MLILWANE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY:
An Outdoor Lovers Paradise

Mlilwane, Swaziland’s pioneer conservation area, is a beautiful, secluded sanctuary situated in Swaziland’s ‘Valley of Heaven’, the Ezulwini Valley, in between Mbabane and Manzini.

With 24-hour access to the Sanctuary, guests are free to enjoy the neighbouring tourist hubs of Ezulwini and Malkerns, with their many unique attractions and craft shops.
From the western boundary, the huge Usutu Forest provides a dramatic backdrop stretching into the distant hills.

Mlilwane means ‘Little Fire’, being derived from the numerous fires started by lighting strikes on the Mlilwane Hill. Many a colourful tale can be told about the Reilly Family, with special relevance to the early pioneer, Mickey Reilly, whose family still manages and lives on the sanctuary.

Mlilwane is Swaziland’s oldest protected area, owned and managed by a non-profit making trust. Mlilwane serves as headquarters for the Big Game Parks including Mlilwane’s sister reserve Hland and Mkhaya. Formerly a productive mixed farming operation, with extensive tin mining in the low foothills of the Nyonyane Mountains, the Sanctuary has been rehabilitated and is now Swaziland’s most frequently visited reserve where one can enjoy the beauty of the surroundings and the abundant wildlife that grace the plains. Visitors can explore the southern portion of the Sanctuary by foot, vehicle , on horseback and on mountain bikes. Those who simply want to relax can sit back in the camps and enjoy the tranquillity of nature.

A wide selection of accommodation aims to satisfy every taste. The rest camp is the centre of activity with rustic en suite wooden huts, a large family cottage and a village of traditional beehive huts, simple in design and furnishing and a 'must do' for adventurous travellers. With timber log dormitories, a camping ground and the nearby Sondzela Backpackers Lodge, Mlilwane is also a budget traveller's mecca.

REILLY'S ROCK HILLTOP LODGE - SWAZILAND:
Reilly’s rock Hilltop Lodge is a small, personal, quaintly colonial guest house on the Sanctuary, amid Botanical gardens and busy with birdlife. The lodge is fully catered and can serve teas and light lunches for small groups if requested beforehand.

Formally the home of Mickey Reilly, one of Swaziland’s earliest white settlers and a highly entrepreneurial man, the house has remained in the family and has recently been transformed into a unique hilltop lodge, tastefully decorated in keeping with its colonial roots by Swaziland’s leading conservation team Ted and Liz Reilly. Notwithstanding the necessary subtle additions and renovations, the house still stands as it was built almost a century ago. Reilly’s Rock is steeped in intriguing history, the main building was built of stone in exchange for an ox-wagon in the early 1900's, encompassing Swaziland conservation in the Kingdom and the Reilly family.

Accommodation:
A large reception/communal lounge once a carport, forms the facade. This is linked to the original house by an external covered veranda. The original house has three bedrooms. All accessible from the veranda. Two of these rooms are ‘standard rooms’ with double beds and private ablutions across the veranda, while the third is the main room complete with fireplace and en-suite bath and toilet. A fourth, en-suite room just beyond the standard rooms is a converted office. The dining room forms the core of the house, furnished with homemade local hard wood furniture - the wood having been saved from piles of cleared bush on new sugar land. Behind the dining room is an original servery and kitchen for staff use only.

To the left of the communal lounge area and separate from the house is the cottage. This comprises two en-suite rooms, one double and one twin with common lounge and fireplace. The cottage is encircled by a wide veranda. This double unit is ideal for two couples travelling together although the rooms are sometimes rented out to independent parties.

Reilly’s Rock is offered on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. Light lunches and teas are available on request.

SWAZILAND:
Within the small area of the Kingdom of Swaziland, a wealth of experience awaits your discovery. We have so much to offer and invite you to share the beauty and rich heritage of our country and its friendly, welcoming people.

Our Culuture and Traditions are unique and very much alive. Witness the spectacular Reed Dance performed by thousands of maidens in traditional dress; watch parts of the sacred Ncwala Ceremony in which the king actively participates; thrill to the sight of energetic Sibhaca Dancers. All these events are brought to life with our colourful traditional dress and regalia.

The smallest country in Africa is also one of the most easy going - laid-back Swazis are more likely to celebrate for fun than demonstrate for reform. A progressive and hands-on attitude towards wildlife preservation has endowed it with a striking bunch of national parks.

The independent Kingdom of Swaziland lies between Mozambique and South Africa and forms part of the Southern African region. The capital city is Mbabane. The other principal town is Manzini.

The official language of Swaziland is SiSwati but English is widely spoken in business and commerce. Swaziland has a free market economy which is dominated by the private sector. It has a small but active stock market. The local currency is the Lilangeni (plural Emalangeni).

Most visitors to Swaziland do not require visas for stays of less than 30 days.

A landlocked country in southern Africa, Swaziland is bordered by Mozambique to the northeast and by South Africa to the southeast, south, west and north.

The country is divided in three well-defined areas of roughly equal breadth and extend north and south and are known locally as the high, middle, and low or bushlands. The highland on the west rise to an altitude of above 6,000 ft, and has an average altitude of 3,500 ft. The middleland averages about 2,000 ft and the lowland or bushland to about 1,000 ft. The entire country is traversed by rivers or streams.

