Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary is

Eswatini Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...

's oldest

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

, owned and managed by a non-profit trust.

Overview

The sanctuary serves as a headquarters for the Big Game Parks including Mlilwane's sister reserves

Hlane Royal National Park Hlane Royal National Park is a national park in Eswatini, roughly 67 km northeast of Manzini along the MR3 road.South Africa, page 815 Prior to the park being public, it was a private royal hunting ground. Hlane, meaning 'wilderness', was n ...

and

Mkhaya Game Reserve Mkhaya Game Reserve is a protected area in Eswatini. It is located along the MR8 road. Characteristics It is situated in lowveld wilderness in the southeast of Eswatini and is made up of acacia-dominated thornveld in the south and broadleaf san ...

. The Sanctuary covers 4,560 hectares in the

Ezulwini Valley Ezulwini Valley is a valley of northwest Eswatini. Also known as "The Valley of Heaven", the valley lasts for about 30 kilometres, and is bounded to the east by the Mdzimba hills. The historical capital of Swaziland Lobamba is located in the valley ...

or "Valley of Heaven". Formerly a farming and tin mining area, the area has been rehabilitated and is now Eswatini's most frequently visited reserve. Abundant wildlife grace the plains. The southern section is predominately open grassland plains with middleveld vegetation, stretching up onto Nyonyane Mountain. Tourist activities are concentrated in the southern section which can be explored by foot, horseback, mountain bikes or vehicle. The northern section includes one of the highest points in the area at Luphohlo. Only guided trails enter this part of the sanctuary. Mlilwane means Little Fire, a reference to the many fires started by lightning strikes on Mlilwane Hill.

Accommodation

There are three structures that accommodate visitors: * Rest Camp :the camp is found in the southern corner of the reserve where tall indigenous trees overlook a wetland system which is home to hippopotamus, crocodile and a variety of water birds including visiting fish eagles. :Rest camp features traditional swazi round huts, called beehives, and several self-catering units. * Sondzela backpacker's :offers a wide range of accommodation amidst the park exclusively for international travellers visiting Eswatini * Reilly's Rock Hilltop Lodge :up-market accommodation

Main activities

* hiking (guided and self-guided) * game drives (either in private cars or in rented open 4x4 vehicles) * mountain biking (rented hourly at rest camp) * warm springs * horse riding (guided)

References

External links

Accommodations at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary
{{Protected areas of Swaziland Protected areas of Eswatini