Best of Swaziland – one week itinerary

Swaziland, strictly speaking, no longer exists. In April 2018, the ruling king Mswati III changed the name of the country to eSwatini to mark the 50^th anniversary of the country’s independence from British rule. The lowercase e is no reference to modern technology. The word simply means “land of the Swazis” in the native language. The change was made without consultation whatsoever, as is the norm in eSwatini. Indeed, it is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies in the world meaning the king holds all power. Political parties are illegal in eSwatini and the displays of richness by the royal family makes for a sad contrast with the poverty of the 1.3m Swazi people.

Needless to say, eSwatini is a complex country. Tucked away between more powerful nations South Africa and Mozambique, it is easily overlooked. Many tourists visit eSwatini in a day. I’m sharing my itinerary for a one week road trip to see all corners of the country.

PLANNING A ONE WEEK ITINERARY

Planning a one week itinerary around Swaziland was surprisingly easy. We were allowed to take our rental car from South Africa, where we had been on a road trip on the Cape and wildlife safari, without any formalities. Border control was smooth and, even though eSwatini has got its own currency, South African Rand is accepted everywhere.

I felt very safe all the time and we parked our car and left it alone at random places without any issues. We made sure to be back at out accommodation before dark, but this was because of road safety rather than security concerns: there is quite some reckless driving going on and both roads and vehicles are badly lit.

DAY 1: THE NORTHWEST

We arrived in Nelspruit airport (South Africa), a tiny domestic airport that is mostly used by tourists visiting the nearby Kruger National Park. We were on the road in our rental car around midday. After a stop stop to stock up on food and water and then drove onwards to the Bulembu border crossing into Swaziland (1.5 hours’ drive). As I mentioned earlier, immigration into Swaziland was completely painless. We parked the car on the designated place before the border, went into the immigration office to have our passport stamped and drove on. Immediately after the border, it struck us that the standard of living in eSwatini is lower compared to neighbouring South Africa. Housing looks more rudimentary, vehicles are in a worse state, options for shops and eateries are more limited.

We followed the road to Piggs Peak, the first significant crossing and took a left to Phophonyane Falls Nature Reserve. We picked a 2 hours’ hike from the trail options. Due to continued drought in the country, the falls did not look grand, but the views still made the hike worthwhile. We didn’t stay in the reserver’s ecolodge, because the location was not optimal for our plans, but it looked lovely. 

We returned to the Piggs Peak crossing and drove onward to our accommodation for the night in Mbabane. We had booked Mvubu Falls Lodge and it turned out to be amazing. The lodge is remote and was a bit hard to find despite clear instructions sent by the owner. Once you’re there though, everything is perfect. The property is well-maintained and beautifully decorated with local artwork. The on-site restaurant is tasty and cosy, so you don’t need to go out for dinner. The Belgian owners have done a great job creating a quality construction that blends in perfectly with the environment. We stayed in Mvubu Falls Lodge for three nights.

DAY 2 – 3: MALOLOTJA NATURE RESERVE

A long history of mining exists in eSwatini, although there is hardly any active exploration today (some sources claim the industry is resurging). Therefore we decided to explore some of the former mine sites in the Malolotja Nature Reserve. There are multiple entrances to the reserve and you need to come out and drive around to visit the various sites.

The Ngwenya Mine is deemed to be the oldest iron mine in the world. It is no longer operational, but makes a very interesting site for visitors. A guide is included in the entrance fee and will get in the car with you to drive around the site and take your round the museum. Our guide was very good. He knew a lot about the history and happily answered our questions. Apart from a couple of short walks to points of interest, most of our time was spent in the car and the museum.

Next on our list was Forbes Reef Gold Mine. There are no facilities here for tourists and frankly, there is not a lot to see. We soon drove to the main entrance of Mololotja Nature Reserve, because we were keen to do a longer hike. There are lots of trails, but conditions can vary. We first inquired at the visitor centre and opted for the Upper Malolotja Trail, which took us around 3 hours.

As a bonus, the reserve is excellent for game viewing. You won’t find any of the large predators, so it’s perfectly safe, but all kinds of antelopes and zebras are plentiful. On our way back to the lodge, we made a couple of stops to look at stone carvers at the side of the road and buy some souvenirs. Their work is lovely and since you can watch them at work, you can rest assured that you are buying local!

