HLANE PARK, ONE OF THE PLACES TO SEE IN SWAZILAND

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Day 13: South Africa Border - Hlane Park, one of the places to see in Swaziland

Today begins the route to Hlane Park, one of the places to see in Swaziland that begins at the Shayamoya Tiger Fishing and Game Lodge, our accommodation tonight, which we came by surprise after the excursion with hippos in St. Lucia we did yesterday .

Shayamoya Tiger Fishing and Game Lodge

With the views we have from the terrace of the cabin, we can not avoid getting up early to enjoy an incredible sunrise, with exceptional views, when it is 7 am to go directly to the breakfast room, where we charge energy, to visit Hlane Park, one of the places to see in Swaziland, that will also take us to know, for a day, a new country.

Punctually at 8 in the morning we leave the accommodation heading to the Goleta border crossing, which is only 9 kilometers from our accommodation, where we have to do the paperwork to be able to go to Swaziland and head to Hlane Park, our destination in this country.

South Africa border with Swaziland

Although the procedures to cross the border of South Africa with Swaziland are usually very easy and fast, we want to leave you a series of tips according to our experience.

The first thing to keep in mind is that there are several border crossings, with different schedules each. In case of making a route like that of our trip to South Africa in 25 days or similar, the best option is the Golela pass, which opens at 7 in the morning.
In addition to the passport, it is very important to carry a special permit to cross the border with a rental car. This will be given directly to the Rental Office the day you pick up the car and it is essential to cross the border.
Keep in mind that this must be requested the day you make the rental reservation and has an extra cost. In our case with Europcar it cost us 80 euros, although we know that there are different prices according to the rental agency.
Be sure to read the post "Rental car in South Africa" to learn more about this topic.

Rental car in South Africa

Although we were not asked at any time for the international driving license, we know several cases in which it has been essential to show it so that they were allowed to cross the South African border with Swaziland, so it is important to take it into account and take it, since It is also essential to rent the car and show the police in case they stop you.
If you are Spanish and you will not be in Swaziland for more than 30 days, you will not need a visa, although you must do some paperwork to enter the country.
At the border, the first thing you should do is stop at the first parking lot, where you must show your passport and then follow the road along the buildings until you reach the next building, where you have to enter the ticket offices.
Once there you will show your passport again and after checking it they will give you a paper with which you should go to a ticket office right next door, in which you will pay R50 (you can pay in rands). Once this procedure is done and with the passport sealed, you can follow the road until you reach the step where after showing the sealed paper as you have paid, you can enter Swaziland.
This payment can be made in cash or by card.

South Africa border with Swaziland

Something to keep in mind is that if you carry a SIM card from South Africa, once you are in Swaziland it will not work, so you will be without internet connection or receiving calls during your stay in the country.
Having no connection, it is highly recommended to bring a GPS or an offline GPS application installed on the phone, since in Swaziland the indications are not too common.

Tips for visiting Swaziland

Although traveling through Swaziland is practically like doing it in South Africa, we want to leave some details that we believe, they can help you during your stay.

Keep in mind that the currency is lilangeni and since its value is set to that of the South African rand, the latter is also accepted in Swaziland.
As we discussed earlier, South African SIM cards are not valid in Swaziland.
If your intention is to make a route that includes only the Hlane Park, we recommend you to spend a night inside, preferably in Hlane Ndlovu Camp, the main camp of the park.
On the way from the border to Hlane we see several police with radars, so it is very convenient to take precaution with the speed and follow the traffic rules.
You should also keep in mind that from MR16, which is the road that takes you to Hlane, just when you take the detour on the right, about 75 kilometers from the border, the road becomes a minefield, in which holes or potholes, are present along the road for approximately 40 kilometers.
In this area and especially if you go with a tourism, it is essential to take it easy to avoid potholes.

