Crossing overland from Mozambique to Eswatini, there was a noticeable improvement in road conditions. The first impression was a welcoming place that has made considerable infrastructure investments. That perception was reinforced throughout our stay. Prior to our visit, I definitely didn’t have high expectations… this was gonna be a “checkoff” country maybe good for a Zamunda joke or something. It turned out to be a really fun and relaxing stop.
We stayed at a hostel that was actually located inside their national park, reserving a “bee-hive” style hut for ourselves. The hostel (and the park) began as a privately owned citrus farm that slowly evolved into a game reserve and the national park it is today. There were groves of citrus around the main hostel compound, but we also encountered random fruit trees deep into wooded areas as well. This was the only time we had an opportunity to do a self-guided walking safari, and we did that pretty much twice a day for our entire stay. The facilities seemed to be popular with South Africans taking short family trips by car. The vibe was very different from some of the other stops and was a welcome slower pace as we wrapped up our month-long southern Africa trek.
