Eswatini Tailormade – Wildlife, Conservation & Swati Culture

Your Eswatini adventure begins at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, where you will meet our local representative at approximately 10:00.

Those arriving in Johannesburg the previous day can arrange a shuttle transfer back to OR Tambo International Airport, or alternatively make arrangements for an earlier transfer into Eswatini to relax before the main journey begins.

Leaving Johannesburg behind, travel east towards the Eswatini border. There will be a short stop of approximately 30 minutes at Alzu Service Station, where you can purchase drinks, snacks and a takeaway lunch for the journey.

Continue to the Oshoek border crossing and enter the Kingdom of Eswatini, travelling onwards to Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Arriving in the late afternoon, check into your traditional accommodation and settle into your surroundings.

There should be time to relax, visit the sanctuary information centre or perhaps take a short walk around the property, where zebra, impala and warthog may already provide your first wildlife encounters.

This evening, dinner at Hippo Haunt Restaurant, overlooking the sanctuary.

Accommodation at Mlilwane is designed to complement the natural surroundings, with guests staying in traditional Beehive huts or Lontweni rondavels within the sanctuary. The en-suite Beehive huts are traditionally styled with distinctive grass-domed roofs, while the Lontweni rondavels offer a little more space and include a private veranda. The accommodation is simple, comfortable and well suited to the relaxed safari atmosphere, with wildlife such as impala, warthog and nyala often moving freely around the camp. Guests can also enjoy the on-site Hippo Haunt Restaurant, which overlooks a waterhole and is a pleasant setting for meals.

After breakfast at Hippo Haunt Restaurant, set out at approximately 10:00 for the Crocodile Trail, exploring the landscapes of Mlilwane with your guide and looking for the sanctuary’s varied wildlife.

Mlilwane offers a particularly intimate way to experience the African bush, with the opportunity to observe animals from close range and, in suitable areas, experience the landscape on foot. Keep your camera ready as you explore in search of zebra, antelope and the many smaller creatures and bird species that inhabit the sanctuary.

Return to Hippo Haunt for lunch before enjoying a relaxed afternoon at leisure.

A selection of optional activities can be arranged locally, subject to availability, including guided birding walks, game drives and guided walking experiences.

Dinner is served at the restaurant.

After breakfast, enjoy a fascinating introduction to local life during a guided Umphakatsi cultural experience.

Lasting approximately 1½ hours, this experience takes you into the neighbouring community and to the local Chief’s village, offering an authentic insight into Swati traditions, community life and the relationship between the surrounding villages and the sanctuary.

Return to Mlilwane for lunch, followed by time to relax or explore the area on a short self-guided walk.

As the afternoon cools, head out on an included sunset game drive. This is a wonderful time to experience the changing atmosphere of the sanctuary, as the light softens across the landscape and wildlife becomes increasingly active.

Return to camp for dinner.

Rise early for breakfast before checking out and travelling towards Mkhaya Game Reserve.

You will need to arrive at the Mkhaya meeting point before the scheduled entry time. Your guide will leave you at the gate, where you will transfer to an open safari vehicle and enter the reserve with the Mkhaya guides.

Mkhaya is a particularly special wildlife destination, with a strong emphasis on the protection of endangered species. The reserve is renowned for opportunities to encounter black and white rhino, sable, roan antelope, giraffe, kudu and other wildlife at close quarters.

Continue by open Land Rover into the reserve and to Stone Camp, your atmospheric base for the next three nights.

After settling into camp, head out on a sunset safari, searching for wildlife as the temperatures cool and the bush takes on its evening character.

Return to camp for dinner, accompanied by the sounds of the African bush.

Mkhaya Game Reserve – Stone Camp

Accommodation at Mkhaya is a wonderfully immersive safari experience, with guests staying in Stone Camp, a small and atmospheric bush camp tucked away in riverine woodland. The semi-open stone and thatch units are en-suite and simply furnished, with no electricity, allowing the sounds and sights of the African bush to take centre stage. Evenings are illuminated by lanterns and candles, while meals are served around the campfire or beneath the thatched dining area. Wildlife such as nyala, suni and warthog can occasionally be seen around camp, creating an authentic sense of being immersed in the wilderness.

An early start brings one of the highlights of your Eswatini adventure: a sunrise safari by open Land Rover.

Set out at approximately 06:30 in search of some of Mkhaya’s most important and endangered species. The reserve is particularly noted for its black and white rhino, as well as sable, roan antelope and other wildlife. Mkhaya is a conservation-intensive reserve and its guided safari experiences form an important part of the reserve’s conservation model.

Return to camp for breakfast around 08:30 before enjoying some time to rest.

