valley (Hoofbeat Safaris), Mhlambanyatsi (Foresters Arms Hotel), Hawane Resort, Malkerns (Nyanza Stables).

Mountain Bike Races
Eswatini has developed as a worldwide attraction for the avid cyclist, both amateur and pro, as the country hosts a variety of mountain bike races. The annual IMVELO Classic is the biggest and most popular biking event, and takes place each June in Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary.

Eswatini has a number of mountain biking events through the year, including INYATSI Swazi Frontier and Imevelo MTB Classic. Inyatsi Swazi Frontier mountain bike stage race takes place every October. Riders team up in pairs and tackle 3 days of riding the unmarked route using GPS navigation devices. The route is a journey and riders stay in different accommodation venues each night. Find out more here.

The Imvelo MTB Classic is an annual event held every June ran by Big Game Parks at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. It comprises of a series of races over different distances, the longest being 64km. Find out more here. Other mountain biking events include the Ngwenya Glass Mountain Bike Challenge, held annually at the Ngwenya Glass Factory. The challenge has three different Routes to take part in – the 70km Marathon, 40km Classic and 27km Family Ride.

Cycling
Another great way to explore Eswatini’s stunning landscapes is by mountain bike. As with walking and trekking, the most adventurous can set out on their own across the country. However, there are popular, specific mountain bike trails in a number of locations, including Mhlambanyatsi, Hawane, Hlane, Malolotja, Mbuluzi and Shewula. Popular cycling excursions include cycling safaris at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, where all the family at ride around the grounds at their own leisure and discover the local wildlife. Eswatini is also home to collection of Mountain Bike races and challenges that take place throughout the Swazi calendar.

Hiking
The Nature Reserves in Ewatini are well known for their excellent range of self-guided hiking trails, offering the opportunity to visitors to experience nature at a pace suited to their group. What better way to explore Eswatini’s many and varied highlands, forests, and reserves than on foot. There are paths and trails in many locations across the country allowing for hikes from a couple of hours to many days in duration, and give access to places and views that are inaccessible by vehicle. Alternatively, those with initiative and a good map or GPS can simply head off into countryside.

If you are interested in taking a hiking tour, or exploring the country’s stunning landscape on foot, Eswatini has a number of local operators who can assist. Vaya Trails and Dust and Boots are specialist hiking tour operators whilst All Out Africa is an adventure operator that works with a team of 25 experienced local hiking guides, assistant guides and porters throughout Eswatini, offering day to multi day trips, with accommodation or camping options available for a range of fitness levels and group sizes. Their guides lead treks for families, couples and schools expeditions so are able to adapt to the needs and experience of a range of hikers.

Safaris
Eswatini is a Big 5 destination, with lions and elephants in Hlane Royal National Park, and both black and white rhino in both Hlane and Mhkaya Game Reserve. Game drives are very rewarding, but there are also opportunities to safari on horseback, mountain bike or on foot, if you want to get up close and personal. This even applies to the rhino, which can be tracked on foot – one of the most thrilling safari experiences there is. But, in Eswatini it’s not all about being big, with some rare species of smaller flora and fauna to be discovered. As for the bird-watching, the variety of species found across Eswatini’s varied habitats matches that of the much larger Kruger Park just to the country’s north.

Eswatini is home to numerous of Africa’s wild animal species with some 132 species of mammal recorded, many protected in the Game Parks and Nature Reserves found across the country. High on the wish-list of most visitors are such ‘charismatic megafauna’ as rhinos, giraffes, hippos and elephants – and you can certainly see many of these in Eswatini, alongside a small number of predators, and numerous antelope and smaller mammals and reptiles.

The emphasis in Eswatini is to provide visitors with a more intimate wildlife experience in areas of natural beauty, and to allow them a certain amount of freedom to explore on their own terms. In a number of the reserves visitors are free to move around independently, without the need for a guide or ranger. There are even self catering options amongst the accommodation that allow you to be in charge of your own ‘safari lodge’ in the bush. There aren’t many places in the world where you can head off for your own bike ride and encounter zebra and bushbuck along the way, or take a stroll to see the giraffe before settling down to your own bush barbecue.

For traditional African big game viewing, Hlane Royal National Park and Mhkaya Game Reserve are the best places in Eswatini. Both are home to a variety of big mammals, including hippo, giraffe, zebra and rhino. Mkhaya is one of the best places on the continent to see both black and white rhino and Hlane is also home to elephants and everyone’s favourite big cat – the lion. Numerous antelope and smaller mammals are also found in both places. Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary has a similarly diverse offering of fauna, though without the biggest of the animals except for hippos.

The Eswatini National Trust Commission reserves of Mlawula and Malolotja and the privately run Mbuluzi are also generally without major predators and the largest of the mammals, although Mbuluzi has giraffe and Malolotja the magnificent eland, and all three have the usual diversity of antelope and smaller mammals.

Caving
Those who want to get beneath the surface of Eswatini (Swaziland) – literally – could try this innovative activity run by Swazi Trails. It explores a unique cave system formed by the Kophola River that flows underground between Msunduza and Kophola Mountains, just off the Malagwane Hill between Mbabane and the Ezulwini Valley. There is an 800m course of subterranean passages some 90m below ground. This is the only major granite cave system known in Southern Africa, and comprises a series of water-eroded chambers with names such as Key Hole, French Connection and (for Harry Potter fans) Platform Nine and Three-Quarters’. Progress is slow and strenuous – with belly crawls, body jams and fluttering bats – but no experience is necessary. Participants must be reasonably fit, aged 8–65, and able to fit through narrow passageways. All necessary equipment is provided and trained guides accompany the two-hour course course.

Climbing & Abseiling
Eswatini’s highlands, mountains and gorges offer opportunities to both climb and descend a number of rock faces. Most popular sights include Sibebe Rock, north of Mbabane, where the three-billion-year-old volcanic slab offers a challenge to climb the ‘face’ of Sibebe Rock. A daunting prospect to even pro climbers. Alternative easier routes are available, with the possibility of a simple hike too. Execution Rock, a dramatic peak that was once the location of public executions in past times, is a popular attraction. It’s rocky surroundings is a great area for climbing, and the latest trend, bouldering.

Abseiling, although less popular, is offering by Swazi Trails, a local tour operator that specialises in adventure and adrenaline fuelled activities in Eswatini. Although not strictly climbing or abseiling, the zip-lining Malolotja Canopy Tour may be of interest for those that like being attached to a rope!

Quad Biking
Eswatini has a handful of quad biking opportunities for tourists to try. From hour-long dedicated quad bike trails to half day explorations, there are some high quality experiences on offer in which you can explore woodlands and nature reserves and muddy tracks that you may avoid on foot. Quad bikes, and trails are available with Swazi Trails in the Ezulwini Valley, at Hawane Resort and the Nkonyeni Golf Estate.

White Water Rafting
White Water Rafting trips are run by Swazi Trails on the Bulungapoort section of the Usutu River, between Sidvokodvo and Siphofaneni, in the centre of Eswatini. This is a remote and inspiring stretch of river. Its brown waters thunder through clefts and gorges, alternating with calmer stretches of bush and grazing land. You can expect fine views of rural Eswatini, with imposing rock formations, riverbank community life and a fair amount of wildlife. For most of the year this is generally a Grade III (medium difficulty) rafting river. In peak flow, however, it rises to Grade IV, and even has Grade V and VI sections, which the rafting trips avoid. As the trips use two-person inflatable rafts, with no guide on board, there is more to do than when simply floating downstream on a ten-man raft, where you need only hold on. That said, it is perfectly suited to first-timers, especially during the May–October low water season.

Birdwatching
Some 500 species of bird have been recorded in Eswatini (Swaziland). This puts it roughly on a par with France (517) or, more locally, the Kruger National Park (505), and is a remarkable tally for such a tiny, landlocked country. According to the Southern African Birdfinder, 21% of the 150 most sought after Southern African birds can be found in the country. These high numbers come from its diversity of habitats, with several very different bird communities occurring side-by-side. For sheer number of species, the lowveld is the richest region, with Hlane or Mlawula easily offering up to 100 species in a day to a keen birder – especially during summer, when all the migrants are around. You can also find the highest density of nesting white back vultures in Africa in the Hlane Royal National Park. The highveld has fewer species but is home to many rarities that are more elusive elsewhere. Malolotja is one of the top birding destinations in southern Africa.

Eswatini is home to 52 southern African endemics and is one of the only breeding sites for the blue swallow, one of Africa’s rarest breeding birds. Other A-listers for keen birders include the narina trogon, southern bald ibis, pink-throated twinspot and crowned eagle. For non-birders the most popular is the purple-crested turaco – the royal national emblem (ligwalagwala) and very pretty.

The best birdwatching is to be had in the protected reserves, sanctuaries and national parks, where the natural habitats are better preserved. But, of course, the birds are not confined to reserves and can be seen throughout the country. Hotspots & highlights include the following:

Malolotja: Highveld specials: blue swallow, southern bald ibis, malachite sunbird, gurney’s sugarbird, ground woodpecker, crowned eagle.
Phophonyane: Middlveld and forest birds: narina trogon, African wood owl, red-breasted sparrowhawk, crowned eagle, pink-throated twinspot, Eastern nicator.
Hlane: Lowveld birds and raptors: white-backed vulture, marabou stork, bateleur eagle.
Mbuluzi: Lowveld birds and waterbirds: white-backed vulture, bateleur eagle, African finfoot.
Mlawula: Lowveld birds and Lubombo specials: vultures, raptors, waterbirds, African Broadbill.
Mkhaya: Lowveld birds: crested guineafowl, narina trogon, purple-crested turaco, pink-throated twinspot.
Mahamba Gorge: Highveld specials: Southern bald ibis, Verreaux’s eagle.
Mlilwane: Middleveld birds and waterbirds: Verreaux’s eagle, purple-crested turaco, white-fronted bee-eater, waterbirds.
Nisela: Broad selection of lowveld birds and waterbirds.