Potholes in Swaziland

It's 8:45 in the morning when, after no more than 30 minutes of paperwork to cross the South African border with Swaziland, we start our journey to Hlane Royal National Park, the place we will visit from this new country, land of rhinos, where we will do our first safari and where we will stay at Hlane Ndlovu Camp, in a Rondavel Hut, a camp in which from what we have read, the visit of wild animals throughout the day, is fully assured.

More practical information to prepare your trip to South Africa
- 10 essential places to see in South Africa
- The best tips for traveling to South Africa

Before starting to drive along the road that takes us to the park and without knowing very well if there will be gas stations along the way, we prefer to approach a near the border where we fill a storage room that we take empty for R150, with which we stay Quiet to continue the journey.

Swaziland Road

After traveling the 100 kilometers that separate us from Hlane, the last 40 being a hotbed of potholes that took almost 1 hour to travel, we began to see how the landscape begins to become much greener and much more leafy, changing dramatically to the one we saw During the last days in South Africa at 10 in the morning and in the land of Hlane, we found by surprise the first giraffe that makes us imagine what awaits the next days of South Africa for free.

Hlane entrance

After delivering the reservation at the entrance of Hlane Park, one of the places to see in Swaziland, we pass directly to Hlane Ndlovu Camp, located just a few meters away, where we will stay tonight and where we do all the paperwork for at 2 o'clock. In the afternoon we can go directly to the traditional Rondavels in which we will stay.
In addition to these procedures, we take the opportunity to reserve a game drive at dawn for tomorrow, which we will do with a ranger, for R375 per person, with which we hope to learn many things about animal life and especially those who live in Hlane Park in addition to passing to the lions area of the park, which can only be visited with these game drives.

Hlane Park, one of the places to see in Swaziland

The Hlane National Park, with 22,000 hectares, is the largest conservation area in Swaziland, where you can see 4 of the Big Five.
As in the Kruger, you can tour the park in your own car or by doing any of the guided activities offered at the camp.

The Hlane Royal National Park conservation fee is R50 per person per day and is included in the Wild Card.
Daytime visitors are from 6am to 6pm and never, under any circumstances, can you drive at night either in the park or between camps.

Hlane

Accommodation in Hlane Park

At Hlane Park you can stay at Hlane Ndlovu Camp, where we are staying or at Bhubesi Camp.
The camps are separated by 16 kilometers, Ndlovu being located in the center of Hlane, right next to a pond with great animal presence, while the Bhubesi camp is another camp quiet located outside the area of endangered species.

In our experience, the most advisable thing is to stay at Hlane Ndlovu Camp since in addition to being better located, it has all kinds of services, in Bhubesi there is no restaurant and above all it has the incredible extra of the surrounding landscape that is among the most amazing we've ever seen.

Ndolovu Camp Pond

Something important to keep in mind is that the Ndolovu camp does not have electricity and at night oil lamps are lit to see.

Bhubesi

Simple, clean and comfortable accommodation with electricity that includes bed linen and towels.
Located 16 kilometers from Ndlovu Camp, it has 6 stone huts attached, with a slightly elevated view along the Mbuluzi River.
Bhubesi Camp is outside the area of endangered species and large numbers of birds, lizards and bushbuck can be observed in the surroundings.

Hlane Ndlovu Camp

Simple, clean and comfortable accommodation, without electricity that includes bed linen and towels.
The Ndlovu camp is 1 kilometer from Simunye Road, near the main gate of Hlane under a countless number of ancient trees, with incredible historical importance.
One of its great attractions is that it has a pond frequented by hippos, elephants and white rhinos as well as many birds.

