Morning Walk Tour To Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary In The Ezulwini Valley

Pick up by your guide at Mlilwane Lodge which will drive you a short distance to the boundary of the famous Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Mlilwane is best known for being the birthplace of nature conservation in Swaziland, however, it is also renowned for its unique walking trails and beautiful setting in Swaziland's Ezulwini Valley - the Valley of Heaven.

The sanctuary itself is quite small yet it is home to a wide variety of animals and birds. During your walk, it is common to see animals such as impala, nyala, zebra, warthogs, blesbok, kudu, and roan antelope. The walking trails in Mlilwane are popular and the animals have become used to humans, meaning that you can get close to most of the wildlife. This makes for a unique, intimate, and rewarding wildlife experience.

The morning trail starts on the southern boundary of the park and works its way down into the shallow Mhlambanyatsi River Valley, across the river, and up to a hippo pool. This is a great spot for finding wallowing hippos and basking crocodiles. The trail then leads to the sanctuary's main camp where you can stop for a rest and visit a mini museum that presents an interesting history of the formation of the sanctuary and key personalities and pioneers of conservation in Swaziland.

From the camp, the trail cuts across the plains and marshlands of the western sector of the sanctuary before following the beautiful Mhlambanyatsi River upstream towards the base of the Mlilwane Hill where a short climb leads through a shaded forest to the famous Reilly's Rock Hilltop Lodge. Here you will be reunited with your bags, shown to your cozy rooms, and treated to lunch on the verandah.

After lunch, you have two options. The first option is to relax at Reilly's Rock and enjoy the beautiful gardens filled with aloe plants and succulents that attract many different birds. Alternatively, you can choose to join an afternoon guided walk along the base of an impressive mountain peak to the north of the lodge called Execution Rock. The route is called the Machobane Trail; a 5km circular route that rises gently up the base of the peak and then follows a contour (an old aqueduct) along the base of the rocky peak.

The trail itself is interesting with many bridges, ladders, and platforms making it fun and interactive. There are amazing views across the Ezulwini Valley along the whole route but perhaps the highlight is the ancient cave that houses the faint remains of bushman paintings on its rock facades. This cave would have been a prime location for people living in this bountiful valley many thousands of years ago.

In the evening, dinner is served inside the Reilly's Rock dining room next to a roaring fire.

Overnight: Lodge, Mlilwane