Swaziland

Travel Guide > Africa > Swaziland

Introduction
Brief History
Geography
Regions
Cities
Sights and Activities
- Hlane Royal National Park
- Mkhaya Game Reserve
- Malolotja Nature Reserve
Events and Festivals
Weather
Getting there
- Plane
- By Train
- By Car
- By Bus
- By Boat
Getting Around
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- By Train
- By Car
- By Bus
- By Boat
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Quick Facts

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Capital: Mbabane
Population: 1,161,000
Government: Monarchy, Independent Member of the Commonwealth
Religions: Christianity (Zionist, Catholic), Islam
Languages: Swati, English
Calling Code: +268
Nationality
Local name

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Introduction

trying to impress the king!

Swaziland is the smallest country in the southern hemisphere; it emerges on world maps as a mere dot on the South Africa-Mozambique border. But Swaziland is living proof that sometimes great things come in small packages. Boasting a host of excellent wildlife reserves, the country affords some of Africa's best opportunites for getting up close with zebras, giraffes and white and black rhinos, as well as crocodiles (though you might want to avoid getting too close - just a suggestion). Swaziland's adherence to nature's demands is remarkable, considering its economical impoverishment; granted, hardwood forests in the west are victims of the logging industry.

Swaziland is a monarchy and Swazi culture identifies the king as a central figure of importance. Major national festivals revolve around honoring him or displaying potential wives for him; we'd recommend you try visiting Swaziland while one of these festivals is going on, because it's an amazing and proud cultural exhibition.

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Brief History

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Geography

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Regions

Swaziland is divided into four regions.

Hhohho in the northwest
Lubombo in the east
Manzini in the central west
Shiselweni in the south

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Cities

Hlathikhulu
Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital
Manzini is the country's largest town with a population of over 70,000.
Mbabane is the country's capital
Piggs Peak
Siteki
Matata
Nsoko

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Sights and Activities

Hlane Royal National Park

The Hlane Royal National Park is one of the highlights in Swaziland if you want to see abundant wildlife and the good thing is, you can explore parts of the park on foot together with a local ranger. It is located around an hours drive from Manzini and you can travel by your own car or charter a vehicle once in the park. Wildlife includes elephant, rhino, hippo, lion, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, zebra and many species of antelope. Birdlife is plentiful as well.

Mkhaya Game Reserve

Mkhaya Game Reserve is another highlight exploring some of the more rarer and endangered species of wildlife in Africa. Animals include black and white rhino, roan and sable antelope, tsessebe, and the usual big five (especially many elephants) as well as several other locally endangered species.

Malolotja Nature Reserve

This park protects both a very spectactular mountainous landscape as well as a wide variety of flora and fauna. It is located in the northwest of the country and is one of the wildest areas in the country, with mountains (highest peak over 1800 meters), waterfalls, bushveld and grassland and walking is excellent here. Some parts are accessible by car as well, but you will need a 4wd if you want to the more remote areas.

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

Swaziland generally has a warm and tropical climate, with high temperatures and high humidity but because of the elevation temperatures and humidity are somehow tempered. December to March is summer with high temperatures of 26 to 32 degrees Celcius during the day, sometimes even warmer and around 20 degrees or just below at night. This is always the wettest time of year. June to September is the cool and dry season with average temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees Celcius daytime and around 8 to 12 at night, but temperatures close to zero (or even below in the mountains) is not uncommon. Snow is rare though.

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Getting there

Plane

Swazi Express Airways has a number of international flights to and from Matsapha Airport (MTS) near Manzini. Destinations include Durban, Maputo, Vilanculos and Johannesburg. Airlink Swaziland flies to Johannesburg as well.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

Buses and minibuses travel between Manzini and Johannesburg and Durban in South Africa, as well as Maputo in Mozambique. It takes around 4 hours to Johannesburg and over 3 to Maputo.