A quick 30-minute drive from the border brought us to Ndlovu Camp in Hlane National Park, Eswatini’s largest protected area, covering around 30,000 hectares of Lowveld wilderness. Open savannas and ancient hardwood trees, including leadwoods and tambotis, characterise the park. Hlane is home to four of the Big Five — lions, elephants, white rhinos and leopards — while large herds of zebras, blue wildebeest, giraffes and impalas roam across the plains. The park also has one of the highest densities of nesting white-backed vultures in the region and is home to an important breeding colony of marabou storks.
Hlane has a fascinating royal history. The area was once the private hunting ground of King Sobhuza II and was named Hlane, meaning “wilderness” in the siSwati language. In 1967, it was declared a protected game reserve to safeguard the area’s wildlife. Traditional royal hunting events are still held in designated parts of the park today.
We arrived in the late afternoon. At the entrance gate, we paid a 95 ZAR conservation fee and then drove to Ndlovu Camp, where camping cost 180 ZAR. In the evening, we enjoyed the buffet dinner for 300 ZAR and booked a morning game drive at reception for 500 ZAR per person.
Parking location – Ndlovu Camp: 26.2605793S 31.8761675E (🚻,🚿,💦,🍽️,🅿️180 ZAR/pax)