Shopping
Every visitor to Eswatini should at very least do a little shopping before they leave. With various craft outlets, there’s something for everyone. The Ezulwini Valley in particular offers a wealth of options for that quintessential Swazi gift. At the Ezulwini Craft Market – Eswatini’s largest, with some 126 different stalls – you will find everything from wooden carvings, plates and beadwork to jewellery, textiles and traditional garments. The Mantenga Craft and Lifestyle Centre nearby offers similar fare, plus an opportunity to nip round the back and watch the artists in action. African Queen, an upmarket gift shop set in the Royal Swazi complex, stocks local crafts, including pottery and jewellery, plus an excellent selection of books. Gables provides standard ‘mall shops’. Swazi Candles Complex has debatably the largest collection of candles you will find in Africa! Along side the candle shop, there are other craft and boutique stalls for you to browse.

Arts & Crafts
Eswatini (Swaziland) has a remarkably impressive range of traditional arts and crafts with many of its products now found in top homeware stores and trendy ethnic boutiques around world. Throughout the country men and women are at work creating the finest handicrafts that are so popular with visitors. Creative basket ware in vibrant colours, wood and stone carvings, glassware, exquisite candles, batik items, jewellery – all uniquely Swazi.

As well as the opportunity to go shopping for these wonderful items, in many places that they are on sale, there is also chance to see the craftspeople at work and marvel at their intricate skills, and an increasing number are offering visitors an opportunity to have a go at the creative experience for themselves. Most are socially responsible outlets which provide both income and empowerment for their craftspeople from poor rural communities.

Festivals
Eswatini’s traditional culture finds its most spectacular expression in a number of ritual ceremonies through the year conducted on an impressive scale. These are living cultural events that, bar the odd pair of sunglasses and mobile phone, have hardly changed in two centuries. Visitors are welcome (though some parts remain private) but the ceremonies make little concession to tourism. During festival time, a mood of celebration sweeps the nation and bands of warriors or maidens decked out in full regalia are often seen heading to or from the festivities. Not to be outdone, the current generation has created a modern new, vibrant music & arts festival that has fast established an excellent international reputation.

Museums & History
Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) thriving culture dates back centuries, and there is plenty to learn from the country’s history across multiple museums and historic places of interest. Eswatini’s national museum, known in siSwati as Umsamo Wesive was built in 1972 and sits just behind parliament at Lobamba, the country’s traditional capital. It serves as the HQ of the Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC), custodians of the nation’s heritage and cultural archives, and contains exhibits on Eswatini’s culture, history and natural history.

The King Sobhuza II Memorial Park, a formal garden which stands immediately opposite the National Museum, was built in 1982 after the death of King Sobhuza II at the site where his body lay in state. Sobhuza – father of today’s King Mswati III – enjoys an almost defied status in contemporary Eswatini as the father of the modern-day Eswatini. His various celebrated utterances trotted out like the wisdom of Solomon. ‘Anginasitsa’ (‘I have no enemies’) is the motto emblazoned on the large brass statue of the monarch that stands at the centre. The hexagonal layout has various symbolic resonances, with Sobhuza’s statue facing east towards his father’s burial site in the Mdzimba mountains. A glass mausoleum that preserves the very spot where the body lay is guarded day and night, with photographs strictly forbidden; a flame is lit for important occasions. The small museum display documents the King’s long life with archive photographs and some fascinating nuggets of information.

Various other historic sites include the Bulembu Mining Museum, the new Sugar Cane Museum and Execution Rock, to name but a few.

Village & Homestead Visits
The Homestead is the basic building block of Swazi society. Traditionally this comprises a number of huts, each built for a particular purpose – sleeping, food storage, brewing, etc. At the centre of a homestead is a circular enclosure, the sibaya, fenced with solid logs and branches, where the cattle are housed each night. This has symbolic importance as a store of wealth and prestige. Opposite it is the great hut, indlukulu, occupied by the mother of the headman and used as the family shrine. The huts in such homesteads would once have been ‘beehive’ huts. Today most rural homesteads are a mixture of traditional huts and more modern, brick-built dwellings. Either way, you can visit and enter homesteads when exploring rural Eswatini, and will receive a warm welcome, providing you show suitable respect and follow correct protocol. Most lodges and hotels can arrange a visit to a local homestead for their guests. There are a few places where communities are more accustomed to such visits, and where visitors will therefore be given a more comprehensive tour and explanation of traditions and daily life in rural Eswatini. These are still very much genuine, real homesteads, not tourist creations. Shewula Mountain Camp, Myxo’s Waza Nowe Cultural Tours, and Umphakatsi Cultural Experience are probably the best places to get a genuine and comprehensive local homestead visit. Alternatively, the Mantenga Cultural Village is a re-created homestead from around 1850 that is easy to visit to learn quickly about daily life.

Nightlife
Although the sun sets early, there is still plenty to do at night in Eswatini. The majority of evening entertainment happens towards the Ezulwini Valley and the capital, Mbabane. The casinos at the Royal Swazi Sun and Happy Valley hotel are still going strong, while the larger hotels stage regular live performances, from cabaret nights to fashion shows. Eswatini’s biggest live music venue, House on Fire, is located in the Malandela’s Complex in Malkerns and stages regular events, including the world famous annual MTN Bushfire festival.

The magnificent rolling highveld uplands of South West Eswatini (Swaziland) extend west over the border into South Africa and are cut by the Great Usuthu, the country’s largest river which flows east across the region. That grand river is joined by its tributaries, the Ngwempisi and Mkondvo, along impressive valleys from the south. Today this is perhaps the least visited region in Eswatini, much of its traffic being in transit. However, this belies its historical significance. Ngwane III, founder of the Swazi nation, established his first ceremonial capital near Nhlangano, today the region’s only large town. It was via this route from the south that many early settlers arrived, including Eswatini’s first missionaries, who established the country’s first church, which can still be visited at Mahamba.

The region’s dramatic and beautiful scenery can be accessed most readily at a handful of locations. Ngwempisi is a truly stunning, wild and untouched wilderness area which can be explored with the help of community guides. Nkonyeni is a beautiful area that has been developed as a golf estate and now offers a few extra activities. And in the far south, Mahamba Gorge has trails through some impressive scenery and is a great location for birds. It also has community-run accommodation.

Where to Go in South West Eswatini
Mahamba Gorge
Mahamba Gorge appears as a deep cleft in the rocky, aloe-studded ridge, where the Mkondvo river breaks through the mountainous border with South Africa. Here a local community project maintains attractive stone self-catering chalets, with a picnic area and information centre. Trails lead along the river and up over the cliffs into the gorge, where birdwatchers should look out for a colony of the rare southern bald ibis. Other birds include black eagles, while rock hyraxes – their prey – scurry among the boulders. The historic Mahamba area lies at the very south of the MR9, just short of the main south west road border with South Africa. It has Swaziland’s first church and an impressive river gorge, both reached along a dirt road just short of the border. The first Christian missionaries that came to Swaziland in 1844 were Wesleyans. They founded a mission school at Mahamba and gathered a small congregation. In 1912 a church was built on this spot, which today, carefully restored, still stands at the heart of the local Methodist community.

Ngwempisi Wilderness
Ngwempisi Wilderness is a wild corner of Swaziland and offers challenging hiking to those prepared to rough it. Its rugged landscape centres upon a spectacular 20km gorge, formed where the Ngwempisi river carves east through the Ntfungulu hills. This is an example of the diverse geology prevalent in Swaziland that makes it the strikingly beautiful country it is – and ensures that hiking here is always a challenging and satisfying experience. A community project offers simple but spectacular accommodation at Kopho Lodge, on the north side, and a network of trails around the rugged slopes. Kopho Lodge lies just over the lip of the gorge and looks down onto the river. This ingenious structure is wedged among granite boulders and split over five levels, with interconnecting passages that brilliantly complement the natural rock.

Nhlangano & The Grand Valley
The MR9 highway from Manzini to Nhlangano winds south alongside the Mkondvo River before climbing dramatically onto the exposed plateau of the highveld. Much of this route is known as the Grand Valley. It is a glorious drive, with stunning scenery and picturesque rural communities on either side. As the road winds up the escarpment, it offers stupendous views in both directions. Up on the plateau the bush gives way to undulating grasslands. Here you will find Nhlangano, amid its apron of forestry. Nhlangano is the region’s largest town and in winter its highveld climate makes it reputedly the coldest in Swaziland. Founded in 1921 as the farm supply centre of Goedgegun, in 1947 it was renamed Nhlangano, which means ‘meeting place’, when King George VI met King Sobhuza II here in order to thank his Swazi counterpart for the kingdom’s help during World War II. This occasion remains the only ever visit by a British monarch to Swaziland. Today the town is best known for its casino, at the out-of-town Nhlangano Hotel, which also offers rooms, activities and a fine view.

