Mbabane - There’s quite an intriguing story about Swaziland. It is said that, many decades ago, Swazi tribes had a bizarre way of dealing with suspected murderers, witches and adulterers.
They would be taken through court processes and, if found guilty, a death sentence would be imposed. A court-appointed official would escort them to a mountain known as Execution Rock.
They would climb it and when they reached the summit, the official would order the convicts to leap to their deaths.
If a convict was too scared, the official would push them or keep jabbing them with a spear until they reached the edge, and went tumbling down.
Today, Execution Rock is one of the prime attractions in the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary in Swaziland.
Mlilwane is home to an array of animals, including buck, antelope and zebras. Although these animals are part of the reason some people visit it, others want to climb Execution Rock for the amazing views from the top.
Mlilwane also has a picturesque view of the Mdzimba Mountains that overlook the Ludzidzini Royal Village, home of King Mswati’s mother, who is known as Ndlovukati – the She-Elephant.
There are three ways in which you can see animals at Mlilwane. You can go on hikes, take game drives, or cycle.
Because I go to spinning classes once in a while, I figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to cycle around Mlilwane, seeing the animals at close range while enjoying the cool breeze on my face.
But as I would find out, being on a stationary bike in a gym is nothing compared with riding a bicycle.
Riding on steep hills out in the wild proved particularly daunting. Soon, my thighs and bum began to tire and my muscles felt as though they were tearing.
My cycling skills seemed to desert me when I needed them most. I tried, and failed at the first hurdle, to adjust my bike and it raced downhill at a speed to shame even speedsters like Zwelinzima Vavi and Steve Hofmeyr. My adrenalin levels hit fever-pitch as I struggled to negotiate the steep, sharp bends.
I let out a scream, but it only scared the poor animals. They seemed to pause in their foraging and gaze at me as I came crashing down. I had my helmet to thank for not being injured – the crash only bent a wheel. Flashbacks of my early teens, when I would occasionally tumble from my bike, raced through my mind.
After the excitement of the Mlilwane adventure, it was time to visit the Hlane Royal National Park – home to the Big Five and King Mswati III’s hunting ground.
As I soon discovered at Hlane, a guide makes for good company on a game drive. The guides have fascinating, in-depth information about the animals.
Listening to our guide, Johannes Matshenjwa, relating interesting details about the animals as they grazed a few metres away was enriching and entertaining.
Did you know elephants were called “eating machines” because of their ability to eat for hours on end – but have a poor digestive system?
How about pregnant impalas being able to delay giving birth for more than a month if there’s a drought? By stretching out their pregnancy when conditions aren’t favourable for their young, they can better ensure there will be food for them when they are born. Fascinating, isn’t it?
Were you aware that animals such as rhinos and elephants used mud as sunscreen? Did you know lions could kill an animal just for fun – not because they are hungry – and leave it for scavengers to eat?
Thanks to Matshenjwa, my feeling for wild animals now runs deep.
At the Malolotja Game Reserve, I shocked myself by doing something out of my comfort zone.
I haven’t been one to regard anything adventurous as a pastime – and I would have shuddered if told that one day I would crisscross 130m, from one mountain to the other, on a rope suspended 600m from the ground.
Yet that’s what I did at Malolotja. Zip-lining is suitable for adults and children – and the rewards are immeasurable. If you manage to open your eyes while screaming in excitement or fear, you will see the most breathtaking views.
The Mkhaya Game Reserve has to be the ultimate experience: the lodge is nestled in a forest. Walking from the reception area to your rondavel is like walking in a forest. The rondavels are built in a unique way, too. The walls do not reach all the way to the thatched roof – they are only high enough that animals can’t climb over them.
There is no electricity at Mkhaya and, at night, the paths are illuminated with lanterns to guide you. A mosquito net over the bed ensures a peaceful night’s sleep. Breathtaking views of the forest and of grazing animals await in the morning.
As camp manager Elsabe van der Merwe explained, Mkhaya combined the luxury of a lodge with an unrivalled experience of nature. It offered absolute quiet and was a place one could go to for the soul to rest.
“This is a place for those who want to be as close to nature as possible and the rondavels are designed in a way that you have nature all around you, even if you go to the bathroom. We call it a toilet with a view.
“It’s like sleeping under the stars except that you have a roof over your head, and it comes with all the comforts of a luxurious rondavel.”
At the Mkhaya Game Reserve, one can go on game drives or hikes. There are no predators and the only one of the Big Five is the rhino – kept in a part of the reserve far from the lodge.
l Botho Molosankwe was in Swaziland courtesy of Swaziland Tourism.
l www.thekingdomofswaziland.com
Botho Molosankwe, Saturday Star