Eswatini (Swaziland) > On the way to Swaziland

On the way to Swaziland. We have breakfast on the veranda of our lodge. I enjoy watching the little birds around us. At half past eight, we leave Satara campsite by bus. Following the main road, we drive south through Kruger Park. Once again, we spot wildlife immediately.

Eswatini (Swaziland) - A Grootlangtoon

A herd of buffalo crosses the road. After that, it becomes relatively quiet. Of course, we still see impalas, zebras, and other small animals, but there are also long stretches with nothing at all. It’s good that we adjusted our route yesterday and headed north. To complete the Big Five, we would love to see a leopard, but that will be very difficult. Others are looking for the rhinoceros. The other jeep yesterday did not see one. At Onder Sabie, we stop for coffee. Various signs warn about monkeys and request that visitors do not feed them. That turns out to be entirely unnecessary. One monkey is so quick that it snatches a toasted sandwich right off an American tourist’s plate before she even notices. Angrily, she throws a knife after the monkey, but fortunately, she misses. We continue toward the exit of Kruger Park. Just before leaving the park, we spot a rhinoceros. In this way, we have all seen at least four of the Big Five.

Eswatini (Swaziland) - A male kudu

A short distance later, we reach the Crocodile Bridge exit and officially leave Kruger Park. We are back in the inhabited areas, which also means we can exchange money again. Our wallets are getting rather empty. At a bank branch in Komatipoort, we exchange our euros for rands. This proves tricky—not because it’s busy or problematic, but mainly because it takes a long time to fill out all the forms, have them stamped, and signed. Paying by card would have been much more efficient. A little further on, we stop at a shopping center for lunch. We buy sandwiches and walk around the town. Komatipoort is a quiet village, mostly consisting of a single main street. At the Wimpy, we meet up with the other travelers and have a coffee.

Eswatini (Swaziland) - The white rhino in Kruger Park

After lunch, we board the bus again and continue toward Swaziland. Soon we arrive at the border. We step out to get a stamp from South African emigration, then walk a short distance into Swaziland and receive another stamp. A nice collection in our passports, with more to come on this trip. Around half past four, we arrive at Shewula Mountain Camp. The camp consists of round huts with thatched roofs. Each hut accommodates six people, but we sleep four to a hut. The sanitation facilities are in a central building and look very good. The lodge is located on top of a hill with a view over the valley. On the edge of the camp, Gerhardt welcomes everyone with a bottle of Amarula. While pouring the drinks, he talks about Shewula, the valley, and the village. In the evening, dinner is prepared for us, and everyone goes to bed early.