You can book the Hlane Ndlovu Camp here

Ndolovu Camp

Ndlovu Camp has five distinct areas:

Central Area: reception, activities, shop and two large summer houses plus a restaurant and terrace overlooking the pond.
• Accommodation units: Big Hut, Liphiva and Nyala cabins are located in the northeast of the central area of Ndlovu Camp.
• Group cabins: Mabulane and Msholo cabins are located west of the restaurant.
• Wisteria Village: a short drive away through the camping grounds, which can also be done perfectly on foot, is Wisteria Village, the area where the traditional Rondavels are, with private bathrooms, which are the accommodation More recommended according to our experience.
• Camping grounds: next to the central area is the camping area.

Map Ndolovu Camp

Rondavel Ndolovu Camp

Services and facilities available in Hlane

Conferences

Large summer houses available for groups.
Meetings and functions, without electricity.

Restaurant

Semi-open 100-seater restaurant with a bar with a large open terrace overlooking a pond of water in which hippos and crocodiles, elephants and rhinos are often seen.
Buffet dinners, à la carte menus and breakfasts are served.

Restaurant with rhinos at the bottom of Ndolovu Camp

Store

The camp has a small curiosity shop with souvenirs and necessities.

Activities in Hlane

Hlane stretches along the jungle, riverside forests and savannas in which in addition to the self-drive, you can carry out guided activities that leave from the reception of the Ndlovu Camp.
To do any of them you must book at least 1 hour in advance (24 hours for overnight walks).

Safaris walking

They are carried out in groups of 2-8 people per guide and sightings are not included in the area of endangered species. It includes bottled water.

Game Drives

Sunrise Game Drive: with a duration of 2.5 hours, it costs R370 per person. In this game drive you can enjoy the wildlife at dawn, including the restricted area of the lions, which can not be accessed freely.
In addition to the safari by car, in case the ranger finds it suitable and safe, a small walk is made on foot to get closer to some rhinoceros.
This safari includes tea / coffee and a snack halfway, in an area of the park where you can get off and have a small picnic.
Keep in mind that this activity is not available for travelers staying at the Bhubesi Camp, unless there is a group activity of at least 6 people, which will allow you to leave directly from this camp.

Game Drive Hlane Park

Sunset Game Drive: with a duration of 2.5 hours and a price of R375 per person, this safari in addition to the possibility of sighting numerous animals, is famous for the possibility of enjoying the sunset in a beautiful place. The game drive includes a drink.
Please note that as in the Sunrise Game Drive, this safari is not available for guests staying at Bhubesi Camp, unless a group activity of at least 6 people is carried out.
Midday Game Drive: with a duration of 2.5 hours and a price of R355 per person, this is the perfect alternative for travelers who do not want to drive their car. All safaris include the León Area, which cannot be accessed for free and the minimum age to do so is 6 years.

Game Drive Hlane

Rhino Drive: with a duration of 1.5 h and a rate of R270 per person, this is the most popular tour of Hlane in which the objective is to find the white rhino excluding the lion area.
The highlight of this game drive is the opportunity to get out of the vehicle and walk near the ranger to some rhinoceros.
You have to keep in mind that this is always done under the supervision of the ranger and you must be totally sure to do so. The minimum age to be able to do this safari is 13 years.

Rhinos in Hlane

Rhino breeding in Hlane

Self Drive: The most famous of the activities in Hlane is without a doubt the safaris with your own car. With countless roads to drive without a driver, suitable for normal cars in dry conditions, this is one of the most incredible experiences you can live in the park.
Keep in mind that it is totally forbidden to drive at night and all travelers must be in the camps or have left the park at 6pm.
In convenient to have a GPS and / or a map to guide you in the park.

Hlane Safari

Impala in Hlane

Keep in mind that all guided activities leave from the Ndlovu camp. Therefore, guests staying at Camp Bhubesi cannot make them unless a full group reservation is made and it has been previously agreed with the administration to leave Camp Bhubesi.

Safaris in Hlane Park

As we mentioned earlier, one of the great attractions of Hlane Park, one of the places to see in Swaziland is the possibility of doing safaris in your own car, except for the area of the lions that can only be accessed with a guide or perform a directed game drive.
In our experience, if you are going to spend the night here, we recommend you to do a guided game drive at sunrise or sunset and the rest of the day take the tour for free.