Nkonyeni Golf Estate
Just before entering the Grand Valley from the north you will spy the lush greens of Nkonyeni Golf Estate, near the confluence of the Ngwempisi and Usuthu. This impressive resort is one of a kind in Swaziland. Its mosaic of cottages, paved roads, sports facilities and pristine fairways, all artificially landscaped into tracts of indigenous bush, is a somewhat unexpected sight amid the surrounding wild country.

The estate is essentially a luxury village where residents get a swimming pool, health spa, tennis courts, two five-star restaurants and a top 18-hole golf course (one of the top two in Swaziland). The well-tended grounds team with birdlife and the fenced 500ha reserve is home to zebra, impala, kudu, waterbuck and other game. Day visitors are welcome and it has a choice of accommodation for overnight stays, allowing guests to then make use of all the facilities and activities, which include game drives, clay pigeon shooting, quad biking, mountain biking and golf.

As with the North East, this region of Eswatini (Swaziland) lies largely in the lowveld. There is only scattered settlement, with one large town of note, Big Bend. A number of sugar estates are irrigated from the country’s main river, the Usuthu.

This corner of the country is home to two game reserves, one of which is widely regarded as Eswatini’s best. It is also the location for one of the country’s top adventure activities – white water rafting on the Usuthu River.

Mkhaya Game Reserve offers a case study of the challenges involved in African conservation and stands as a beacon of what can be achieved, safeguarding a shrinking natural environment in the face of burgeoning human pressures, after a history of uncontrolled exploitation. Home to a variety of big game and with just one intimate but excellent camp, it now offers some of the best rhino experiences found in the whole of Africa. Nisela Game Reserve also offers game viewing and other activities on an area of acacia savannah.

Where to Go in South East Eswatini
Great Usutu River & Big Bend
The Great Usuthu is the largest river in Eswatini (Swaziland). It enters the country on the western border with South Africa and leaves through the Lubombo mountains east of Big Bend for its final journey to the Indian Ocean. Its lower reaches are home to hippos, crocodiles and tiger fish, while its waters are the lifeline for Eswatini’s sugar estates. Swazi Trails in the Ezulwini Valley offers full-day and half-day river rafting trips on a remote stretch of the Usuthu, where the river thunders through wild gorges and meanders through rural communities. Rafters will see impressive rock stacks, riverbank life and a fair amount of wildlife – including the odd small crocodile. They will also get drenched: for most of the year this is a Grade III (medium difficulty) rafting river, but in full flow some sections can rise to Grade V and even VI.

Big Bend lies 80km south east of Manzini on the MR8. Built to serve the sugar industry, it is a regional centre for south east Swaziland. Emerald-green cane fields have supplanted the dusty bush, and visitors will find shops, services and a handful of places to stay. From Big Bend the road continues south over the Lavumisa border into South Africa and joins the main highway south to Durban

KaMsholo Bushveld Safaris
The private KaMsholo Bushveld Safaris south of Big Bend protects a picturesque tract of 4000ha of acacia savannah beneath a craggy Lubombos backdrop. These wild hills harbor some unusual habitats, with flora and fauna found nowhere else in the country. The reserve’s graded dirt roads are fine for small vehicles and with no dangerous game, visitors can explore trails on foot, guided or un-guided. Wildlife includes plentiful giraffe, plus zebra, blue wildebeest, greater kudu, nyala, impala, common reedbuck, common duiker and warthog and other game. Among the rich reptile fauna are some large pythons and there are crocodiles in the large dam to the south, where catch and release fishing is available. Birders will delight in the more than 300 species recorded around here. Raptors are especially impressive. There is a range of visitor facilities at the entrance to the reserve, including a good restaurant, playground, campsite and curio shop, and there is a choice of accommodation including traditional beehive huts.

Mkhaya Game Reserve
Mkhaya Game Reserve, a private reserve, located between Manzini and Big Bend, is Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) most exclusive safari retreat. Here you leave your vehicle behind to join an expert private guide for game drives and bush walks. You then dine beneath the stars, before drifting off to sleep in your chalet to the noises of the night.

Big Game Parks acquired Mkhaya in 1979 in order to protect the country’s last indigenous Nguni cattle. As the reserve expanded so did its ambitions. Today it is a sanctuary for endangered species and home to other large mammals that once roamed Eswatini freely. White rhinos are common and black rhinos, though more elusive, are still often seen. You should also find giraffe, zebra, hippo and warthog, plus Eswatini’s only herd of buffalo. Roan, sable and tsessebe are among the rarer antelope, with wildebeest, kudu, impala and nyala all abundant. Leopards are only occasional visitors, but you may hear spotted hyenas at night and crocodiles are often seen lounging around the main waterhole. Back in camp the excellent birdlife includes such specials as narina trogon, pink-throated twinspot and crested guineafowl, while nyala and even a few shy suni browse around the camp. After dinner listen for the fragile whistle of fiery-necked nightjars, the unearthy shriek of greater bushbabies and the whoop of spotted hyenas.

Tracking rhinos on foot at Mkhaya is as thrilling as anywhere in Africa. White rhinos are generally approachable and the guides may take you extremely close. Black rhinos are more nervous and aggressive, so tracking them can be an adrenaline-charged affair. Bush walks are not just about big game, but offer a full immersion in the sights, sounds and textures of the bush. Expect to learn about everything from the air-conditioning of a termite mound to the contents of a hyena’s droppings. Afterwards, watching wildlife from a vehicle may seem like watching it on TV.

This region of Eswatini (Swaziland) is primarily lowveld. This is quintessential Africa: undulating thorn bush, scattered mud-and- thatch villages, and blue hills lining the horizon. It seems a world away from the cool western highveld. Those blue hills, the beautiful, flat-topped Lubombo Mountains, form the eastern border with South Africa.

The advent of the sugar industry from the late 1950s brought development and the region is now characterised by vast sugar estates, most of which have country clubs offering a variety of activities to guests and visitors. There are few towns of any notable size, with the largest being Siteki, on the western edge of the Lubombos, en route to the Mozambique border.

Most visitors come to this region of Eswatini because it is home to the country’s greatest number of nature/wildlife reserves, which collectively make up the Lubombo Conservancy. Hlane Royal National Park is the best known and most visited but Mlawula Nature Reserve, Mbuluzi Game Reserve and Dombeya Game Reserve also offer some wonderful wilderness and wildlife experiences. Within the Conservancy, visitors may spot a vast diversity of animals, including the Big Five and bird life that is second to none, all within protected bushveld areas that incorporate wonderful indigenous plants and trees. The bird life in this region is among the most prolific in the country with more than 350 species and due to the extent of the conservation areas, there are many majestic raptors as well as brown-headed parrots in their hundreds. A wide choice of accommodation is available within the reserves at the various rest camps.

Atop the Lubombo mountains is the Shewula Nature Reserve, also part of the Conservancy and home to one of the country’s most successful community tourism projects. The Lubombo Eco Trails project aims to establish even more community-based enterprises that will allow visitors to experience the mountains to the full.

Where to Go in North East Eswatini
Dombeya Game Reserve
Dombeya Game Reserve, located north east of Manzini, is a delightful and peaceful wildlife retreat. Prior to establishment as a Game Reserve, the area was under severe threat from tree felling and poaching. With dedicated energy, the owners launched an ecological restoration programme, and the area is now a thriving wildlife reserve, in excellent ecological condition. The Reserve is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including giraffe, wildebeest, waterbuck, kudu, nyala, warthog, impala and many more. Without the big 5, Dombeya is a stunning place to explore nature, up-close, at your own pace. The Reserve has 2 luxury lodges Mkhiweni Lodge and Shonalanga Lodge, each sleeping up to 4 people, and there are lots of beautiful places to explore. Unfortunately, day visitors are not currently permitted, as facilities are limited.

Hlane Royal National Park
Hlane is Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) largest protected area and extends either side of the MR3 – where you may spot wildlife along the verge. The camps are located in the western sector. This area hosts the traditional Butimba, or royal hunt, and today Big Game Parks manages Hlane on behalf of the King. Among a wealth of wildlife reintroduced to its former home, elephant, white rhino, lion and leopard all occur. The rhino and elephant often visit the waterhole at Ndlovu Camp, while lions – the emblem of royal Eswatini – occupy a separate fenced area, where you can see them on a guided game drive. Leopards are more elusive, as are spotted hyenas, whose whooping calls blend with the roars of the lions at night. Giraffe, zebra and hippos are among the other large mammals, while antelope include abundant impala, plus kudu, wildebeest and waterbuck. Highlights among more than 300 species of bird include a large breeding colony of white-backed vultures.

Visitors can choose from a selection of game drives and Hlane’s wide network of game-viewing roads is ideal for a self-drive safari. You can stretch your legs at picnic sites and watch animals come to drink from the game-viewing hide at Mahlindza Dam. Other activities include guided walks and a mountain-bike trail, while overnight bush trails are run in the wild eastern Lusoti section. Accommodation is at Ndlovu Camp, where you can watch the rhinos come to drink, or at the secluded, self-catering Bhubesi Camp, where only the calls of bushbabies and nightjars disturb the night.

Lubombo Conservancy
The reserves of Hlane, Mlawula, Mbuluzi and Shewula fall within a larger project called the Lubombo Conservancy. This aims to protect the biodiversity of North East Eswatini (Swaziland), also helping improve life for people through more sustainable use of natural resources. This area is also where most big game is found. The free-roaming herds of the past are gone, but a far-sighted conservation programme has preserved the habitat and replenished much of its original wildlife.

