-

Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland, lies at the northern end of the Ezulwini Valley amid the granite peaks and valleys that make up the Dlangeni hills. Mbabane is Swaziland’s administrative capital and is small, relaxed and unpretentious. The main attractions in town are the Mall, the New Mall and Allister Miller, the main street, named after the first European to be born there.

The lush Ezulwini Valley is a miracle of nature and the seat of Swaziland’s major tourist attractions. Although Swaziland has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful countries in Africa, it was not until an Italian and South African syndicate built southern Africa’s first casino hotel on a prime valley site in the early 1990s that Swaziland geared itself towards tourism. In the valley is the magnificent Royal Swazi golf course, the casino, the hot mineral spring – one of eight in the country – known affectionately by locals and guests as the ‘Cuddle Puddle’, a health studio and a cluster of fine hotels forming the Holiday Valley complex.

In the heart of the Ezulwini Valley is Swaziland’s royal valley, Lobamba, the spiritual and legislative capital of the kingdom. It is home to the royals’ Embo State Palace. The National Museum is housed here, which offers displays on Swazi culture and has a traditional beehive village beside it.

East across the valley is Swaziland’s largest town and its commercial hub, Manzini. On the way here, visitors pass signposts to Swaziland’s most famous waterfall, the Mantenga Falls, the thriving Mantenga Arts & Crafts Centre, the Mlilwane Game Sanctuary, Matsapha Airport and the industrial area of Matsapha, which produces everything from beer to television sets.
There is an outstanding market every day except Sunday; dawn on Thursdays and Fridays is particularly worth a visit as it is when the rural people bring in their handicrafts to sell to retailers. Manzini’s only other point of interest is its original Catholic mission, an elegant stone building opposite the new cathedral; it is not open to casual visitors. Unfortunately the city has little else to offer and is polluted with reckless drivers, city slickers and an ever-growing crime record.

-

The rolling hills, sparkling streams and countless waterfalls make this one of the most appealing regions of Swaziland. Piggs Peak, a small forestry town straggled along the main road, was named after a French prospector called William Pigg, who discovered gold nearby in 1884, where it was mined until the site was exhausted in 1954. Nearby, the Ngwenya Glass Factory is the origin of one of Swaziland’s best-known exports, Ngwenya glass. Their products, which range from attractive wine glasses to endless trinkets in the shape of rotund animals, are made from recycled glass and are produced by highly skilled workers, who can be watched in action.

-

The scenery, particularly along the drive from Mahamba to Manzini through the Grand Valley, is superb, and the road passes near most of the historical sites of the Swazi royal house. Big Bend itself, dominated by a huge sugar mill, is only worth visiting for its hotel, the New Bend Inn. It is a slightly run-down colonial establishment with superb views of the valley and well-positioned bars; it is a lively Swazi haunt at weekends, when major parties take place.
The area is currently being developed for tourism, and the first project has been the construction of another casino hotel at Nhlangano, about 120km (75 miles) south of Mbabane. The sports facilities, which include a golf course and swimming pool, are excellent. The nearby Mkondo River twists its way through gorges and valleys, past waterfalls, pools and rapids and, in the distance, the mountain ranges gleam brown, mauve and blue. Some of Swaziland’s finest paintings are found in this area. Other indigenous paintings are located in the mountains north of Mbabane.

-

The Swaziland National Trust Commission (SNTC) is responsible for the preservation and development of Swaziland’s many areas of natural beauty and wildlife. There are currently four SNTC nature reserves, namely Malolotja, Hawane, Mantenga and Mlawula, all of which are inhabited by a rich wildlife (including rare species such as the aardwolf or African finfoot) and a wide range of bird species. These reserves are characterised by some of the most beautiful landscapes in southern Africa. In recent years, strong efforts were made to bring back wildlife to the country. As a result, the SNTC has taken a number of once privately run game parks under its wing such as Mlilwane, the country’s oldest established game sanctuary. Other game sanctuaries that have recently been proclaimed protected areas are Malolotsha, in the north near Piggs Peak; Hlane, in the shadow of the escarpment in the northeast; and Mkhaya. Hlane has wide open spaces supporting big herds of game where the visitor can see the old traditional scenes of Africa. Both Hlane and Malolotsha, which is situated on top of a mountain range and surrounded by steep canyons and waterfalls, are easily reached by road and different types of accommodation and tours are available. For more information, contact the Swaziland National Trust Commission, PO Box 100, Lobamba (tel: (41) 61481/9 or 61179; fax: (41) 61875; e-mail: staff@swazimus.org.sz; website: www.sntc.org.sz); or the Ministry of Tourism (see Contact Addresses section).

Roughly 30km (19 miles) north of Big Bend is Mkhaya Nature Reserve, situated along a turn-off from the brilliantly named village of Phuzumoya (‘drink the wind’) in classic lowveld scrubland, filled with acacia and thorn trees. Ted Reilly initially purchased Mkhaya to save the long-horned Nguni cattle when white beef-farmers regarded them as too puny and unproductive for their industry, and replaced them with imported stock. Today, the cattle graze alongside zebra, wildebeest and antelope, just as they always used to. Among the other endangered species at Mkhaya are the rare black rhinos and the near-extinct roan antelope.

This reserve, near Lobamba, is in the heart of the Ezulwini Valley. Its name, Mlilwane, refers to the little fire that appears on occasion when lightning strikes the granite mountains. The wildlife is predominantly herbivorous, including antelope, giraffe and zebra, but crocodiles are not uncommon. Over 100km (62 miles) of road enables you to drive through the park to view game, or guided walks and drives can be arranged through the park office.

The Lubombo Mountains that run along the eastern border of Mlawula Nature Reserve provide fantastic views of both Swaziland and the western fringes of Mozambique. Unique species of ironwood trees and cycads grow on the slopes. There are well-organised trails through the reserve. The Mlawula stream and more substantial Mbuluzi River both flow through some spectacular valleys in this reserve, and early Stone Age tools over one million years old have been found along their beds.