The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
The circle of life... in real life
Bridget finds there’s more to see than you can ever imagine as black rhinos, hippos, and big cats abound on a Eswatini safari trip
If the remake of The Lion King has sparked an interest in heading off on safari, then I can suggest an uncrowded and affordable destination where Simba and his friends can be sighted within touching distance. Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) may be a small African kingdom, but it is courageous enough to still host the Big Five.
Those on the trail of lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo can therefore find them all here in protected game reserves like Mykhaya, Milwane and Hlane Royal National Park – the latter best for big cats. At the forefront of rhino conservation in particular, this is one of the last bastions on earth for both white and critically-endangered black rhinos.
I should know – we watched a crash of white rhinos (as they’re collectively called) wallowing in a mud bath as if without a care in the world.
CONSERVATION
It’s thanks to conservation pioneers like Ted Reilly, as well as the support of Swaziland’s King Mswati III, that visitors and locals, including schoolchildren, can experience such close encounters with wildlife today. And on September 6, the country will mark its 51st year of independence from British rule with a national holiday.
Our tailor-made group tour with adventure travel specialists Explore gave us an extraordinary flavour of this incredibly proud and diverse destination, rich in wildlife, culture and scenery from the towering Lubombo Mountains to the grassy Lowveld plains.
A DIFFERENT WORLD
Flying into neighbouring South Africa, it took under four hours for our likeable guide Bob to drive us from Johannesburg’s Tambo Airport across the Kingdom of Swaziland’s border. Yet we seemed to have entered a different world as this tiny, independent nation – one of Africa’s last monarchies – felt instantly warm and welcoming.
A friendly “yebo” soon became a familiar greeting in reply to “sawubona” (‘hello’), while we quickly developed a taste for the local Sibebe lager. We’d clink chilled bottles while watching incredible sunsets in breathtaking settings such as Execution Rock (yes, that’s what it’s said it was once used for) with 360-degree views of Ezulwuni, the aptly named “Valley of Heaven” below. The rocky plateau at the communityrun Shewula Mountain Camp, with its 100km outlook to the Indian Ocean, was equally spectacular at sunrise.
ADVENTURE
Every day of our week-long escorted journey was action-packed with
Lulled to sleep under starry skies and the surprisingly comforting chorus of tree frogs, I couldn’t have been happier
adventure. During an early-morning drive at Malolotja Mountain Log Cabins, we startled a family of warthogs. Like Pumbaa, they trotted off indignantly, tails poker straight, providing some light comic relief before we took our lives in our leather-gloved hands on Swaziland’s first and only Tree Top Canopy Tour.
A truly adrenaline-fuelled and exhilarating experience, we all got a little more blasé the more we grew accustomed (as much as you can do) to flinging ourselves off the side of a cliff dangling by nothing more than a springy zip wire. Crossing the wobbly suspension bridge at the foot of the Sihlotswane Gorge was just as hairraising – and there was no way back!
In Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, where our accommodation was in unusual beehive huts, we listened in awe to stories about intrepid Ted Reilly, founder of Swaziland’s first National Park.
We came face to face with Jezebel, the battered Land-Rover that this extraordinary visionary had used like a modern-day Noah’s Ark to bring zebra and other more ferocious animals such
as crocodiles and snakes one by one to the protection of this sanctuary.
The park’s Hippo Haunt Restaurant by a waterhole was as frequented by nervous nyala, skittish impala and firehogging warthogs as it was by campers.
Out horse-riding the following morning, we got much closer than we would otherwise have done on foot to zebra, wildebeest and kudu – and we turned out to be nearer than I would have liked to a basking crocodile when we came across one unexpectedly during our guided mountain bike tour.
Yet my overall highlights among so many were our safari drives and walks out of the Jeep (under supervision) at Mkyhaya Game Reserve, where we came within a whisker of rhino, giraffes, hippos, elephants and an abundance of rare and colourful birds.
Although our huts were luxuriously furnished, the walls were open to the elements and had no protection against mischievous vervet monkeys who came calling while we dined by candlelight around a campfire. We joined in the highly energetic Swazi dancing with some surprising Sibebe-inspired moves of our own.
Lulled to sleep under starry skies by the surprisingly comforting chorus of tree frogs and the soulful faraway howl of hyenas, I couldn’t have been happier.
Explore offers an eight-day Kingdom of Swaziland trip that costs from £1,045 (not including international flights) or £1,799pp with flights. This price includes seven nights’ accommodation on a B&B basis, most other meals, transport and the services of an Explore Leader and local guides. Visit explore. co.uk or Tel 01252 884 723.
More at thekingdomofeswatini.com This summer County Durham (thisisdurham.com) is hosting the UK’s biggest outdoor theatrical performance near Bishop Auckland. Kynren (kynren.com) – an epic tale of England and live action spectacular, runs every Saturday until September 14. Daring stunts, incredible horsemanship, stunning pyrotechnics and amazing special effects take audiences on a spellbinding journey into the past.
Single malt distilling has returned to in almost 100 years. Holyrood Distillery, which also produces gins and gin liqueurs, opened its doors last month. Daily guided distillery tours cost £14 pp and can be booked at holyrooddistillery co.uk
Last-minute choice: Seven nights in Crete costs from £555pp (a saving of up to £289pp) staying at the four-star Lavris Hotel and Spa in Gouves on a half-board basis, from Glasgow, on September 3 2019. Visit loveholidays.com or call 0203 870 6844.