DAY 4: THE HEARTLAND

We started the day with a 62km driving along the Tea Road, starting in Mbabane. For the good understanding, there is no tea in Eswatini. The road owns its name to a number of failed attempts to start tea plantations on the hillsides in the 1970s. The road is a loop road that winds up the Mdzimba mountain range and gives great panoramic views of the Ezulwini Valley, which translates as “Valley of Heaven”. We came past rock formations and small, traditional settlements. There are no real facilities. The road is mostly a gravel track and in some guide books it is listed as a 4×4 road. We only had a sturdy, high-clearance car and this was fine. The drive was smooth and easy, but if you’re visiting in a wet season, do inquire locally about the condition of the road.

In the afternoon, we decided to explore Ezulwini Valley. I mentioned in my intro about the contrasts of the county. This is where they really come to life. Two significant roads are going through the valley. Essentially, both are lined with large resort hotels with associated casinos, spas and golf courses. Knowing the level of poverty in the country (and the fact that there had been an ongoing drought for more than a year at the time of our visit), a green golf course is a pretty disgusting thing to look at in my view. The resort that tops the charts is Royal Swazi Spa and we were too curious not to enter and have a look around. Overall, I’d class it as wannabe posh, but not quite there. And I definitely don’t recommend staying there.

DAY 5: MLILWANE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY & NATIONAL MUSEUMS

Our next day was spent in Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Compared to Malolotja, this reserve is much better geared up for tourists. It was nice to have a range of activities to choose from, but the amount of (mostly South African) families on weekend trips was rather overwhelming. Again, there is no “big game” in this reserve, so we were free to explore on foot and in the car. I was gutted that we just missed the slots for taking part in a visit on horseback which looked really fun.

Just next to Mlilwane is Mantenga Nature Reserve. It includes the Mantenga Cultural Village, an open-air museum where you can get a feel for the traditional Swazi culture. I’m not usually a big fan of open-air museums, but this one came recommended by several people. Admittedly, it was good. We spent a good couple of hours, joining a guided tour and watching a local dance troupe at work.

It was time for more Swazi culture. Whether or not you like museums, the National Museum in Lobamba (super close to Mantenga) is a must. The exhibits describe the history of eSwatini mostly through the eyes of the royal family, which gives an interesting result. We bought a combined entrance ticket for the nearby King Sobhuza II Memorial Park where we visited the mausoleum of the late king (megalomania is an understatement) and dove into more history. If you’re into classic cars you have an additional reason for going to the museums – the king’s personal collection is on display. It includes some amazing pieces which unfortunately are in dilapidated state.

Our final stop was the House on Fire, an immense contrast with the rest of Ezulwini Valley. You can love it or hate this artist joint, but the eclectic architecture is a must-see. Adjacent are a handicraft shops, where we bought some very good quality local souvenirs, and a restaurant.

We then drove 1.5 hours to the next stop on our one week itinerary around Swaziland, Simunye. I was really looking forward to a relaxed evening in the lowlands, but Simunye Country Club, was incredibly disappointing (untidy place, unfriendly staff). Back in 2015, it was one of the few places in the area that was bookable online, hence the choice. I found out that the lodge inside Hlane National Park is now also bookable online, so if I were to visit again, I would stay there instead. When visiting the park, we used some of the facilities and even though it is basic, staff were much friendlier and the location is unique.

DAY 6 & 7: LUBOMBO CONSERVANCY

The final two days of our one week itinerary around Swaziland took us to Lubombo conservancy. This is where the big game is located and where you’ll have realistic chances of seeing Big Five mammals. The conservancy comprises five different reserves. The most visited (which still means not very many visitors) is Hlane Royal National Park. We visited part of the park with our own car and joined a game drive for another section. We also spent some time relaxing by the lodge with view over the hippo pool. Throughout the day, wildlife sightings were excellent. It was a really unique experience to go on a safari in a place where so few visitors come.

In all the reserves, even though rules are in place, the general attitude towards safety is pretty relaxed. Mbuluzi Game Reserve, which we visited on the last day, was the outmost example. We arrived that the tiny visitor centre and it turned out we were the only prospective visitors. After paying the entrance fee, we were given directions, handed the key of the gate and told to bring it back at the end of our visit. “And by the way”, said the park ranger, “stay away from the lions’ section”, as loosely pointed out an area on the map.

Needless to say I was pretty nervous when we got out of the car at the trailhead. It is difficult to assess whether there actually was a risk or not, but in any case, we had the most amazing day. We made a 10km hike in the complete middle of nowhere and got up close with giraffes, zebras and other small mammals. A wonderful experience.

This concluded our one week itinerary around Swaziland. We exited the country via the Jeppe’s Reef Border. Again, the procedure was uneventful. Cheerio, eSwatini!

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