Without a doubt, Hlane is the crown jewel of Eswatini. If you are traveling to the former Swaziland or if you are touring South Africa, I 100% recommend that you include Hlane Royal National Park in your itinerary for an unforgettable experience. What in other times was a private hunting ground for the king’s amusement, in 1967 became a national park to protect the wildlife that lived there.
It is true that you can see wildlife in many other spots, but in Eswatini’s most famous park, I guarantee that it is quite likely to watch rhinos very close, a great moment that, I know well from experience, is not so easy to experience during a safari.
- Before visiting Hlane, I recommend that you take out travel insurance so you can enjoy this place with peace of mind. I always travel with Mondo and, having had to use it on more than one occasion, I know it works perfectly. Take advantage now that you have a 15% discount for being a reader, but only until April 2nd, after that it drops to 5%
Where is Hlane and how to get there
Hlane National Park is in the northeast of Eswatini, about 70 kilometers from Manzini, the country’s most important commercial city.
The most common way is to arrive driving your own rental car. Many travelers decide to visit Hlane as part of their route through South Africa. It is usually reached from Kruger and stopping on the way to St. Lucia. That’s how I did it, for example.
In that case, the most common way is to enter through the Mananga border (from 7:00 to 18:00) and exit through the Lavumisa border post (from 7:00 to 22:00). After passing through Immigration, you have to stop at Customs and there it is mandatory to pay an entry fee of 100 rands per vehicle and do so by card, not cash. Keep the receipt because they will ask for it when leaving the country or at any roadside checkpoint (I can attest).
Make sure you have managed, and paid, with the car rental company the permit to be able to drive outside South Africa and cross the border. Without this, they won’t allow you to enter the country either.
- If you are traveling in Mozambique and want to visit Hlane, check out the excursion to Hlane from Maputo where you will be accompanied, both in transfers and on safaris, by a Spanish-speaking guide.
I recommend downloading the map of Eswatini to your phone in advance to know how to get to Hlane without a problem. Why? Because if you got a SIM card with data in South Africa, it will stop working when you enter the new country and, therefore, you will no longer have an internet connection.
From the Mananga border, you have to drive straight until you connect with the MR3, towards Manzini. This is one of the country’s main roads and is currently in good condition, almost without a trace of the potholes that complicated drivers’ lives years ago. Shortly after passing Simunye, on the right, there is a turn-off for Hlane Royal National Park which is not very visible, so pay attention so you don’t miss it.
Here are the exact coordinates given to me by the park itself with the exact location of the entrance to Hlane: S26 ̊ 15’ 44.5” E31 ̊ 52’ 58.0” However, searching for Ndvolu Camp on Google Maps will give you the correct route.
How much it costs to enter Hlane
Currently, as of March 2023, the entrance fee to Hlane National Park is 75 rands per person per day. You can pay directly upon arrival at the gate and do so with both card and cash.
Although the official currency of Eswatini is the Lilangeni, you will not need to change currency because South African rands are accepted throughout the country, which also have the same value as the local currency.
If you have the Wild Card, you will enter Hlane for free because the entry fee is included. If you don’t know what this tourist card is, how it works, or need more information about it, I recommend reading this article with all the info about the South Africa Wild Card.
Hlane National Park opening hours
In 2023, the official entry hours to Hlane are from 7 am to 6 pm. Outside of those hours, it is not possible to travel freely with your car inside the park. If you are staying inside, make sure to be back at the camp before the gates close at 18:00.
What to see and do in Hlane
Obviously, the main attraction of Eswatini’s most prominent park is wildlife watching. You come here mainly to do safaris, as Hlane National Park boasts four of the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, and buffalo). The only one of these animals you won’t find in Hlane is the buffalo, although it’s true that spotting a leopard is almost mission impossible.
Watching rhinos from a meter away
Seeing rhinos in Hlane is practically 100% guaranteed; it would be almost impossible not to find them. These almost prehistoric giants are the real stars of the park, along with the lions.
To give you an idea, as soon as I arrived at the camp, I was lucky enough to see up to eleven white rhinos together resting and drinking at the Ndlovu Camp waterhole. Unforgettable! A memory that makes me say emphatically that it is worth going to Hlane even if you have been to Kruger.
In recent years, as I was told, Hlane has been doing important preservation work for these animals to protect them from the poaching that continues to threaten them.