The low, flat bushveld terrain, rising to the rugged Lubombos, is just like that of the southeast Kruger Park in South Africa, a little to the north. Indeed, before roads, borders, sugar estates and other impediments, this region was just as wild and teeming with big game. In todays world, wildlife can be found in the reserves.

You have a choice of reserves in which to experience this wild Eswatini of yesteryear – and also to get a flavour of community life: Hlane Royal National Park is managed by Big Game Parks and home to abundant wildlife, much of it re-introduced; Mlawula Nature Reserve is run by the Eswatini National Trust Commission, with pristine bush that reaches to the top of the Lubombos, but is more challenging in terms of both game-viewing and accommodation; Mbuluzi Game Reserve is effectively a small slice of Mlawula but, under private management, has easier game-viewing and better facilities; Shewula Mountain Camp is a community project high in the Lubombos, where visitors can combine wild nature with local culture.

Lubombo Mountains
Along the eastern border, forming a natural barrier between Swaziland and Mozambique, is a line of rugged volcanic hills known as the Lubombos, which rise abruptly from the lowveld to some 600m. This range extends far beyond Swaziland, following the Mozambique border north through the Kruger National Park and south into KwaZulu-Natal.

The Lubombos themselves are wild and beautiful – home to some exciting hikes, excellent community projects and rare fauna and flora. These wild hills harbour some unusual habitats, with the rare flora and fauna found nowhere else in the country.

A new initiative is opening up a number of eco-walking trails. The Lubombo Eco Trails is aimed at providing the adventure seeker with a unique ecological and cultural experience. It is a community-focused initiative: a growing adventure trails network including hiking, mountain biking, 4×4 routes, bird watching, cultural routes and river rafting. The Eco Trails will initiate a number of community-based enterprises, such as eco lodges and cultural attractions.

Mbuluzi Game Reserve
Mbuluzi Game Reserveis a small but highly picturesque reserve adjoins Mlawula to the north west, and its privately managed bushveld is home to plentiful wildlife in Swaziland. Game-viewing roads, hiking trails and a mountain-bike route wind around the reserve, criss-crossing the Mlawula River and offering impressive views. The terrain undulates between the deep Mbuluzi gorge and steep Lubombo escarpment, with dense riverine forests, rocky cliffs and open savannah. It supports a good population of giraffe, plus kudu, blue wildebeest, zebra, impala and other herbivores. Hippos move in and out of the reserve, while spotted hyenas and leopards are occasionally seen. Over 300 bird species have been recorded, including rarities such as African finfoot, and the rivers hold numerous crocodiles.

Mbuluzi is a strictly do-it-yourself destination. You can drive most roads in a standard family car, visiting viewpoints, picnic spots and a bird hide, or walk the reserve’s many trails. Other activities include mountain-biking and fishing. Large private lodges offer secluded, fully equipped, self-catering accommodation, with excellent views.

Mlawula Nature Reserve
This wild reserve lies to the east of the MR3, north of Simunye, and is managed by the Swaziland National Trust Commission. Its savannah and woodland mosaic is flanked to the east by the Lubombo mountains and to the north by the Mbuluzi river. This habitat variety means that Mlawula boasts an even greater biodiversity than Hlane, but poaching over the years has taken its toll and larger game is harder to see. Impala are the most abundant large mammal, with zebra, wildebeest, nyala and kudu often seen. Predators include a few spotted hyenas, often heard at night, while baboons and klipspringers scale the cliffs of the Lubombos. Mlawula’s 350 recorded species of bird represent 70% of Swaziland’s total and include such local specialities as white-backed night-heron and African broadbill. The reserve is also a botanical hotspot, with endemic cycads and aloes among its 1,035 recorded species.

Mlawula is a rougher and more challenging destination than Hlane, with fewer facilities and activities, but offers rich rewards for those prepared to explore. Visitors can stay at Siphiso campsite or Magadzavane Lodge, the latter reached via Siteki. Most game-viewing roads are, with care, manageable in a normal vehicle. A map marks all roads, trails and picnic spots and, with no dangerous game, you can get out wherever you like. The walking trails offer a rare opportunity to wander unguided in pristine African bush. Trails vary in length from 1.5km to a full day’s hike.

Shewula Nature Reserve
Shewula Nature Reserve covers 2650ha of land put aside by the local community for conservation. It is part of the Lubombo Conservancy and is home to the very popular Shewula Mountain Camp, which enjoys a spectacular location on top of the Lubombo Mountains. On a clear day you can see down to the Indian Ocean to the east and across Eswatini (Swaziland) to the mountains of Malolotja to the west. This pioneering eco-tourism project has become one of the most successful of its kind in southern Africa. The community own and manage the project and profits go towards local development projects, including orphan care and wind power. Activities include guided nature walks down to the Mbuluzi Gorge, through beautiful scenery in search of crocodiles, birds and other wildlife, and mountain bike (or donkey cart!) rides around the plateau. The highlight is probably the village walk, taking you round the community; a chance to meet local people, visit a school and share some stories over a local beer, even visit the local sangoma (traditional healer). These walks do not feel contrived; the village simply gets on with life while you join in with as much or as little as you like. The sunsets are spectacular, and after dark you can enjoy the communal Swazi meals and watch the sibhaca dance displays.

Siteki
Siteki, 65km east of Manzini, is perched on top of the Lubombo plateau and offers magnificent views back to the distant mountains in the west. Its name means ‘marrying place’ and derives from a proclamation of King Mbandzeni (1875–1889), who allowed his troops to get hitched here. The town was one of Swaziland’s earliest colonial settlements, attracting settlers with its cooling breezes and the promise of lively trade along the ‘gin road’ to Maputo (then Lourenço Marques). Today, it is hard to imagine the glory years, but you will find basic shops and amenities and, nearby, some lovely places to stay. Mabuda Farm sits on a steep hillside just outside Siteki and offers a variety of accommodation and activities on a busy working dairy farm. Guests can stroll among the hay bales and hedgerows, enjoying the breezes of the ridgetop, ride a pony around the estate, or hike a series of wild trails down the hillside.

Sugar Estates & Country Clubs
In the north east corner of the country, a series of vast sugar estates dominate the lowveld, with a number of estate country clubs offering facilities for visitors. The clubs are something of a blast from the past. They were built mainly for the recreational needs of the expats who work on the sugar estates and come with golf course, sports bars, tennis courts, and other facilities you might expect. But they are by no means stuffy or exclusive and offer a pleasant place to eat or spend the night – generally in large and attractive grounds.

In the far north, Mhlume, Tambankulu and Mananga Country Clubs all lie just off the M24. Mananga has its own small game reserve and offers activities on the nearby Sand River Dam. Simunye Country Club offers a convenient ‘watering hole’ at the centre of the Lubombo Conservancy, with a relaxed vibe, excellent food and lush grounds teeming with bird life.

The North West region of Eswatini (Swaziland) lies primarily in the highveld and is a beautiful landscape of dramatic rolling uplands. The impressive hills and winding river valleys form the eastern edge of South Africa’s Drakensberg escarpment and are topped by the country’s two highest peaks – Emlembe (1,862m) and Ngwenya (1,829m). Winter nights are chilly and mist often cloaks the high ground. The region is very easily reached from Mbabane and Central Eswatini just to the south, or from South Africa via one of three road borders.

Among the region’s attractions are the stunning Malolotja Nature Reserve, Eswatini’s greatest wilderness and home to its only zip-wire treetop canopy tour, and Ngwenya, with its ancient mine and glass factory.

North of Malolotja, the MR1 highway from Mbabane winds steeply down into a spectacular valley, where the Nkomati river – Swaziland’s second largest – carves its winding way east across the top corner of the country towards the Indian Ocean. The small town of Piggs Peak sits among cool forestry plantations on the northern side, offering a convenient pit-stop between Mbabane and South Africa’s Kruger Park. Scattered around the picturesque surrounding countryside are a number of visitor attractions. These include the wide waters of Maguga Dam, the ancient rock art at Nsangwini, the natural haven of Phophonyane Falls Nature Reserve and the rehabilitated mountain mining town of Bulembu.

Where to Go in North West Eswatini
Bulembu
Bulembu lies on the South Africa border at the end of a rough road west of Piggs Peak. The nearby mountains include the 1,862m summit of Emlembe, the kingdom’s highest peak. The town, nestled at the foot of the mountain, is surrounded by the natural beauty of lush green hills and eucalyptus forests.

Built during the 1930s to serve the Havelock asbestos mine – once the mainstay of Swaziland’s economy – this mining community was left a ghost town after the asbestos market collapsed and the mine closed. It has since received a new lease of life, however, courtesy of a pioneering charity project that has restored the community through a combination of social welfare – notably the rehousing of vulnerable children in old miners’ accommodation – and cottage industries including timber, honey production, spring water bottling, a dairy and a bakery. One achievement of Bulembu’s rebirth has been the preservation of its original 1930s structures. Today tourists can visit the fascinating and well-kept mining museum, wander the old colonial buildings, see the local enterprises in action, stay at the resurrected and charming Bulembu Country Lodge and hike high into the hills.

Local hiking routes range from a 300m walk to a nearby waterfall viewpoint to a five-hour hike up the summit of Emlembe. Trails are well signed, and guides are available at the Bulembu Country Lodge. The excellent local birdlife includes montane grassland and mistbelt forest species, such as malachite sunbird and Knysna turaco.

