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6 Beautiful Places to Visit in Eswatini, Southern Africa
The landlocked country of Eswatini next to South Africa might be small, but it packs a number of beautiful scenic spots and safari locations. With stunning scenery and vast national parks a short drive from Johannesburg and other cities in South Africa, Eswatini is the perfect weekend escape for those wanting to see something a little different.
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6 Beautiful Places to Visit in Eswatini, Southern Africa
Malolotja Nature Reserve
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Stretching across the northwest border with South Africa, Malolotja Nature Reserve is one of Eswatini's most beautiful game reserves. With vast sprawling highlands and deep river gorges, it's not all just about the safari, the scenery itself is even more stunning. Malolotja is perfect for those with a love for hiking or mountain biking and offers an endless amount of scenic hikes and trails.
Ezulwini Valley
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Also known as the 'Valley of Heaven' Ezulwini Valley is one of Eswatini's most beautiful scenic spots and a short journey from the country's capital, Mbabane. As this area has been heavily developed for tourism, there are plenty of hotels and restaurants around Ezulwini, which stretches for about 30 kilometers.
The best place to get a good view of the valley and its scenery here is the hike around both Sheba's Breast and Execution Rock.
Execution Rock
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If you're heading to the Ezulwini Valley, Execution Rock is a must-see both for the beautiful scenery and its gruesome history. The name of the rock comes from when locals would execute criminals by pushing them off the top of the prominent peak to fall to their death.
From the top of Execution Rock you'll get incredible views over the Ezulwini Valley and its surroundings, just make sure not to take a step too far.
Mlilwane National Park
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Slightly south of Execution Rock, in the Ezulwini Valley, Mlilwane is a wildlife sanctuary that's perfect for taking a safari while viewing some of the country's beautiful scenery.
Towards the south of the park near to Reilly's Rock Hilltop Lodge, there's a small lake which is particularly beautiful when misty in the morning light. It's named wrongly on Google Maps but you can find it with the coordinates 26°28'51.6"S 31°10'58.8"E.
Lebombo Mountains
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With Eswatini's west border with South Africa lined with mountains belonging to the Malolotja Reserve, the east of the country bordering Mozambique is studded with the rolling peaks of the Lebombo Mountains. Spanning South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique, this mountain range has some beautiful scenic spots and hiking trails to explore. The scenic peaks also provide a stunning backdrop to game reserves such as Mlawula Nature Reserve at the foot of the mountains.
Sibebe Monolith
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This huge rock lies north of the capital of Eswatini, Mbabane, and is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Although the rock itself isn't the prettiest, the view from hiking around it is stunning, with panoramic vistas of the adjacent valley and beyond.
Other Things to Do in Swaziland/Eswatini
Once known as Swaziland, Eswatini is famous for its distinct culture and cultural events that happen throughout the year. As the only surviving absolute monarchy in Africa, there are plenty of events and rituals that revolve around celebrating the royal family in Eswatini such as the traditional Incwala where the king gives his blessing for the people to eat the first crops of the year.
If you don't have a specific timeframe to visit this beautiful nation, consider traveling there during one of the festivities, for a particularly memorable trip.
