Eswatini (Swaziland) travel guide

One of Africa’s smallest countries and one of only three monarchies in the continent, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) is beautifully diverse and known for its wilderness reserves, friendly people, traditional arts and crafts and colourful festivals. Our Eswatini travel guide features a detailed map to lead you through this compact country’s highlights, from ancient rock drawings to community-run safaris.

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Eswatini (Swaziland) travel guide

They say good things come in small packages – Eswatini is proof. At no more than 200km north to south and 130km east to west, it’s one of the tiniest countries in Africa. Culture, wildlife, history and beautiful scenery are packed into one small, very accessible package, making it the ideal destination for anyone new to the continent. With 17 protected areas, it’s home to incredible wildlife, while hiking and biking trails, zip lines and canopy adventures provide adrenaline junkies with their fix, too (in case encountering a black rhino in a bad mood doesn’t do it!).

Eswatini is perfect for the first-time visitor to Africa, offering a compact and colourful microcosm of a complex continent.

Eswatini is one of the world’s last absolute monarchies, led by a king who had the power to singlehandedly change the country’s name from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018, and daily life is informed by tradition but affected by high HIV rates and unemployment. Despite this, Swazi people are famously hospitable and proud of their culture. Many travellers tag on Eswatini to a tour through neighbouring South Africa, but as our Eswatini travel guide reveals, it’s a glorious destination in its own right.

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Eswatini is...

a pocket-sized place with lots of heart and soul.

Eswatini isn't...

all about going on safari. Rich culture and warm people complement the wildlife.

Things to do in Eswatini

Watch the wildlife. Eswatini’s reserves have all of the Big Five – elephant, black rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard – as well as hippos and incredible birdlife. The country’s small reserves and lower visitor numbers guarantee a more personal safari experience than in some of the neighbouring high-profile parks, too. Most parks are set up for guided on-foot exploration, which is a thrilling way to observe wildlife and in Mlilwane you can even bike or horse ride right up to the animals. Look beyond the lions and enjoy the culture, too. Eswatini has a royal family, entrenched traditions and some jaw-dropping celebrations, including the annual Reed Dance. Its people still lead very traditional lives, too. While much of South Africa’s land has been depopulated by apartheid, with rural populations moving to large, urban townships, the opposite is true in Eswatini. Most Swazi people live in community homesteads, outside the cities, farming sugarcane, maize, cotton, rice, citrus, cattle and goats. Try some porridge. The usual breakfast stodge might not be worth the trip, but the Swazis do porridge differently, with many variations. Sour porridge is made of fermented cornmeal, thick porridge is made of ground nuts or ground sorgum mixed with sour milk, or try porridge made with pumpkin and cornmeal.

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Things not to do in Eswatini…

There are opportunities for volunteering on schools, sports and building projects to support local communities blighted by Eswatini’s high HIV and TB rates, but don’t forget to do your homework before you sign up. Make sure your help won’t rob local people of work, and be sure the organisation you’re volunteering through is reputable. Another way to give back is to donate to Responsible Travel’s Trip For A Trip when you buy a holiday; one of the programmes takes Swazi children to Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Be scared of the stats. Eswatini has the world’s highest estimated rates of HIV and tuberculosis. It’s a depressing statistic, yet when here, all you’re likely to experience is a warm Swazi welcome and a country that’s more laid-back than its neighbour South Africa. There is also high unemployment, with the polygamous king’s large family hoovering up most of the plum jobs. It’s not ideal, but this has created an impressive, entrepreneurial spirit in many Swazis. Expect South African levels of comfort. The roads aren’t as good as next door and parks like Hlane are simple and fairly basic, but that’s the charm of this small, easy-going country. Don’t rush it, either. Many itineraries zip through Eswatini, perhaps stopping at Mlilwane, after Kruger and before KwaZulu Natal or the St Lucia wetlands in South Africa, but it merits more than a flying visit.

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Eswatini (Swaziland) travel guide