Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Mlilwane Game Reserve


This is the first of Swaziland's State reserves established in 1961. It was already on our list but Daniel – our new lawyer friend – also recommended it to us.
Arrived without reservation – come on its Monday – to find that the only self catering accommodation they could offer was a 6 berth thatched bungalow – at the same price as the 2 berth! A lovely place to stay, well laid out, well equipped and comfortable – bathroom is a bit disappointing but otherwise it suits us well.
The reserve has a great feel to it and we saw Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala, Nyala, Blesbok and Warthog on the road in along with White throated Beeeaters, Fork tailed Drongos, nesting Grey Herons, flocks of Cattle Egrets and a huge crowd of Sacred Ibis.
Since there no are no predators here – apart from a few crocodiles – you can wander around the reserve during daylight with little or no restriction. The animals are all around and seem only mildly bothered by our presence. While we sat with sundowners this evening we were joined by 20 or 30 Impala, a family group of Warthogs and a couple of juvenile Nyala Antelopes with an adult female who all came to graze on the grass around the bungalow.
Have arranged a bush walk in the morning with one of the rangers, so looking forward to a bit of gentle exercise to start the day. Interestingly it is cheaper to hire the ranger for an hour than it is to hire one of their mountain bikes for a self-guided ride

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