Maguga Dam
Maguga Dam, an impresseive expanse of blue water, can be reached via a loop road east of the MR1, which crosses the Nkomati Valley at the dam wall. It is Swaziland’s largest reservoir and its wall, which stands 115m high, is the fourth largest in southern Africa. Visitors can pause to take in the view at various points. Boating and fishing are both available on the dam, with fully equipped houseboats for hire. You might even glimpse one of the hippos that sometimes make their way here along the Nkomati.

The dam was built under the auspices of the joint South Africa/Swaziland Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA), and today produces hydroelectric power and supplies irrigation to farmers across a wide area. When completed in 2001, it received the South Africa Institute of Civil Engineering award for ‘most outstanding achievement’ in the international category.

For many visitors Maguga Dam is just a scenic pit-stop between Mbabane and the Kruger Park. In this respect, the Maguga Lodge restaurant is beautifully located. Seated on southern shore, its terrace overlooking the glittering waters. With more time, you can enjoy hikes to local bushman paintings and waterfalls, bird-watching and mountain biking.

Malolotja Nature Reserve
Malolotja is one of the very best highland reserves in southern Africa, its 18,000ha wilderness of high rolling hills and deep forested river gorges offering a genuine wilderness in which hikers can lose themselves for days. The Malolotja river rises in the reserve, plunging over the 95m Malolotja Falls on its way to the Nkomati river, which cuts east towards the Indian Ocean. The rocks beneath Malolotja are among the oldest in the world – some, known as the Swaziland Supergroup, having being laid down as ocean sediment over 3.5 billion years ago, before metamorphosing under heat and pressure into the shales and quartzites we see today. The reserve entrance is just a 30-minute drive from either Mbabane or Piggs Peak. Visitors can stay at the campsite or in self-catering log cabins. Alternatively they can stay in traditional beehive chalets – complete with modern interiors – at nearby Hawane resort, which runs activities into and around the reserve, including horse-riding. A small dam at Hawane is good for bird watching and fishing.

The Malolotja wildlife experience is more about quality than quantity. You won’t see as many species as on the lowveld reserves, but you might see one or two more unusual ones. Among the larger mammals are grazers such as blesbok, zebra, blue wildebeest and the rare black wildebeest. Smaller antelope include grey rhebok, mountain reedbuck and oribi. A few shy leopard roam the hills and gorges, while serval and aardwolf stalk the grasslands and baboons patrol the ridges. Look out for aardvark diggings and the scattered quills of porcupines. Malolotja has many treats for birders. The main drawcard is the endangered blue swallow. Other specials include Gurney’s sugarbird, ground woodpecker, Denham’s bustard and southern bald ibis – the last of these breeding on the cliffs above the falls. Malolotja is also home to localised reptiles, such as the Swazi thick-tailed rock gecko.

Fabulous displays of wild flowers thrive during the spring months (October & November), with lilies, orchids and red-hot pokers, while the valley floors support two threatened species of cycad.

Malolotja’s 200km of trails offer some of the finest hiking in southern Africa, from gentle morning walks to multi-day wilderness hikes. Malolotja’s climate is highly variable, and hikers should come prepared for all weather. A limited network of rough roads is not really designed for game viewing but serves to reach the trailheads. Mountain bikes can be hired at the entrance gate. For a more adrenaline-charged experience, the Malolotja Canopy Tour comprises a 50m suspension bridge and 11 wooden platforms ingeniously affixed to the steep sides of Silotshwane Gorge. Participants zip-line from platform to platform on a steel cable high above the forest canopy and Majolomba river.

While visiting Malolotja, don’t miss the stone-carver stalls near the entrance. Their products are among the best of their kind in Swaziland. Made mostly of soapstone, an easily workable local rock, their natural grey-green colour is enhanced by oiling or darkened with shoe polish. Without doubt, Malolotja should be on the itinerary of every adventure-seeker or scenery-lover visiting southern Africa.

Ngwenya Glass Factory
Ngwenya Glass, a popular tourist stop near the Ngwenya border post, comprises the famous glass-blowing factory, plus a cluster of smaller handicraft outlets. Ngwenya Glass grew from a Swedish aid project with Swazi trainees sent to study at the celebrated Kosta Boda glassworks. Today the factory’s figurines, vases and tableware are exported worldwide. All these products are made from 100% recycled glass – primarily old soft-drinks bottles collected from around Eswatini (Swaziland) – and the factory employs a series of eco-friendly practices throughout the production process. On weekdays you can watch from a balcony as the glassblowers work their magic at the glowing furnaces. The adjoining showroom has an impressive array of products.

In 1981, management of the factory – then known as Swazi Glass Craft – was transferred to the Swaziland Small Enterprise Development Corporation. Four years later production came to a halt. Fortunately the products had already acquired a devoted following of collectors – among them, the Prettejohn family from South Africa, who came to investigate what had happened to their beloved glass animals. By June 1987 they found themselves the proud new owners of Africa’s only glass factory. In August, after renovating the machinery and tracking down staff, they resumed production. Today the 70 workers include six of the original staff, including master glassblower Sibusiso Mhlanga, who has worked with some of the world’s leading glassblowers and now tutors new apprentices.

Ngwenya Mine & Lion Cavern
Ngwenya, which means crocodile, describes the shape of Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) second-highest mountain, looming above the Ngwenya border post. On its southern flank is the oldest mine in the world – an iron ore mine dated by archaeologists to at least 43,000 years ago. The mineral mined here was specularite, an ore with a glittering sheen that was traditionally worn by chiefs as body paint for ceremonial occasions. All that remains today of the ancient mine is a modest hole in the hillside, known as Lion Cavern – not to be confused with the much larger flooded quarry nearby, left by more modern mining operations. You can visit the mine on a guided tour.

An excellent Ngwenya visitor centre, was opened in 2005, displaying some fascinating exhibits, including samples of the various mineral deposits, archive photographs of early mining days, a life-size diorama of an iron-age smelter at work, and a British-built steam engine that was shipped to Swaziland in 1913. Sadly the building burned down in late 2018 and has yet to be re-built.

Nsangwini Rock Art
Nsangwini Rock Art, an atmospheric site, hidden on the northern flank of the Nkomati Valley between Maguga Dam and Piggs Peak, preserves Swaziland’s best bushman paintings. The paintings, which lie beneath a rock overhang down a rocky trail, are the work of the hunter-gatherer San people and could be up to 4,000 years old. Guides from the local community will point out various animal and human bearing spears, and bizarre spirit sporting insect heads. Archaeologists believe that these paintings were completed in a shamanic trance and that many carry symbolic meaning. The work is executed in red ochre and animal blood with wonderful delicacy and precision.

Here you can step back to a time when wild creatures roamed a land unfettered by power lines, roads, dams and the trappings of modern living; a land where people competed with nature to survive. Nsangwini Rock is a great example of one of the places these people recorded their experiences, visions and dreams.

The mountainside trail to the rock shelter is steep (about 20 minutes down and 25 minutes up) with many loose rocks, but it is manageable by all able-bodied people. Nsangwini is clearly signposted from the main Mbabane-Pigg’s Peak road and from the Maguga Dam loop road. There is 7.5kms of dirt road from the tar, but the road is suitable for all vehicles.

Phophonyane Nature Reserve
The Phophonyane Nature Reserve, a private nature reserve, lies about 10km north of Piggs Peak and nestles in a forested hillside above the tumbling Phophonyane river, incorporating the attractive Phophonyane Falls. The gorgeous lodge has a beguiling natural ambience, with its cluster of buildings, all painted in African ochres and adorned with hangings and frescoes, smuggled discreetly into the lush subtropical vegetation. Nature runs rampant, with birdsong blending into the ubiquitous trickle of running water. Accommodation ranges from rustic cottages to safari tents and upgraded beehive huts. Day visitors can enjoy the restaurant, trails and natural rock swimming pool.

Phophonyane’s quiet trails are home to plentiful wildlife. You may spot a timid red duiker or troop of banded mongooses, while vervet monkeys often hang around the lodge. Among some 240 recorded birds, pride of place goes to the dazzling narina trogon, an elusive gem that forms the reserve logo.

If it doesn’t fly, it slithers. Abundant reptile life at Phophonyane ranges from pretty (harmless) spotted bush snakes camouflaged in the undergrowth to rainbow skinks dashing across rocky outcrops. Owner Rod de Vletter has stories of big black mambas and pythons, although snakes – as everywhere – are seldom seen. Meanwhile, among the more conspicuous mini-beasts are a profusion of millipedes, and kite spiders that string their webs across forest trails.

The lodge organises guided walks into the community, where you can visit the primary school, and hikes along the nearby Gobolondo mountain ridge, with panoramic views north over the Makhonjwa mountains and east towards the Lubombo escarpment. An easier though less deserving way to enjoy the views from Gobolondo is on a guided drive in one of the lodge’s 4×4 vehicles, complete with picnic lunch at the top. Excursions to other local attractions, such as Nsangwini, can also be arranged.

Pigg’s Peak
Piggs Peak is the only settlement of any size in North West Eswatini. The town’s name is often Africanised in local parlance to ‘Spiggy-Speegy’, or even just ‘Spiggy’. Whatever its pronunciation, it derives from the French prospector William Pigg, whose son, ironically, went on to marry a girl with the surname Hogg. Pigg made his fortune not in bacon but gold, after discovering a reef in the nearby hills in 1884. His ‘peak’ was the nearby summit of Emlembe, Eswatini’s highest mountain. As mining developed in the region – first gold and then asbestos – the intersection of the Bulembu supply road with the Mbabane–Matsamo corridor became a local hub, offering services to settlers. This was the origin of today’s town, and also its entry route for tourists.

