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Mbuluzi Game Reserve

Mbabane, Swaziland

Privately-owned Mbuluzi Game Reserve offers a peaceful retreat on the banks of the croc-filled Mlawula River. The top activity here is self-guided wildlife safaris to see animals such as giraffe, zebra, kudu, jackal, wildebeest, and nyala during the day and possibly hyena, genets, servals, and honey badgers during the night. Birding is also particularly rewarding with more than 300 species, including the beautiful Narina trogon. Visitors can hike the well-marked web of nature trails, mountain bike along jeep tracks, and cast a line for fish in the two rivers. Accommodation is varied. Options range from riverfront campsites and safari tents to several family lodges. Although the reserve lacks any of the Big Five (leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo, and rhino), guests have free entry to neighbouring Mlawula Game Reserve and Hlane Royal National Park, with its white rhino and elephant.

Mbuluzi is a perfect overnight stop for holiday travellers between Mozambique and South Africa as it is only a short distance from two borders entering into Mozambique and one to South Africa. It is along the main route from Kwazulu-Natal to Lomahasha Border. The Mbuluzi Game Reserve is bound by the beautiful Mbuluzi River and the Lubombo mountain range in the east and boasts a remarkable diversity of habitat.

Flora includes the massive riverine forests with towering sycamore figs and wild date palms, rocky cliffs, knobthorn savannah, acacia bushveld and open grasslands. A number of unique species are found in the area. The views around the reserve are diverse and breathe taking. Mbuluzi has over 1200 species recorded on iNaturalist.

Daytime game viewing includes giraffe, kudu, wildebeest, waterbuck, zebra, impala, bushbuck, nyala, duiker, warthog, jackal, crocodile and more. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the sunset period when nature draws her second breath or take a night drive with a spotlight and experience the excitement of seeing the nocturnal species including hyena, civet, genet, jackal, honey-badger, serval, bush pig or something else totally unexpected! As well all the great mammals Mbuluzi Game Reserve has some of the best birding opportunities in Eswatini.

At an altitude of between 150 and 460 meters, and only 70 kilometres from the Mozambique coast, the climate is typical of the bushveld of the Eastern Seaboard - warm to hot during the day, with pleasant cooler breezes in the evenings.

Mbuluzi is a great destination for families and kids.

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