Facocero in Hlane

Roads in Hlane

Tips for visiting Hlane Park

The first and most important thing is to pay attention to safety standards and, above all, to comply with them. It is important not to forget that you are in an area where wild animals live and you are a guest.
As we commented in the article in which we talked about car rental in South Africa, it is important for Hlane to take a high car, since although the trails are mostly practicable with a tourism, on the secondary roads there are many potholes .
The Game Drive of the dawn begins at 5:30 in the morning and lasts 2 and a half hours in which in addition to the central area of Hlane you can visit the area of the lions that can not be accessed by free.
The price is R375 per person and can be paid by credit card.
We were the one who performed and we have to say that the experience was incredibly rewarding.

Game drive

Both the activities and the restaurant you can pay by credit card.
Keep in mind that there is no electricity or wifi, although you can buy a 50-megabyte bonus for R50.
The check in for the accommodations is at 2pm, although they can enter the park at any time you want and make the entrance at the indicated time.

Ndolovu Camp

With all the procedures already managed in the camp and after verifying that we have one of the most incredible locations in the world, being right next to a pond to which some of the most emblematic animals of the park go, we return to the rental car to start the first safari in Hlane Park, one of the places to see in Swaziland.

And we can say that it could not have started better and it is that we have not traveled more than 1 kilometer along a sand track, when we face the first white rhinoceros, something that we would not have imagined in our best dreams.

Rhinoceros in Hlane

In this unexpected encounter, we remain more than half an hour taking photos without stopping, to continue our way and in less two kilometers, to give a stop when we find a scene worthy of any documentary in which we are face to face with a family of rhinos , with a young in a pond, they give us some of the most brutal scenes of this trip to South Africa.

Hlane Park, one of the places to see in Swaziland

White rhinos in Hlane Park

Something to keep in mind in these cases is to keep a safe distance, we can not forget that they are wild animals, and more when there are young. Once you see that the animal has taken a position or is calm, you can turn off the car engine, always at a distance to enjoy the scene.
Above all and under no circumstances can you get out of the car. This is something that must always be respected.

Rhinoceros breeding

It is 1 noon when we decide, after these two incredible scenes, to go to the restaurant of our camp to eat and check in, when we find another great surprise and it is that in the pond that presides over the camp, there are in these Four rhinos and 2 hippos moments, which make this place one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen.

Rhinos in the pond of Ndolovu Camp

We ordered a steak plus vegetarian burger, big water, beer and a couple of coffees for R250 that we enjoyed with views that we would never have imagined and that is that while we eat, we have the visit of a family of rhinos that pass through the pond with a breeding, which are another of the most incredible scenes of the trip, which we enjoy next to our cup of coffee in front of the pond.

Rhinos in the pond of Ndolovu Camp

After this incredible gift and leaving our luggage in what will be our lovely Rondavel for tonight, it's four in the afternoon when we return to the car to do another of the tours of the park, which give us incredible scenes, although less exciting than those lived this morning with rhinos in which we still have no chance to cross paths with elephants, another of the inhabitants of Hlane.

Hlane Safari

Something that we check again in Hlane is that the indications in the park are really very scarce, so it is highly recommended to take an offline GPS as a complement to the paper map they give at the entrance and that it is a perfect complement to the previous one.

And so, when there are a few minutes to 6 in the afternoon, the time at which the park closes and it is prohibited to drive, we return to the Hlane Ndlovu Camp where we enjoy dinner at the restaurant in the light of the oil lamps , under a sky in which it seems a lie, so many stars can gather.

Sunset in Hlane

We leave you a map of the route today in which we have crossed the border of South Africa with Swaziland and then reach Hlane Park, where we made the first safari of the trip.

Day 14: Hlane Park - How to go from Swaziland to the Kruger