Hlane Royal National Park is a protected area in northeastern Swaziland. A flat, lowland area with grassland and shallow pans, the park is traversed by the Umbuluzana River. Roads and trails offer views of diverse wildlife such as lions, elephants, hippos, white rhinos, leopards and giraffes.
Eswatini: Mantenga Cultural Village
Set against the scenic backdrop of Nyonyane mountain, this replica mid-19th Century Swazi village, constructed using authentic materials and techniques, is one of the country’s most popular attractions.
Before leaving Eswatini we were going to visit Mantenga Reserve, Village & Falls, which was located close to Mbabane, the capital of Eswatini. We had a long way to travel in the day, so it was a case of getting to Mantenga when it opened at 9:00 am. It was about a 90-minute drive from Hlane to Mbabane, so we hit the road at about 7:30 am.
The road was excellent, although the weather was not playing ball. It was a very grey start to the day, with a covering of ominous dark clouds. It felt like the rain was in the air.
We followed the direction on the GPS, although it didn’t feel like we were headed in the right direction. Just about the time we were questioning whether we were lost, to our great surprise we happened at the US Embassy, which was a huge, dark concrete monstrosity. I was not sure why the US needed such a massive building for its embassy in such a small country.
At this point we spotted some signs for Mantenga and continued onwards, 10-minutes later we were pulling up at the ticket office.
Set against the scenic backdrop of Nyonyane mountain, this replica mid-19th Century Swazi village, constructed using authentic materials and techniques, is one of the country’s most popular attractions. Like many tourist attractions around the world during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mantenga village had suffered badly, and it was only just starting to get going again. They had used the time they were closed to renovate the facilities, such as the café and restaurant. When we visited, this work had yet to be completed, so things were still closed.
We followed the road down the hill and parked up. Here we were met by a man in a traditional costume who was going to act as our guide around the Swazi village. The cultural village is a living museum of old traditions and represents a classical Swazi lifestyle during the 1850s. The building material is strictly traditional: poles, grass, reeds, leather stripes, earth and dried cow dung. There is a complex of sixteen huts, each with its own specific purpose, kraals and byres for cattle and goats, reed fences that serve as windbreaks, and various other structures. A group of huts like this would have represented one family, with the head of the family (of course a man), his wives, his mother and his children.
During the tour, we got an insight into how each hut was used – cooking, sleeping etc and how they were constructed. There were many traditional artefacts on display. We also learned about the role of the sangoma, or traditional healer. Some of the plants used for healing were being grown around the village compound.
As we went around one of the huts looked as if was on fire, with smoke pouring out of the roof. It turned out that someone had set a cooking fire. The huts don’t have chimneys or holes in the roof for the smoke to escape – it just works its way through the gaps in the reeds. We were allowed to enter the hut, and indeed it was Smokey inside until you sat down on the floor, as all the smoke was collecting up on the ceiling of the hut.
Around the village was a hive of activity as the volunteers and workers were getting going for the day. We’d arrived early and were the first tour, so they had not really got into gear. The only people who seemed to be ready for us were the ladies looking to sell craft items. We had to go through the embarrassment of explaining we were travelling for many months and had no space for souvenirs. However, many times we do this it doesn’t feel good not to support these people – sometimes we just them money and don’t take anything from them – but we can’t do this everywhere we visit.
After our tour of the village our guide offered to take us on the short walk to Mantenga Falls, Eswatini’s largest waterfall by volume. The river tumbles over a rock shelf before cascading via a series of pools along the reserve’s southern boundary with Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Sadly, being the dry season the volume of water coming over the falls was not very impressive.
One of the main attractions of a visit to Mantenga cultural village is the traditional dance, which are conducted at 11:15 and 15:15 every day. We didn’t have time to stay for the first dance, so we said our goodbyes to our guide and continued our journey to the border with South Africa in the north.
Best time to visit Eswatini
Choosing when to visit Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) comes down to personal priorities. This is not one of those African destinations where the seasons force your hand: most roads are perfectly navigable all year round and the wildlife does not all exit the country at certain times. Tourism numbers peak around the Christmas holidays but the place is never congested.
The warmest months are from October to March, when it may become too hot for some people’s comfort in the lowveld but remains bearable in the highveld. Conversely, the coolest are from June to August, when it is chilly at night in the highveld but remains pleasantly mild in the lowveld. In other words, because temperatures vary so widely across the country, you can always go where it is warmer – or cooler – according to taste. The rainy season brings violent electrical storms, generally in the afternoon, and mist often swathes large areas of the highveld. In general, however, Swaziland’s weather can never be forecast with the same certainty as a little further north in Africa, where the rainy and dry seasons are more clearly defined.
Similarly, from a wildlife-watcher’s perspective, there is not the same peak/off-peak seasonal pattern of many safari destinations. The dry season, when vegetation dies back and water sources dwindle, is best for game-viewing in the lowveld. But Swaziland’s parks are small, so the game is never hard to find. The rainy season is best for birds, with everything singing and displaying and, from September to March, all the summer migrants – including such rarities as the blue swallow – joining the residents. The rains also bring out reptiles, frogs and insects, which may or may not be your thing but certainly makes a night in the bush much noisier. Mosquitoes and other biting irritants are more prevalent during the rains but never a serious deterrent. For plant enthusiasts, the highveld floral display peaks in October/November.
Seasonal factors do influence certain activities. Hikers should bear in mind that summer brings sapping midday heat and violent afternoon storms, so it’s a good idea to make an early start to the day. Heavy downpours also have an impact on whitewater rafting and caving, leaving some rivers too swollen to tackle. For photographers, however, there is no doubt that the rainy season brings the best light, with lush foregrounds and dramatic skies. Dry-season bushfires produce a dusty haze that is not conducive to landscape photography.
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