At first glance this might look like many of the tranquil lakes you come across in the mountains of Germany or Austria. However, the sign by its side tells you that you are a long way from the Alps.
And the sign is not some long-redundant, over-cautious warning. There really were crocodiles just a few metres away on the other side.
However, the wildlife at Mlilwane generally presents few, if any, other dangers for visitors. Roan antelopes, like those in the photo below, certainly do not. Note the beautiful Jacaranda trees in full bloom in the background – there were lots of them all over the reserve.
There are plenty of birds here. We enjoyed watching these masked weavers putting the finishing touches to their nests.
The ibises we encountered appeared to be wary of people and stayed stubbornly in the trees while we were around.
Mlilwane offers a sizeable network of walking trails and cycle paths. The scenery is often very impressive.
When out walking, you are quite likely to encounter some warthogs going about their business. Mlilwane has chosen them as its symbol.
We had toured parts of South Africa before coming to eSwatini and were in possession of ‘All Parks’ SAN Wild Cards. These are valid for entry to Mlilwane as well, i.e. we had free access.