In Hlane, two species of rhinos live: white and black. The latter are the most difficult to spot and also the most dangerous in the event of an encounter. However, the best time to try seeing black rhinos in Hlane is at sunset, and a good place to find them is next to Mahlindza Hide, a bird-watching post that overlooks a small lake where they sometimes go to drink and which you can reach with your car.
- Do you know how to differentiate white rhinos from black ones? There is a very significant and simple characteristic to identify at a glance to know which of these two species you are facing. White rhinos have smooth lips forming a flat snout, while black rhinos have a pointed upper lip that gives a triangular appearance to their snout. Additionally, whites, which are less aggressive than blacks, are slightly larger in size.
Seeing lions
The population of lions in Eswatini is increasingly dwindling. And, although you see a sign on the road warning that one might cross your path, I was later told that there are hardly any of these felines left outside the park.
In Hlane, the lions live separated from other species, in a special, fenced area with restricted access, where you have to book a guided safari to enter. The official explanation for this separation is to preserve them and avoid possible conflicts with the rhinos. However, at the park gate, one of the guards I asked told me it was simply because lions are excessively dangerous, they are very afraid of them, and they should not be roaming free.
Going on a safari on your own
Another point in favor of including Hlane Royal National Park in your route if you are traveling independently is that you can go on a safari with your own car. The experience of driving in search of animals is most special and exciting.
The distances in this park are small and manageable, compared for example with the gigantic dimensions of Kruger; you won’t find large open grasslands either, but rather many more trees and thick vegetation that makes spotting animals a bit more difficult.
All the tracks in Hlane are dirt and are in relatively good condition. For this reason, it is not necessary to rent a 4×4, although it is preferable to have a high-clearance car or an SUV both to be able to spot animals more easily and to avoid damaging the undercarriage or even getting stuck in a pothole. That said, if you are going to travel during the rainy season, renting a 4×4 does seem essential to me because the mud could turn your safari into a real nightmare.
During your safari through Hlane, you will have to get out of the car to open the gates yourself that you find on the route. The only one you won’t be able to open is the one that gives access to the lion area. Don’t worry, it is perfectly distinguishable and there is a sign indicating the danger.
Likewise, go with great caution because it won’t be unusual for you to have an encounter with a rhino that makes you experience a moment of tension. In my case, a mother and her calf crossed the path and stopped literally almost touching the hood of the car.
Before leaving, remember to ask for a map of Hlane with the different paths at the camp reception so you don’t get lost. It’s quite basic, don’t expect much, but it helps for orientation with the tracks that are hardly signposted. Also, ask if there are any tracks in poor condition that they recommend you not to take. If you also carry an offline GPS, even better.
Signing up for a guided safari
If you want to go on a safari in Hlane accompanied by a local guide and without having to worry about driving so you can take photos and enjoy, you can also do so. Remember that, as I mentioned before, going on one of these safaris is the only option to access the lion area.
To sign up for a game drive, as guided safaris are called there, you can do so at the Ndlovu Camp reception, or, in high season, book it in advance by emailing reservations@biggameparks.org. There must be at least two of you. If you are traveling to Eswatini with children, bear in mind that children under 6 cannot go on the safaris.
The most common ones are the sunrise one, Sunrise Game Drive, which leaves at 5:30 in the morning, and the sunset one, Sunset Game Drive, during which, in theory, there are more chances of seeing one of the elusive black rhinos. Both cost 435 rands, approximately 22 euros , and last 2:30 hours.
Ask about the other open-truck safari options because depending on the season and the days of the week they may or may not be available.
The most in-demand is the Rhino Game Drive, focused on tracking white rhinos with the truck and, once found, getting out on foot to approach them with a ranger, armed of course. This option lasts less than the previous ones, around one and a half hours, and is also cheaper, 315 rands, about 17 euros.
Venturing on a walking safari
Can you imagine walking up to a rhinoceros? Well, you can do this during a walking safari, or game walk, in Hlane. The walking routes accompanied by a local ranger are done outside the maximum protection zones, such as around the Mahlindza Dam lake.
I didn’t have the chance to do it, but just by standing for a while in front of the Ndlovu Camp waterhole you can already be next to rhinos, and depending on luck, also elephants, crocodiles, hippos, impalas, and many more animals that go there to drink. If you still feel like having such an experience, you should know that the price is 270 rands, about 17 euros.
