Stretching for almost 30km, the Ezulwini Valley is the heart and soul of old Swaziland. Lobamba is located there, the traditional capital and seat of the monarchy, a short distance from the de facto capital, Mbabane. Green and panoramic, deeply historical and cultural, the valley still remains the tourist heart of the kingdom of eSwatini.
A mere 32km northeast of the capital Mbabane, close to the border with South Africa, we ascend into the rugged, showy highlands of eSwatini. The Malolotja River flows there as the waterfalls of the same name, the highest in the Kingdom. Herds of zebras and antelopes roam the surrounding pastures and forests, in one of the most biodiverse reserves in southern Africa.
Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, eSwatini
By the middle of the last century, overhunting was wiping out much of the kingdom of Swaziland’s wildlife. Ted Reilly, the son of the pioneer settler who owned Mlilwane, took action. In 1961, he created the first protected area of the Big Game Parks he later founded. He also preserved the Swazi term for the small fires that lightning has long caused.
KaMsholo Bush Safaris, eSwatini
Located east of the Libombo mountain range, the natural border between eSwatini, Mozambique and South Africa, KaMsholo has 700 hectares of savannah dotted with acacia trees and a lake, habitats for a prolific fauna. Among other explorations and excursions, we interacted with the largest of species there.
Created in 1979 with the aim of preventing the extinction of precious cattle nguni, Mkhaya has taken on a mission that is just as important, if not more so. It preserves specimens of much of the region's threatened indigenous fauna. Particularly noteworthy are rhinos (white and black) that local rangers are proud to always reveal.