The gold mine was once the most important in Eswatini. By the time it was exhausted in 1954, however, it had already been surpassed by the more profitable Havelock asbestos mine at Bulembu. Today forestry has long since eclipsed mining as the main local industry. The town is also known for its large hotel and casino, splendidly situated on the crest of a ridge 10km north of town and is just a few kilometres away from the old mining town of Bulembu, the ancient rock pantings of Nsangwini, and Phophonyane Nature Reserve.

The Peak Fine Craft Centre, just to north of the hotel, is indisputably Eswatini’s most scenic handicrafts outlet. It centres upon the workshop and boutique of Coral Stephens Hand Weaving, an impressive family enterprise, whose mohair curtains, carpets and other products are exported worldwide. Other craft outlets include sisal-weaving (Tintsaba), jewellery, ceramics and stone-carving. The craft centre has a restaurant offering spectacular views over the surrounding area.

Central Eswatini (Swaziland) offers a remarkably varied collection of experiences that any visitor to the region can indulge in. Although the smallest of the tourism regions, this is where the country’s capital city Mbabane, second largest city Manzini and main industrial area Matsapha are found. The two cities lie just 25 miles (40km) apart and are connected by a valley that has become Eswatini’s tourism hub – Ezulwini Valley, also known as the Valley of Heaven. Close by is the traditional Royal heartland Lobamba, also home to the country’s parliament building.

Eswatini’s most easily accessible wildlife reserve – Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary is also in this region, alongside the Mantenga Nature Reserve, home to one of the country’s most popular attractions, the Mantenga Cultural Village. The fertile and pretty Malkerns Valley with its arts and crafts attractions is also very close by.

Perched on the edge of the escarpment, just a short drive from the South Africa border, Mbabane is both an attractive town, with all the amenities a visitor might require, and a convenient gateway to the Kingdom’s main visitor attractions beyond. The city’s hilly streets offer accommodation, shopping and eating out, while alongside the modern malls are traditional markets, colourful street traders and art galleries. And just a few miles out of town lies the scenic grandeur of Pine Valley and the mighty Sibebe Rock.

Ezulwini means ‘place of heaven’, and the panoramic valley that bears this name certainly offers its share of hedonistic delights. This is where tourism in Eswatini began, and today its attractions include hotels, restaurants, hot springs, casinos, craft markets, art galleries, riding stables and a golf course.

Overlooking the Valley and providing some stunning views are two well known mountains, both of which have trails to reach their pinnacles – Sheba’s Breasts & Execution Rock (Nyonyane Mountain).

Immediately adjacent to the Ezulwini Valley, midway between Mbabane and Manzini, are two small, adjoining nature reserves. Mlilwane is effectively where conservation in Ezulwini began. It has a good selection of wildlife, plenty of outdoor activities, and is popular with locals and visitors alike. Mantenga is an Eswatini National Trust Commission property. It centres upon the picturesque Mantenga Falls and incorporates a cultural village, where Swazi history, culture and tradition are brought alive for visitors.

Ezulwini’s spiritual, cultural and political heart lies at Lobamba, just east of the Ezulwini Valley. This area has been playing host to the country’s royalty for over 200 years and it is where the nation still gathers for the annual Incwala and Umhlanga ceremonies, against the imposing backdrop of the sacred Mdzimba mountains. To the north of the main road the visitor will find Parliament, the National Museum, National Stadium and King Sobhuza II Memorial Park. To the south, beyond the cluster of Lobamba village, lies Ludzidzini and the royal kraal.

The Malkerns Valley lies at the heart of the middleveld, midway between Ezulwini and Manzini. This large, fertile expanse of farmland, bristling with the spiky grey-green leaves of the pineapple estates, is Eswatini’s breadbasket. Among the fields are some excellent craft markets and workshops, guest houses and a riding stables. The Malandela’s complex is one of the country’s premier tourist spots and the Swazi Candles Centre is one of the best places to find Eswatini’s famed arts & crafts. Manzini is the country’s busiest city, with plenty of hustle & bustle, including a lively market. Nearby Matsapha is Eswatini’s industrial heartland and between the two lies the beautiful Summerfield Botanical Gardens.

At the western edge of Central Eswatini lies Mhlambanyatsi, a sleepy forestry town surrounded by beautiful scenery and home to the renowned Foresters Arms Hotel.

Where to Go in Central Eswatini
Ezulwini Valley
Ezulwini Valley is Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) main tourist area offering a wealth of attractions. Ezulwini means ‘place of heaven’, and the panoramic valley that bears this name certainly offers its share of hedonistic delights. This is where tourism in Swaziland began, and today its attractions include hotels, restaurants, hot springs, casinos, craft markets, art galleries, riding stables, a nature reserve, a golf course and a cultural village. Most visitors pass this way, and those who spend just one night in the kingdom will probably spend it here. Ezulwini Valley lies directly south east of Mbabane, extending from the bottom of the Malagwane Hill to Lobamba, and runs parallel with the MR3 highway from Mbabane to Manzini. It is flanked to the west by the craggy Luphohlo/Lugogo mountains and to the east by the sacred Mdzimba mountains. Its development as a tourist centre dates back to the 1960s, when the Royal Swazi Spa Hotel opened beside some natural hot springs known as the Cuddle Puddle, bringing with it southern Africa’s first casino. By 1983, Ezulwini had become the country’s Golden Mile, with a proliferation of hotels, casinos, golf courses, restaurants and other tourist honey pots.

Times have changed, however, and the Valley – once famed for its colourful nightlife – is now better known for its fine family-friendly hotels, and natural and cultural attractions. And while its lights may be bright by Swati standards, the developments are still dwarfed by their picturesque backdrop. Today visitors can still stay at top-end hotels, or choose from plentiful guesthouses, chalets and backpacker hostels. Eating out options range from the renowned Calabash Restaurant, to international cuisine at the Gables shopping centre, with no shortage of cafés and takeaways for the budget conscious.

The Ezulwini Valley offers a wealth of options for that quintessential Swazi gift. At the Ezulwini Craft Market – Swaziland’s largest, with some 126 different stalls – you will find everything from wooden carvings, plates and beadwork to jewellery, textiles and traditional garments. The Mantenga Craft and Lifestyle Centre nearby offers similar fare, plus an opportunity to nip round the back and watch the artists in action. African Queen, an upmarket gift shop set in the Royal Swazi complex, stocks local crafts, including pottery and jewellery, plus an excellent selection of books. Gables provides standard ‘mall shops’.

There are casinos to enjoy at the Royal Swazi Sun and Happy Valley Hotel, while the larger hotels stage regular live performances, from cabaret nights to fashion shows, and House on Fire at Malandela’s is only 15 minutes’ drive away. Those in search of more active pursuits will find swimming pools and tennis courts at the larger hotels. The jewel in the valley’s sporting crown, however, is undoubtedly the 18-hole, championship-standard golf course at the Royal Swazi, one of the most impressive and scenic in southern Africa.

Other activities include in the Ezulwini Valley horse riding at Hoofbeat Safaris, with outrides of different lengths across the valley, and quad biking at The Devil’s Cauldron, the site of an old tin mine behind the Royal Swazi. The more limber can also get beneath the surface of Eswatini, literally, with adventure caving – a guided activity that explores a unique cave system underneath the Malagwane Hill. These last two activities, and many more, are the brainchildren of Swazi Trails. They and All Out Africa, are the country’s top adventure tour operators, offering cultural and wildlife excursions as well as adventure activities.

Lobamba
Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) spiritual, cultural and political heart lies at Lobamba, just east of the Ezulwini Valley. This area has been playing host to teh country’s royalty for over 200 years and it is on the surrounding plains that the nation still gathers for the annual Incwala and Umhlanga ceremonies, against the imposing backdrop of the sacred Mdzimba mountains. To the north of the road the visitor will find Parliament, the National Museum, National Stadium and King Sobhuza II Memorial Park. To the south, beyond the cluster of Lobamba village, lies Ludzidzini and the royal kraal. There is plenty to see at all times of year, but a visit is undoubtedly most exciting during the festivities of the Umhlanga and Incwala.

Eswatini’s national museum, known in siSwati as Umsamo Wesive was built in 1972 and sits just behind parliament. It serves as the HQ of the Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC), custodians of the nation’s heritage and cultural archives, and contains exhibits on Eswatini’s culture, history and natural history. The ENTC arranges visits for school children to ensure that each successive generation grasps the importance of its heritage. In the natural history section you will find several impressive dioramas illustrating Eswatini’s various different habitats, complete with mounted animals – including a pride of lions chasing down a zebra. The recently revamped history and culture section, meanwhile, offers an excellent introduction to the way in which people have lived in Eswatini since prehistoric times. A chronological sequence of displays guides the visitor from the earliest hunter-gatherers right through to independence, with exhibits on everything from beadwork to missionaries. Artefacts include a 75–80,000-year-old stone spear. There is also a wonderful frieze of archive photographs depicting the colonial era and an interesting exhibition of contemporary Swati painting.