Did you know that there is also the option of doing a safari through Hlane by bicycle? Ask at Ndlovu Camp.
Learn more about the Swazis
Apart from the wildlife, another incentive the park offers is being able to get a closer look at the culture of the Swazis, the Bantu ethnic group that represents more than 85% of Eswatini’s population. One way to do this is to book the Umphakatsi Cultural Experience activity, during which you visit a Swazi village next to the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary.
The excursion costs 160 rands per person, although children under 13 pay half. It’s a cultural tour I really wanted to do, but I was told it was only done with a minimum of 4 people and by booking in advance. I was left wanting to see if it was a ‘tourist trap’ or a real experience that was worth it.
Birdwatching
Hlane is not just about rhinos and lions. If you like birds and have patience, I recommend taking your own car to Mahlindza Hide where you can get out of the vehicle and hide in a hut overlooking a small lake where a wide variety of birds fly over, perch, and even have nests. For example, between November and April, many migratory birds arrive at this spot.
Don’t forget your binoculars, of course. Oh, and with luck, you might see other animals—I saw nyalas—and with a lot of luck, black rhinos that like to pass by there at sunset. Perhaps if I hadn’t gone with two very small children and a baby, I wouldn’t have scared the birds away. If you can, keep quiet.
Where to sleep in Hlane
The ideal thing is to stay inside the national park itself, which has two camps: Ndlovu Camp and Bhubesi Camp. The first is the closest to the main entrance of the park, while the second is about 16 kilometers further in, about a half-hour drive away, in a very quiet area overlooking the Mbuluzi River, but already outside the endangered animal zone.
I stayed at Ndlovu Camp and, without any doubt, I recommend you do the same because it is a completely special and magical place. It is the main camp of Hlane, from where the safaris and activities depart and the only place where they can be booked.
But the really impressive thing about Ndlovu Camp is that within the camp itself there is a waterhole where animals go to drink like rhinos, crocodiles, antelopes, zebras, elephants, hippos… And only some thin electrified wires will separate you from them, which, honestly at first glance, gave a certain sense of insecurity.
However, that bit of insecurity quickly gives way to fascination and you won’t want to move from there. That’s why it’s no surprise there are benches and seats around or that the restaurant also overlooks the waterhole. In our case, we even took the food left over from lunch and had dinner there.
The other peculiarity of this camp is that there is no electricity. What at first might seem like a handicap becomes one more incentive to stay there. At night, everything is lit with a large bonfire and paraffin lamps that give a magical touch to the place.
Make sure to bring well-charged batteries, an external power bank, and a headlamp for better lighting. Anyway, in the restaurant, they have some electricity thanks to solar panels. They did me the favor of charging my camera battery, at a slow pace, but enough.
Keep in mind that there is no Wi-Fi network, although, at the reception, you can buy a data bundle to connect to the Internet.
In Ndlovu Camp, you can choose from the following for your stay:
- Camping area: sites for tents or vehicles with a bathroom area.
- Wisteria Village: Double Rondavels (traditional circular cabins) with and without kitchens on one side of the waterhole
- Large family cabins with a kitchen and several rooms.
I, traveling with my partner and three small children, stayed in Big Hut, the largest cabin with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, two double bedrooms downstairs, an attic with four beds, and a porch. If you go with babies, they provide a crib in the room.
Are there restaurants inside the park?
There is a restaurant in Ndlovu Camp that offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition, it has views of the waterhole from both the open porch and the main roofed room without walls. Could there be a better way to wait for your dishes than watching rhinos pass by?
In the evening they offer a buffet dinner which has a very good reputation and which you need to book in advance. I can’t give an opinion because we had leftover food from lunch (they are a bit slow with the service and by the time the pizza arrived we were already full from the other dishes).
They offer everything from traditional recipes, obviously meat-based, to Western dishes for all tastes. T
When to visit Hlane
You can actually visit Hlane Royal National Park at any time of the year. Although, if you can avoid the rainy season between late October and April, it is much better so as not to find some of the park’s tracks turned into impassable mud.
The best time to go on a safari in Hlane would be from late May to October when the ground begins to dry out and the lack of water makes the animals easier to spot.
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