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Swaziland is the smallest country in the Southern hemisphere, with a population of 1.2 million people. It’s\u00a0also one of the last remaining executive monarchies in Africa.\u00a0 Although it is not a popular tourist destination, it should be due to its stunning landscapes, wildlife reserves, and rich cultural heritage. Its close proximity to South Africa (just a 3.5 to 4-hour drive from Johannesburg), make it an easy add-on trip. Here\u2019s my list of the Top\u00a0Eight Things to Do there.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Though small in size, this protected area is a nature lover\u2019s dream, with hiking trails, wildlife, wooded areas and waterfalls. The Mantenga Falls are Swaziland\u2019s best known falls and the largest by volume of water. Visitors can explore by foot, mountain bike or car, and there is a picnic area adjacent to the river below the falls.<\/p>\n Located in the Mantenga Nature Reserve, the Swazi Cultural Village <\/a>offers a firsthand peak into Swazi culture.\u00a0 The makeshift village, comprised of 16 huts, kraals and other structures, represents a traditional Swazi lifestyle from the 1850\u2019s. A\u00a0local guide explains local customs and history while guiding\u00a0visitors through the grounds.\u00a0 The tour ends with a 45-minute, high-energy, action-packed dance and music performance by the men and women of the Mantenga Cultural Group.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Swaziland has several wildlife sanctuaries for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts to explore. Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary<\/a>, located in Ezulwini Valley between Mbabane and Manzini, is Swaziland\u2019s pioneer conservation area. Activities include mountain bike riding, horseback riding, game drives, guided bird walks and walking\/hiking trails.\u00a0 Animal species in the area include Hippo, Crocodile, Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Kudu, Nyala, Impala, Warthog, Waterbuck, Reedbuck, Steenbok, Grey Duiker, Klipspringer, Blesbok. and the elusive Leopard.<\/p>\n Located at the peak of Nyonyane Mountain, inside the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, this historic rock offers amazing views of the Ezulwini Valley. According to ancient legend, it\u2019s aptly named \u201cExecution Rock\u201d because Swazis suspected of witchcraft or criminals were forced to walk off the edge at spear-point, plunging to their death. \u00a0Hiking remains the most popular way to reach the summit, which can also be reached by mountain bike or horseback.<\/p>\n Despite its small size, Swaziland brings the fun for adrenaline junkies. It offers variety of adventure activities <\/a>from caving in a subterranean cave system to white water rafting on the Usutu River to zip lining in the Malolotja Nature Reserve.<\/p>\n House on Fire is best known as the venue for Bush Fire, a popular cultural and music festival held each year in May.\u00a0 But even when it\u2019s not hosting great music, the House on Fire is a destination unto itself. Spectacular mountain views serve as a backdrop for the unique artwork and sculptures that adorn the property.\u00a0 The House on Fire shares the grounds with Malandela\u2019s bed and breakfast and restaurant, which has its own beautiful gardens, and Gone Rural, a women\u2019s coop which sells colorful straw baskets and household accessories.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n In operation for more than 20 years, Ngwenya Glass<\/a> offers visitors the chance to watch local artisans who\u2019ve perfected the art of glass blowing.\u00a0 Visitors can also purchase beautiful blown glass items on site, all made with 100% recycled glass.<\/p>\n Since 1982, the Swazi Candles Centre<\/a> has made decorative paraffin wax and organic soy candles. The colorful, intricately designed candles are created with hard wax and a technique called \u201cmillifiore\u201d and are noted for the rich, romantic glow of the exterior shell. The Centre also houses a caf\u00e9 and several other craft and souvenir shops.<\/p>\n What’s your favorite thing to do in Swaziland?\u00a0 Please share your comments below.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nShare This <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Swaziland is the smallest country in the Southern hemisphere, with a population of 1.2 million people. It’s\u00a0also one of the last remaining executive monarchies in Africa.\u00a0 Although it is not a popular tourist destination, it should be due to its stunning landscapes, wildlife reserves, and rich cultural heritage. Its close proximity to South Africa … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[325,324,327,326,287],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-thetravelsista","4":"post-2416","6":"format-standard","7":"category-africa","8":"post_tag-house-on-fire","9":"post_tag-mbabane","10":"post_tag-mlilwane-wildlife-sanctuary","11":"post_tag-swazi-cultural-village","12":"post_tag-swaziland"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thetravelsista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2416"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thetravelsista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thetravelsista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thetravelsista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thetravelsista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2416"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/thetravelsista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2423,"href":"http:\/\/thetravelsista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2416\/revisions\/2423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thetravelsista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thetravelsista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thetravelsista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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