This formal garden stands immediately opposite the museum, and was built in 1982 after the death of King Sobhuza II at the site where his body lay in state. Sobhuza – father of today’s King Mswati III – enjoys an almost defied status as the father of the modern-day Eswatini. His various celebrated utterances trotted out like the wisdom of Solomon. ‘Anginasitsa’ (‘I have no enemies’) is the motto emblazoned on the large brass statue of the monarch that stands at the centre. The hexagonal layout has various symbolic resonances, with Sobhuza’s statue facing east towards his father’s burial site in the Mdzimba mountains. A glass mausoleum that preserves the very spot where the body lay is guarded day and night, with photographs strictly forbidden; a flame is lit for important occasions. The small museum display documents the King’s long life with archive photographs and some fascinating nuggets of information. The spacious gardens of the Memorial Park contribute to the overall feeling of Lobamba – that of being open and relaxed. Despite there being a concentration of places of national importance, Lobamba is rarely busy, and is very easy to simply ‘wander’ around. There is a walking tour on offer that includes sampling local beer in the village.

Just east of Lobamba the countryside opens out into broad, cattle-cropped plains. At the end of a palm-lined avenue to the south is eLudzidzini, where the Queen Mother’s royal kraal sits among the clustered dwellings of the royal village, its walls symbolically reinforced with reeds during the annual Umhlanga Reed Dance. In front is a parade ground, where the concluding ceremonies of the Umhlanga take place. During the Umhlanga and Incwala, the surrounding plains swarm with people in traditional dress, either joining the festivities or commuting back and forth. With the Mdzimba mountains behind, it makes for a spectacular sight.

Malandela’s
This Eswatini (Swaziland) tourist hotspot lies just 1km from Mahlanya on the road to Malkerns. Originating in a market stall on a family farm, it now comprises a cluster of buildings, all moulded from local earth in the contours and ochre hues of a traditional African settlement. At its heart is an excellent restaurant. Around this is an internet café and information centre, the funky Zoggs boutique, a gorgeous botanical garden and a boutique B&B, while next door are the major enterprises of Gone Rural and House on Fire.

The sweeping lawns, sculpture gardens, blossom and birdsong create a unique mellow vibe. House on Fire is part outdoor performance arena and part art gallery. This extraordinary creation centres upon a sunken ‘Afro-Shakespearian Globe Theatre’, around which are creative spaces on multiple levels for exhibitions, performances and other creative activities. Constructed in an eclectic fantasy style, it is embellished with mosaics and sculptures from numerous artists, and crammed with original work. The stage hosts everything from reggae bands to performance poets and every May the annual Bushfire festival – Eswatini’s answer to Glastonbury. This is an explosion of performing arts – including music, theatre, poetry and dance – that is now one of the top cultural events in Africa.

Malkerns
Malkerns lies at the heart of Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) middleveld, midway between Ezulwini and Manzini. This large, fertile expanse of farmland, bristling with the spiky grey-green leaves of the pineapple estates, is Eswatini’s breadbasket. Among the fields surrounding the small settlement of Malkerns are some excellent craft markets and workshops, guest houses, a riding stables and the Malandela’s complex – one of Eswatini’s premier tourist spots.

The Malandela’s complex has grown from a local family farm in the 70’s, to a lovely restaurant in the 90’s, and today has expanded into a tourist attraction and is highlight of many visitors to Eswatini. Malandela’s is home to the Malandela’s Guest House offering a comforting accommodation, and House on Fire, a performing arts venue routed within an incredible Afro-Shakespearean Globe theatre and home to the internationally recognised music festival MTN Bushfire. The complex is also the birthplace of social enterprise Gone Rural, a handweaving craft organisation that has reached global heights with their products shipping all over the world. Each Tuesday it’s possible to tour the workshop in order to see the weavers in action, and Gone Rural also offers the chance for visitors to visit the rural homesteads of their weavers.

Nearby Malkerns is one of Eswatini’s most successful craft outlets the Swazi Candles Centre. From what started in 1981 by two South African art graduates in an old dairy cowshed, has grown into a factory of candlemakers sending their products all over the world. There is an onsite shop selling a variety of modelled candles in vibrant colours, and now a whole array of other boutique craft shops and restaurants at the centre.

Other arts & crafts producers in the area are also now starting to offer visitor experiences in their workshops. These include a tour of Baobab Batik to learn how their products are made and at Tsandza Weaving, down towards the Usuthu River, as well as a weavery tour, it’s possible to learn how to weave on 1-3 day hands-on workshops!

Malkerns has developed hugely over the past 30 years from a little farming village to homing some of Eswatini’s most celebrated tourist attractions. As well as the activities listed below, please go to the the Swazi Candles Centre and Malandela’s pages for details of particular activities available at those specific locations.

Manzini
Having re-emerged from the British colonial HQ (Bremersdorp) razed to the ground at the end of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War, Manzini became the country’s commercial, agricultural and transportation heart. Just 30 minutes from Mbabane on the main east west MR3 highway, it is the gateway to the south and east. Its centre is compact: you can walk from one end to the other in 15 minutes, passing the main bus rank, the bustling Bhunu Mall, the Catholic cathedral and Manzini Market – the busiest in the country. Tourists are, in general, a rarer sight in Manzini than in Mbabane or Ezulwini.

There are plenty of places to stay in town, although many cater more to the business traveller than to the tourist. Eateries run from fast-food outlets and cafés to a handful of more upmarket restaurants. Swaziland’s largest and liveliest market is sprawled across the eastern end of Mancishane Street. It is noisy, crowded and completely authentic. Thursday is the day to go, when buyers and sellers arrive from all over the region. You can find pretty much anything here, from the usual arts and crafts, fruits, veg and clothing to traditional dress and some fascinating traditional healer stalls.

Mantenga Reserve, Village & Falls
Mantenga is an Eswatini National Trust Commission property and one of Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) top tourist attractions. It centres upon the picturesque Mantenga Falls and incorporates a cultural village, where Swazi history, culture and tradition are brought alive for visitors.

Set against the scenic backdrop of Nyonyane mountain, this replica mid-19th Century Swazi village, constructed using authentic materials and techniques, is one of the country’s most popular attractions. For a modest fee, visitors may wander the village at leisure. A guided tour will reveal much more, from how the huts are built and what each is used for, to the role played by the sangoma, or traditional healer. Among the huts you will meet the villagers, including women preparing food, plaiting grass and making traditional beadwork, all for sale. At a small showground behind the village a dance troop performs traditional sibhaca routines twice daily. It’s a lively show, comprising vigorous high-kicking, pulsating drumming and some rousing singing. After a couple of hours wandering around the village and watching the dancing, the drinks and refreshments at the Swazi River Café are very welcome.

This small reserve protects a tract of unspoilt woodland along the Lushushwane river. As well as the Cultural Village at its entrance, the reserve’s prime attraction is Mantenga Falls, Swaziland’s largest waterfall by volume. The river tumbles over a rock shelf before cascading via a series of pools along the reserve’s southern boundary with Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Visitors can explore a series of short trails that lead to a picnic spot at the falls. Wildlife in the area includes baboon, duiker, rock hyrax, porcupine, bushpig, nyala and klipspinger, although you are most likely to see the vervet monkeys that hang around the lodge, hoping for handouts. Look out too for rare southern bald ibis, which often roost on the cliffs above the falls. The reserve – together with its cultural village and restaurant – makes for a perfect half-day trip. A cosy lodge within the reserve also caters to over-nighters.

Matsapha
Matsapha is Swaziland’s industrial heartland close to the town of Manzini, its sprawl of development continuing unborken to the larger town. The route from Manzini to Matsapha is along the MR3 highway and you cannot miss the vast industrial area on the left with its factories, warehouses and shopping centres.
 Leave the highway at the industrial site (do not take the flyover) and at the roundabout, branch to the left and travel along road until you reach the quarry. There is a 
turning to the left and signage will
 take you to the unique Summerfield Botanical Gardens. This comprises a restaurant and luxurious accommodation set in amazing grounds with water features, lifelike model animals and a profusion of exotic and indigenous trees and shrubs, including protected ancient cycads.

The industrial estate of Matsapha grew up in the 1960s, starting with a cardboard box factory. Today its labyrinth of factories, warehouses and offices is home to such big hitters as Conco, the Coca Cola concentrate plant; and Fashion International, a garment manufacturer that employs over 1,250 people. Other notable industries include Macmillan Swaziland, the country’s leading publisher and supplier of school textbooks; and Swaziland Beverages, which produces local soft drinks and beers. A railway terminus at the heart of the estate provides a southeast freight link on Swaziland Railways to the Maputo and Durban/Richard’s Bay lines.

Mbabane
Mbabane (pronounced Um-ba-ba-neh) is Swaziland’s capital city and has a magnificent setting, ringed by the craggy backdrop of the Dlangeni Hills. With an average height of 1243m, it sits firmly in the highveld, its temperate climate offering some relief during the hot season. Though only a medium-sized town by western standards with a population of some 95,000, it is nonetheless Swaziland’s largest, and received ‘city’ status in 1992.

Mbabane’s history dates back to the 1750s, when Chief Mbabane Kunene settled in the area. The town developed during colonial times and became the British colonial capital in 1903, after the Anglo-Boer war. Development saw the first post office in 1906 and the arrival of electricity in 1920 (at the British Commissioner’s residence, of course). A golf course, tennis courts, cricket pitch and theatre club soon followed.

It wasn’t until independence in 1968, however, that Mbabane really began to expand, with the building of the Swazi Plaza and, subsequently, the Mbabane Mall. Today this area forms the heart of town, and houses banks, shops, internet cafés, tourist information and most modern visitor amenities. Hotels and guesthouses are located mostly in the surrounding residential suburbs and hills, while an abundance of places to eat ranges from restaurants serving international cuisine to coffee shops and fast-food joints. Despite now being a fully modern town, Mbabane has a pleasantly open, relaxed feel to it.

