Siphesihle Dlamini
Eswatini is home to numerous of Africa’s wild animal kinds with 132 species of mammals recorded and many are protected in the game parks and nature reserves found across the country.
High on the wish list of most visitors are the ‘charismatic megafauna’ such as rhinos, giraffes, hippos, and elephants, and you can certainly find many of these in Eswatini, alongside a small number of predators, and numerous antelopes, smaller mammals and reptiles.
These wild animal species are found in the following game parks and nature reserves.
Royal Jozini Private Game Reserve
Located in Eswatini’s lowveld, on the slopes of the majestic Lubombo Mountains, Royal Jozini is a private game reserve where investors have built private homes in the bush.
Some of these are available, on a self-catering basis, for people to enjoy this breathtaking reserve, with its 5 ecosystems, pristine bushveld, and wealth of animals.
With three of the big 5 – elephants, leopards, and buffalos, as well as giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, kudu, nyala and waterbuck to name a few, this is truly a nature lovers’ paradise.
In early springtime, the mountain slopes are awash with the creamy blossoms of the knob thorn trees, and then the new leaves appear on all the acacia, marula, and other trees after the first rains and transform the landscape.
With rare bushveld (arid veld) and rare veld grasses which have been lost to other parts of Southern Africa, the fauna thrives here.
Royal Jozini is also set on the banks of the northern section of Lake Jozini – where the Pongolapoort dam floods across the border into Eswatini – bringing birdlife into the wetland areas and boating and sport fishing for both birders and fishermen who are enthusiasts! Strictly catch and release for fish, this is the southernmost part of the continent where tiger fish can be caught and there’s nothing like the thrill of having a tiger on your line.
And how amazing it is that almost 300 different types of birds have been spotted there. The lodge homes at Royal Jozini mostly have four bedrooms and accommodate 8 people for sleeping, and range from comfortable and rustic, to ultra luxurious “Out of Africa” style.
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They have spread around in the bush, either on the mountainside with spectacular views, in the bush hidden from neighbours, or on the lakeshore. There is also a tented camp, fully equipped, that accommodates 16 people and is ideal for birding groups or fishermen.
From budget to luxury, couples to families and groups of friends, there is a bush home at Royal Jozini that suits every need.
KaMsholo Bushveld Safaris
Nestled at the foot of the Lubombo Mountain range, in the heart of the Lowveld, kaMsholo Bushveld Safaris is only 32 kilometres from the Golela border post. It’s also an ideal stopover en route to Kruger Park and Mozambique.
KaMsholo Bushveld Safaris offers a variety of accommodation options, conferencing, and function facilities, an a la carte restaurant, a gift shop and more.
The main building houses the reception, restaurant, bar, curio shop, conference, and function venue. Tinsele Camp has eight chalets situated in the valley about 1.2 kilometres from the main building. Entabeni Lodge has a communal pool and conference facilities.
The chalets are situated in typical lowveld bush surroundings abundant with freely roaming Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeast, Nyala, Impala and Ostrich.
Each chalet comprises an open plan upstairs room, which can sleep two people and a downstairs room which also sleeps two people. There is an en-suite bathroom downstairs. Each room has air-conditioning, tea and coffee-making facilities and a viewing deck.
KaMsholo Bushveld Safaris also have 12 traditional Eswatini beehive huts for a truly cultural experience – not for the faint-hearted.
The beehive Huts have very low doors and can sleep two people on regular beds. They are situated next to the main building and have a communal ablution facility.
Bhekilanga Guesthouse has 10 rooms and is situated 4.4 kilometres from the main building next to an operational sugarcane farm.
Farmers start their day early so the farm’s early morning alarm is a convenient wake-up call for an early start to get to the border as it opens, or for the avid bird watcher.
Bhekilanga Guesthouse also offers a bar and TV lounge. Breakfast is served at the main house. Other meals can be arranged before arrival.
Each room can sleep two guests and has an en-suite bathroom, air-conditioning and tea and coffee-making facilities. The family suites can sleep a family of four.
Nguni Ranch House is an old, upgraded ranch house on the southern tip of KaMsholo and entrance from Nsoko Village. Nguni has 11 en-suite rooms, each open onto the spacious wrap-around veranda.
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All rooms are equipped with air-cons and a semi-self-catering kitchenette, so perfect for business travellers.
The rooms are a combination of doubles, some twin and one single, so sleeping 21 guests in total. Guests may enjoy the large common lounge, large garden area and a swimming pool. Nguni Ranch House is 3km from the KaMsholo reception, to which all guests must check in.
Malolotja Nature Reserve
Malolotja is one of the very best highland reserves in southern Africa, its 18 000-hacter wilderness of high rolling hills and deep forested river gorges offer 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 been 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 the 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.
Most of 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 leopards 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 wildflowers thrive during the spring months (October and 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.
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A limited network of rough roads is not 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 Eswatini.
Made mostly of soapstone, an easily workable local rock, their natural grey-green colour is enhanced by oiling or darkened with shoe polish.
Phophonyane Nature Reserve
The Phophonyane Nature Reserve, a private nature reserve, lies about 10km north of Piggs Peak and is nestled 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 – 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.
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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 a picnic lunch at the top. Excursions to other local attractions, such as Nsangwini, can also be arranged.
Mbuluzi Game Reserve
Mbuluzi Game Reserve is a small but highly picturesque reserve that adjoins Mlawula to the northwest, and its privately managed bushveld is home to plentiful wildlife in Eswatini.
Game-viewing roads, hiking trails and a mountain-bike route wind around the reserve, crisscrossing the Mlawula River and offering impressive views.
The terrain undulates between the deep Mbuluzi gorge and the steep Lubombo escarpment, with dense riverine forests, rocky cliffs, and open savannahs.
It supports a good population of giraffes, 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.