CLIMATE
The highland regions has a humid near temperate climate with 40 to 90 inches of annual rainfall. The middleland is sub-tropical and somewhat drier, with 30 to 45 inches of annual rainfall and the lowland is almost tropical and definitely sub-humid, receiving 20 to 35 inches of rain annually. Rainfall tends to be concentrated in a few violent storms. Temperatures range from about -3.4°C (26°F) in the winter to over 29.4°C (85°F) in the summer.

NATURE RESERVES:

MALOLOTJA NATURE RESERVE:
Malolotja Nature Reserve is situated in the north-west of the country approximately 30km north of Mbabane on the road to Pigg's Peak. It covers an area of 18 000 hectares of spectacular mountainous scenery making it a prime highveld conservation area. The altitude in the reserve ranges from Ngwenya Mountain, Swaziland's second highest mountain to the deep Nkomati River Valley.
The wildlife in the reserve consists mainly of antelope species but is more renown for its variety of birdlife with over 280 species being recorded, many of them rare and the variety includes Southern Bald-ibis which can can seen nesting on the cliffs near the Malolotja falls, Blue Swallows, Blue Crane, Striped Flufftail, Stanley's Bustard, Blackwinged Plover, Knysna Lourie, Narina Trogon, Blue Swallow, Buffstreaked Chat, Chorister Robin, Broadtailed Warbler and Gurney's Sugarbird.
The park is a botanist's paradise, with is great variety wild-flower and rare plants, several of which are only found in this part of Africa, including six species of proteas, a pincushion protea and four species of heaths, where numerous species of orchids and lilies and many different types of tree.
There are limited roads, but a number of hiking trails ranging from one day walks to week-long hikes. You need to take with you your own food, water and cooking facilities - fires are not permitted outside the base camp. The reserve gates open from 0600 to 1800 during the winter season and 0630 to 1830 in the summer time and an entrance fee in payable.

HLANE ROYAL NATIONAL PARK:
Hlane is situated in the North-east, approximately one hours drive from Manzini. It is the largest protected area in Swaziland and borders with the Mlawula Nature Reserve and Mbuluzi Game Reserve. The park has an extensive network of roads, linking camps, waterholes and other features. For the most part the roads are passable by 2 wheel drive vehicle except after heavy rains, when 4 wheel drive is advisable.

The flat terrain of the Hlane and its hardwood vegetation and shallow pans attracts great herds of animals during the dry winter months. White rhinos can be seen here as well many antelope species. Lion and elephants have been reintroduced to the park but they are kept in an enclosure. Bird life is prolific with species including a nesting colony of Marabou Stork. Whitebacked Vulture, Whiteheaded Vulture, Lappetfaced Vulture and the occasional Cape Vulture, Redbilled Buffalo Weaver, Threestreaked Tchagra, Scimitarbilled Woodhoopoe, Longtailed Shrike, Martial Eagle, Bateleur, and Longcrested Eagle are just a few of the types of bird found here.

MLAWULA NATURE RESERVE:
Lying in the northeast of the country with the entrance located about 10km north of Simunye. Mlawula covers an area of approximately 16,500 hectares, the terrain of which consists of flat plains and the Lebombo mountains. Antelope species can be seen but it's the bird life that makes it an attraction, with over 350 different species found here, such asthe African Finfoot, Thickbilled Cuckoo, Lesser Blackwinged Plover, African Broadbill, Black Coucal, Yellowspotted Nicator,Scalythroated Honeyguide, Bearded Robin, Grey Sunbird, Redbilled Helmetshrike, and Pinkthroated Twinspot The reserve also has about 1035 plant species including 55 alien species.

MKHAYA GAME RESERVE:
This small private game reserve is located in south eastern part of the country covering an area of approximately 7 500 ha. Black and white rhino, elephant, buffalo, roan and sable antelope are among some of the wildlife found here and well as the indigenous and rare Nguni cattle. Another park where many species of bird can be spotted including Melba Finch, African Green Pigeon, Whitebellied Sunbird, Redbilled Oxpecker, Plumcoloured Starling, White Helmetshrike, Brubru, Redbacked Shrike, Scalythroated Honeyguide, Grey Hornbill and Purple Roller, Greyheaded and Gorgeous Bush Shrike, Pygmy Kingfisher, Yellowbreasted Apalis, Goldentailed Woodpecker, Purplecrested Lourie, Yellowspotted Nicator, Southern Boubou and several varieties of Robin. The name Mkhaya is derived from the Mkhaya tree (a member of the Acacia family) which can be found throughout the park. Although guided walking in the park is allowed, travel by vehicle is restricted to guided game drives in open top landrovers.

PHOPHOYANE NATURE RESERVE:
Located, approximate 60 miles south of Kruger National Park, in northwestern Swaziland close to Pigg's Peak. This is a quite peaceful and enchanting park, also know as Swaziland's "Garden of Eden".

The wildlife found here includes banded mongooses, the rare red duiker deer, cape clawless otter, vervet monkeys with over 230 recorded species of bird.