Mhlambanyatsi
Visitors could be forgiven for thinking that the quiet and charming village of Mhlambanyatsi, which lies to the west of the Hhohho region, has been lifted straight out of England. It was founded during the mid-1950’s following the establishment of the Usuthu Forest, which is one of the largest man-made forests in the world. Nearby Bhunya to the south is the site of the defunct mill which processed the pine trees into kraft pulp. This is now being revived with substantial investment and, among other activities, supplies the forestry processing industry in Swaziland.

Among the deep, dark Usuthu forestry plantations lies the Foresters Arms hotel, a popular retreat. Surrounded by the dense plantations and beautiful scenery, it has a European, pastoral feel, with excellent cuisine and cosy interiors.

Foresters Arms was built as a bar/lounge in 1955/56 to serve a farming community and the hotel has since grown around it organically. Owner Ruth Buck, who has been there since the mid 1980s, has imbued the place with a very particular charm, and she and her staff are enormously attentive to their guests. Today the hotel is deservedly popular for its excellent cuisine, with home-baking, fresh farm produce and a menu full of surprises. Equally seductive are the cosy interiors, complete with log fires, deep armchairs and piles of Sunday papers.

A range of country pursuits in the surrounding forests and estate include mountain-biking, horse-riding and hiking trails to a local waterfall. There is also fly-fishing at well-stocked dams in the Usutu forest, and excellent birdwatching in and around the grounds.

Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary
Mlilwane is Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) best-known nature reserve. It was here in 1961 that Ted Reilly – whose father had settled at the property in 1906 – first took action to save what remained of the kingdom’s wildlife, converting it into a sanctuary and rounding up animals from elsewhere around the country before they were hunted out. Although Big Game Parks – the independent conservation trust that Reilly subsequently founded – has since acquired the management of the larger reserves of Hlane and Mkhaya, Mlilwane remains its spiritual home.

Mlilwane is just a 15-minute drive from the Ezulwini Valley and its landscape is dominated by Nyonyane mountain, visible from afar. This dramatic peak is known as Execution Rock, taking its name from the grisly fate that once befell the condemned folk who were led to its summit. The reserve is not ‘Big Five’ country, and indeed the proximity of busy Ezulwini Valley, together with the stands of alien gum trees and old tin mine workings, mean that it cannot be considered a pristine wilderness. Nonetheless, it is a beautifully scenic and wonderful oasis for wildlife, with a lovely relaxed ambience.

Accommodation and activities are based in the reserve’s southern sector, with the northern sector set aside as a wilderness area. Wildlife is easy to find: zebra, blesbok, impala, blue wildebeest and warthog graze the open grasslands, while kudu and nyala browse the thickets. Rare antelope, such as roan and oribi, are protected in an enclosed area and can be viewed on a guided tour, and a pod of hippos frequents the main dam, sometimes visiting the waterhole at Rest Camp. Vervet monkeys and baboons are common, while the rich birdlife includes a noisy heron colony at Rest Camp, and both black and crowned eagles in the hills. Crocodiles lurk in the Dam.

Mlilwane offers a variety of accommodation, from self-catering cottages to beehive huts and a backpackers lodge – or you can splash out on the colonial comforts of Reilly’s Rock, the old family home, where bushbabies visit the verandah every evening. Many visitors, however, come just for a family day-out in the mellow environs of Rest Camp, where you can fire up the barbeque take a dip in the pool and commune with the wandering warthogs. The reserve’s public roads are perfect for self-drive wildlife safaris – or you can book a guided game drive in an open Land Rover. Other activities include walking trails, mountain-biking and horse-riding. The last of these caters for all levels and offers an excellent way to approach wildlife and explore the mountains on hourly and multi-day trails. Longer riding trails feature a night spent in a hidden cave beneath Nyonyane, complete with traditional open fire dinner.

As of 08h00 Friday 20 March 2020, Big Game Parks closed Mlilwane Rest Camp as a precautionary measure. Mlilwane Sanctuary Gate will remain open for self-guided walking, running and mountain biking, but visitors are requested not to attempt to go near Rest Camp or arrive in groups. Click here for the full statement by Big Game Parks.

Sheba’s Breasts & Execution Rock
Two well known mountains overlook Eswatini’s (Swaziland’s) Ezulwini Valley and both have well marked trails allowing visitors to hike up for some amazing views.

Sheba’s Breasts are actually two peaks on the side of Ezulwini Valley that are visible form afar. The rock formations are named after the legendary beauty and mysterious Queen of Sheba from Ethiopia, who supposedly seduced King Solomon. The author J. Rider Haggard, who traveled through Swaziland in the 1880s, was inspired by the peaks and it is believed that he wrote his famous “King Solomon’s Mines”. Legend tells that Sheba’s Breasts are the site of King Solomon’s mines. The Sheba’s Breasts Hiking Trail begins at Lidwala Lodge and can be hiked on a 2-3 hour round trip.

The striking Nyonyane Mountain with its exposed granite peak known as the Execution Rock lies in, and is accessed through Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. With its peak at 1110m, Nyonyane is where ancient Bushmen once lived and where Swazi Royal graves are situated, giving it historical significance. Ancient stories are often told how this magnificent peak acquired its name – locals suspected of witchcraft or criminals were forced to walk off the edge at spear-point for their crimes.

Hiking up to the summit of Execution Rock is a firm favourite. Maps are available from Mlilwane’s Activity Centre and there are numerous trails to the summit (including the Machobane Trail) with most departing from Mlilwane’s Rest Camp and some from Reilly’s Rock. Chubeka Trails, offers a 3- 4 hour Rock of Execution Challenge on horseback to the summit and it’s also a location for scheduled game drives that allow visitors to watch the sun rise or set over the Ezulwini Valley, Malkerns and Lobamba.

The Nyakato viewpoint on Nyonyane, offers stunning views of the adjacent Sheba’s Breasts, as well as the Mantenga waterfall and beautiful Usushwana Valley. The beating drums from Mantenga Cultural Village are often audible from and views stretch as far as Matsapha town, and down to Mantenga Lodge’s terrace, which enjoys spectacular views back up to Execution Rock.

Sibebe Rock
Sibebe Rock, just north of Mbabane, is one of southern Africa’s most impressive geological features. This immense, three-billion-year-old volcanic slab, which rises to 1,488m and covers some 16,500ha, is the world’s largest granite dome. Only Australia’s Uluru pips it to the title of ‘world’s largest rock’.

The best way to see it is to climb it. On top, you will find a wonderland of sculpted boulders, granite slopes and hidden forest clefts, with trails leading to caves and waterfalls. Orchids and other wild flowers carpet the grasslands from October to December, and you might spot such highveld birds as jackal buzzard, ground woodpecker and – if you’re lucky – a rare blue swallow.

After rains, the rock glistens silver with countless streams running down its bare face. It’s a magical sight from afar, but slippery and dangerous, so take care and follow only the marked trails. The road to Sibebe passes along the attractive Pine Valley, with the rock so close to the verge that in places you must crane upwards to see it. At the end lies Sibebe Trails community project, from where a well-marked and manageable path leads to the top. Guides are available.

A few well-run and well-appointed guest houses in the area have truly amazing settings and quite wonderful scenic views across this beautiful part of the Highveld, yet lie a surprisingly close hop to the centre of the country’s capital city!

Swazi Candles Centre
This popular tourist spot, the Swazi Candles Centre, consists of a cluster of handicraft outlets around the showroom and workshop of Swazi Candles, a successful local enterprise that today exports candles worldwide. Inside the workshop you can watch the candle-makers shaping and colouring their creations. Their technique, known as millefiore (’thousand flowers’), was developed centuries ago by Venetian glass blowers and has transferred seamlessly to wax. A hard veneer means that the lit candles melt only on the inside, creating a translucent stained-glass window effect for the luminous colours. Numerous products are for sale.

Products at the other shops include woven mohair garments, batiks and hand-crafted bags, all produced by local women, plus jewellery, chilli sauces, clothing, soaps, African artefacts and the varied works of contemporary Swazi artists. There are outlets of Tsandza Weaving, Baobab Batik, Black Mamba Chilli and Yebo Art & Design, amongst others. Under the huge jacarandas you will also find an open-air handicraft market including wood-carver stalls, a children’s playground, and the friendly Sambane Café, where you can enjoy excellent coffee and cake. The complex is open seven days a week between 8 am and 5 pm and is a real gem.

Summerfield Botanical Garden
Summerfield Botanical Gardens is the brainchild of local businessman John Carmichael. It began life as a botanical garden, with the restaurants and accommodation following by popular demand. The 100ha property was landscaped from an industrial wasteland and is now a designated National Conservancy, with Swaziland’s largest collection of plants including indigenous trees, cycads, palms, succulents and fruit trees all in separate collections. The gardens feature extravagant architecture (sculpted animals, water features, towering thatched pavilions).

Carmichael acquired the land in 1984 where at the time, was nothing more than a wasteland. A laborious landscaping process followed, with hundreds of tonnes of topsoil trucked in, dams excavated and previous trees all planted by hand. Droughts and bushfires brought early setbacks but today, from the moment you turns down the long jacaranda-lined entrance avenue, it is clear that a dream has been realised.

Behind the grand façade is a commitment both to the local environment and the local community. Carmichael employs over 90 people in the gardens alone and helps provide education to the workers’ children.