Posts filed under 'Swaziland'
Swaziland – Royal Hlane Nature Park
We hit the road early-ish (around 6:30AM to beat the morning rush-hour traffic) on Friday the 9th September and headed up the N2 towards Swaziland. We perfectly timed the traffic and didn’t get stuck in any along the way, so got to the Swazi border post without any delays. Getting into Swaziland was very quick and hassle free and before we knew it we were pulling into Royal Hlane Nature Park, our first two nights stop-over on our African leg to the trip.
The campsite was pretty empty so we chose a spot right up against the camp perimeter fence and then took a stroll around to explore the camp. Down in front next to the reception block was a restaurant and bar, and in front of them, just the other side of a 3-strand electric fence was a waterhole. And there were a whole pile of white rhino chilling out around the waterhole! While we were watching them a herd of 5 elephants came down to drink too. Crazy in that we hadn’t even gone for a proper drive in the park yet – just driven in. Anyway, it turned out they have several enclosures in the park and keep certain of their more precious animals in specific areas – and the rhino and elephant enclosure was the one the campsite was in. There was another one next to it which had lions in, but you were only allowed in there on an organised game drive (i.e. you had to pay extra to see the lions). Still, we had a drive around the elly and rhino bit, then headed up north. Not much to see up there though, just some impala and a couple of giraffe on the way back.
We had made a heap of egg and bacon rolls for the road and had a bunch left so that had been a late lunch and then for supper we just made a quick salad. Didn’t hold back on the campfire though – we had both not had a proper African campfire for so long we must have gone through about a week’s worth of wood! (And probably about a week’s worth of Savanahs too lol).
The next day we did a drive to the south of the park, but like the north bit, once you were out the rhino/elly enclosure there was not a heap to see. The roads were pretty overgrown too and overhanging thorn trees tore our bags of charcoal up on the landy’s roof to shreds. We had had quite a bit of driving the previous day and knew that there was lots more the next, so chilled out that afternoon round the campsite. The ashes from our fire the night before still had so many hot coals in them the following afternoon that we decided to make a Potjie (African camping stew, made in a cast iron pot on an open fire for those non saffas reading the blog). In went a 6-pack of chicken drumsticks, some potatoes, some carrots, herbs and spices, a bottle of savanah and an onion and garlic. 3 hours later out came the most delicious dinner. Obviously we had finished cooking for the night but once again had to heap on the fire wood and have us another roaring campfire to see in the evening.
Then it was an early start off back up into South Africa and up to Kruger.
Add comment September 20, 2011