For those who wish to be more active, an optional guided walking safari may be available later in the morning. Walking provides a completely different perspective on the bush, bringing attention to tracks, plants, birds and the smaller creatures that can easily be overlooked from a vehicle.

The middle of the day is a good opportunity to relax at Stone Camp or spend some quiet time at the animal and bird hide.

Later this afternoon, head out once again in an open safari vehicle for your afternoon game drive.

Return to Stone Camp for dinner.

Enjoy a second full day immersed in the wilderness of Mkhaya.

Begin with another 06:30 sunrise safari, making the most of the cooler morning temperatures and the increased activity of wildlife at first light.

Mkhaya's wildlife includes black and white rhino, sable, roan antelope, giraffe, leopard, hyena and numerous other species, although sightings are naturally never guaranteed. The reserve is particularly valuable for its conservation of threatened species.

Return to Stone Camp for breakfast and a period of relaxation.

An optional walking safari may be available late morning for those who would like to experience the reserve on foot. Alternatively, take advantage of the peaceful setting of the camp and the nearby hide.

The afternoon brings another open-vehicle safari before returning to Stone Camp for dinner.

With two full days in the reserve, there is plenty of opportunity to appreciate not only the larger mammals but also Mkhaya’s birdlife, vegetation and smaller inhabitants.

After breakfast, depart Mkhaya at approximately 10:00 and rejoin your guide and vehicle for the journey to Hlane National Park.

On arrival, enjoy lunch before checking into your accommodation at Ndlovu Camp.

Take some time to settle in and perhaps relax beside the waterhole, where wildlife may come to drink. The area around the camp offers opportunities for informal wildlife observation, while a short stroll allows you to stretch your legs after the journey.

Later this afternoon, join your included sunset game drive, exploring Hlane as the afternoon light begins to fade.

Return to camp for dinner at the restaurant.

Hlane is an important wildlife area and supports a wide variety of species, including rhino, lion, elephant, giraffe, hippo and numerous antelope and zebra.

Accommodation at Ndlovu Camp offers a wonderfully atmospheric introduction to safari life, with simple, comfortable en-suite rondavels set beneath mature trees in the heart of Hlane Royal National Park. The camp is deliberately off-grid, with no mains electricity, and is illuminated by lanterns and candles after dark, creating a peaceful and traditional bush experience. The camp’s restaurant and deck overlook a busy waterhole where elephant, white rhino, hippo and other wildlife frequently gather, meaning there can be opportunities for wildlife viewing without even leaving the camp. With its relaxed atmosphere, natural surroundings and close proximity to Hlane’s guided activities, Ndlovu is an ideal base from which to explore the park.

After breakfast at the restaurant, head out at approximately 11:00 on a rhino-focused game drive.

Hlane provides excellent opportunities to observe wildlife from the safety of the safari vehicle, with the chance to see rhino and other species as you explore the park.

Return to camp for lunch before joining an afternoon guided walk with park rangers.

Exploring on foot gives you a different appreciation of the African bush, with your ranger interpreting animal tracks, plants and the smaller details of the environment.

Later, return to camp and relax beside the waterhole, perhaps enjoying a drink as the afternoon draws to a close.

Dinner is served at the restaurant.

After breakfast, depart Hlane at approximately 09:00 for the short journey to Shewula Mountain Camp, situated in the Lubombo Mountains.

Here you will experience a very different side of Eswatini as you join a community village walk and visit a local Sangoma, or traditional healer.

The experience provides an opportunity to learn more about traditional beliefs, rural life and the relationship between the local community and the surrounding landscape. Shewula Mountain Camp is itself a community tourism initiative, designed to bring tourism benefits directly to local communities. The camp enjoys spectacular views over the savannah.

Return to the camp and enjoy some time to relax before lunch.

After lunch, return to Hlane National Park for another evening in the sanctuary.

Today is deliberately left at a more relaxed pace, giving you time to enjoy Hlane National Park at leisure.

Spend the day relaxing at camp, watching wildlife around the waterhole or simply enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

The slower pace provides a welcome opportunity to reflect on the wildlife experiences of the preceding days and enjoy the atmosphere of the park without a tightly scheduled programme.

Later this afternoon, join your included sunset game drive, providing a final opportunity to explore Hlane by safari vehicle as the African bush transitions from day to night.

Return to camp for your final dinner in Eswatini.

After an early breakfast, depart Hlane at approximately 08:00 for the journey back to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

The drive takes you back towards the South African border and onwards to Johannesburg. Your tour concludes at OR Tambo International Airport in time for your onward flight, subject to the departure time of your international or regional connection.

End of tour.

Note – You may wish to extend your journey within South Africa, perhaps for more safari in Pilanesberg National Park, a journey of 2 hours from Johannesburg or south to Cape Town and the winelands.