Eswatini

Africa last absolute monarchy, and small enough to see in a week

Eswatini, renamed from Swaziland in 2018, is one of the smallest countries in Africa and the continent last absolute monarchy. It sits between South Africa and Mozambique and is frequently done as a three or four day add-on to a South African trip, which is about right for its size.

The appeal is a concentrated version of southern Africa without the distances. Hlane Royal National Park has lion, elephant and rhino. Mkhaya is a private reserve with excellent black rhino sightings. Malolotja in the highlands has hiking and a long canopy zipline. Milwane, the oldest reserve, has no large predators so you can walk and cycle through it freely.

The cultural side is unusually intact. Traditional ceremonies are genuine state occasions rather than performances, and the Ezulwini and Malkerns valleys have a strong craft industry in candles, glass and weaving. Note that pro-democracy protests since 2021 have been met with force, and the political situation is worth reading up on before visiting.

Annual events and festivals

• Umhlanga, Reed Dance (Aug-Sep) — tens of thousands of young women cut reeds and dance before the Queen Mother. The biggest event of the year.
• Incwala (Dec-Jan) — the kingship ceremony, the most sacred national ritual, lasting several weeks.
• Bushfire Festival (May) — an internationally regarded music and arts festival at Malkerns.
• Independence Day, Somhlolo (6 Sep) — marks 1968 independence from Britain.
• Marula Festival (Feb-Mar) — celebrating the marula fruit and its brew, hosted by the royal family.
• Buganu ceremony (Feb) — the women marula ceremony.
• MTN Bushfire fringe events (May) — craft markets and workshops around the main festival.
• Sibebe Survivor (Jun) — a hike up the largest exposed granite dome in the world.
• Kings Birthday (19 Apr) — a national holiday.
• Christmas and New Year (Dec-Jan) — overlapping with the Incwala period.