Hlane and Mkhaya Wildlife

Though tiny, the Kingdom of Eswatini boasts excellent and accessible wildlife reserves. Hlane Royal National Park, the country's largest protected area, set on former royal hunting grounds, is home to lions, elephants, white rhinos, hippos and abundant birdlife, viewed on game drives and even on foot in parts. The exclusive Mkhaya Game Reserve, meanwhile, is a renowned refuge for the endangered black rhino, offering one of the finest and most intimate chances in Africa to track these rare animals at close quarters, alongside sable antelope and other game, from rustic, characterful bush camps.

What you actually see

• The black rhinos - the intimate tracking at Mkhaya.
• The white rhinos and elephants - the game of Hlane park.
• The lions - the predators of Hlane's enclosures.
• The birdlife and antelope - the rich wildlife of the reserves.

When to go

May to September, the cooler, drier season, is best for wildlife viewing, when animals gather at water and the thinning bush improves sightings; the reserves are a rewarding, uncrowded safari, often combined with a wider trip through southern Africa given Eswatini's central location.

Honest expectations

Eswatini's reserves are smaller and their wildlife less abundant than the great parks of neighbouring South Africa, so they offer an intimate, uncrowded safari rather than vast herds; some big game at Hlane is in fenced areas. As an accessible, affordable and characterful safari, though, especially the superb, close black-rhino tracking at Mkhaya, and easily woven into a regional trip, Eswatini's wildlife is a genuine and rewarding highlight of the little kingdom.

Nearby

The Ezulwini Valley, the Mlilwane sanctuary and South Africa's Kruger are within reach.