The granite boulders
In the grassland.
Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Charles J. Sharp — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Charles J. Sharp — CC BY-SA 4.0
Malolotja National Park covers about 180 square kilometres of mountain wilderness on Eswatini's north-western border with South Africa. It includes Ngwenya Mountain, the country's second highest at 1,829 metres, and Malolotja Falls, which drop 89 metres, the highest in Eswatini. It is the country's favourite place for hikers. The Eswatini National Trust Commission identified the area's importance in the early 1970s, when much of it was sheep grazing land. Residents were moved to better farmland nearby, and the area became a reserve. The park adjoins Songimvelo Game Reserve in South Africa, and together they form a cross-border protected area. You see high grassland scattered with rounded granite boulders and rolling plateaus stretching to the horizon. The valleys hold dense forest along the rivers. Blesbok, eland and zebra graze the grasslands, and many birds fly above. It is about 20 km from Mbabane in a straight line. The park has long hiking trails, some lasting several days, so take a map and ask about trail conditions. The weather is changeable and often misty, so carry warm clothes.
In the grassland.
To the horizon.
Blesbok and eland.
North-west Eswatini, on the South African border
Yes, it is the country's top hiking area, with some multi-day trails.
Malolotja Falls, with an 89-metre drop.