Activities
Mbuluzi is a unique Game Reserve; encompassing some of Swaziland's most pristine bush-veld, it has a variety of landscapes and excellent bio-diversity. Located in the Lubombo Escarpment foothills, with two rivers flowing through, Mbuluzi offers a very diverse habitat from rocky ridges to knobthorn savannah, to riparian forest. Guests are free to explore at their own pace and without a guide.
What to bring
It is recommended that the following items are brought with you to make your stay more comfortable: a hat, binoculars, good hiking shoes, insect repellent, a bird book, a knapsack and a water bottle.
Walking Trails
There are many kilometres of well marked and maintained trails offering visitors a choice of short strolls or all-day hikes. Guides are not required and hikers are free to explore the area at their own time and pace. A transverse agreement with our neighbours allows hiking over more than 60 000ha. Bird and game watching along the walking trails can be very rewarding, and because Mbuluzi has such diverse topography in a single morning's walk you can move from the riparian foliage along the river to boulder-strewn hill tops with lovely views over the conservancy.
Game Viewing
A good network of well-maintained gravel roads cover the area; detailed maps are available allowing visitors easy access to the varied landscape. Common species include Giraffe, Zebra, Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Nyala, Impala, Warthog amongst others. Leopard, Hyena and of course crocodiles make up the major predator population. High-clearance vehicles are recommended.
Birdwatching
Over 300 species have been recorded at Mbuluzi. There are several low-level river crossings and a hide at a dam that offer good birding. Trails wind through riparian forest and over rocky ridges giving the birder ample opportunity to see a variety of species. Notables include African Fin-foot, Whitebacked Hight Heron, Yellow-Spotted Nicator, Crested Guineafowl.
Lubombo Conservancy
Mbuluzi enjoys a transverse agreement with neighbouring reserves, which allows visitors to Mbuluzi free access to the more than 60 000ha of protected area that makes up the Lubombo Conservancy. Hlane Game Reserve has Elephant, Rhino and Lion. Mlawula offers fantastic scenery and long hiking trails. Shewula, a community run nature reserve, offers an easily accessible look into the culture and daily life of a rural Swazi community. Sundowner cruises can be arranged at the nearby Sand-River Dam.
Cycling
A good network of roads and trails makes Mbuluzi a great MTB destination. The topography is quite hilly offering a good challenge. There is about 4km of single-track including some interesting river crossings, which together with some of the game-viewing roads makes a really enjoyable 30km route. Game such as Giraffe and Zebra can be viewed surprisingly close from bikes!
At this time Mbuluzi does not have any cycle equipment for hire so please bring your own gear.
Fishing
Both the Mlawula and Mbuluzi Rivers have healthy populations of indigenous fish; Large-Scale Yellowfish, various Tilapia species and Barbel [catfish] are popular angling species plentiful in our rivers. Catch-and-release is encouraged. Anglers must bring their own gear. Large crocs occur so care must be taken!