Hlane is situated in the northeast, approximately one hour’s drive from Manzini. It is the largest protected area in Swaziland and borders the Mlawula Nature Reserve and Mbuluzi Game Reserve. The park has an extensive network of roads, linking camps, waterholes, and other features. For the most part, the roads are passable by 2 wheel drive vehicles except after heavy rains, when 4 wheel drives are advisable.

The flat terrain of the Hlane and its hardwood vegetation and shallow pans attracts great herds of animals during the dry winter months. White rhinos can be seen here as well as many antelope species. Lion and elephants have been reintroduced to the park but they are kept in an enclosure. Birdlife is prolific with species including the southerly nesting colony of Marabou Stork. White-backed Vulture, White-headed Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, and the occasional Cape Vulture, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Three streaked Tchagra, Scimitar billed Wood hoopoe, Long-tailed Shrike, Martial Eagle, Bateleur, and Long-crested Eagle are just a few of the types of bird found here.

In truth, there’s simply no other wildlife reserve in all of Swaziland that can live up to the sheer wealth of bucket-list sights and the mind-boggling biodiversity that Hlane has.

After all, this is the only (repeat: only) place in the nation where it’s possible to track down a lion (which has recently been repatriated), an elephant, and a rhino, all in the same day – that’s three of the Big Five! What’s more, the safari experience here is well-developed, with rustic campsites next to more built-up lodges.

There’s also a well-maintained network of game paths, all offering great viewing between the Knobthorns forests and the savannahs.

Size of Hlane royal national park

Hlane is Eswatini’s (formerly Swaziland) largest single conservation area, although not entirely open to visitation. The park incorporates roughly 22000 ha, but with additional buffer zones covers up to 33,000 Ha with an altitude range of 210m – 330m above sea level.

Location of Hlane royal national park

Hlane Royal National Park is a protected area in north-eastern Swaziland. A flat, lowland area with grassland and shallow pans, the park is traversed by the Umbuluzana River. Roads and trails offer views of diverse wildlife such as lions, elephants, hippos, white rhinos, leopards, and giraffes. White-backed vultures and other raptors nest in the ancient hardwood trees. The park also hosts a colony of marabou storks.

How to get to Hlane royal national park

Swaziland (Eswatini) is almost completely surrounded by South Africa. Most people visit Hlane as part of a larger tour of South Africa.

People visiting Hlane Royal National Park typically fly into O.R. Tambo International Airport(JNB), near Johannesburg, as their entry point into the region.

If you’re on a self-drive tour of South Africa and Swaziland, you could hire a car in Johannesburg. The distance from Johannesburg to Hlane is about 450km/280mi, and the driving time is about five hours.

Things to do in Hlane royal national park

Walking Safaris in Hlane

Hlane offers guided walks which are all guided and conducted outside the endangered species area. This type of safari will take you along roads, game paths, and through the bush. You will spend 2 hours walking quietly through the bush, with heightened senses. The slow pace allows you to discover some incredible scenes, making the experience truly memorable. There are Game Walks or Bird Walks available and the chosen type will dictate the area of the park you will visit.

Game Drives in Hlane

Safaris to Hlane Royal National Park is run by Big Game Parks, and all activities including safaris are bookable at the Activities Centre in Ndlo,u Camp or by contacting Big Game Parks Central Reservations. Safaris will begin from the activities center.  All of Big Game Parks guides are trained in-house and have extensive knowledge of the park and animals, and enjoy sharing their knowledge with and learning from our guests.  Hlane has different segments with specific animals in each. This is to protect both the safety of wildlife and tourists. Only selected guided game drives are able to visit the Lion Area for safety reasons.

Village & Homestead Visits

The Homestead is the basic building block of Swazi society. Traditionally this comprises a number of huts, each built for a particular purpose – sleeping, food storage, brewing, etc. At the center of a homestead is a circular enclosure, the sibaya, fenced with solid logs and branches, where the cattle are housed each night. This has symbolic importance as a store of wealth and prestige. Opposite it is the great hut, indlukulu, occupied by the mother of the headman and used as the family shrine.

Self-Drive

 Hlane offers numerous roads for self-drive, suitable for normal sedans in dry conditions.  All guests must be in camps or have departed the Park by sunset (18h00).

Rhino Drive (1.5hr)

The ever-popular Rhino Drive is a shorter 1,5-hour drive and excludes the Lion Area. This drive will focus solely on trying to find White Rhino, with the potential opportunity of being within a few meters of the rhino. Please note, not all rhinos are approachable and guides are well trained in understanding the behavior of the rhinos and have discretion. Due to the nature of this activity, the minimum age is 13 years.

When to visit Hlane royal national park

Hlane offers good wildlife viewing throughout the year. Many of the flagship species are kept in large drive-through enclosures, making them easy to find. However, the best wildlife viewing is during the dry winter months, from May to September. The bush thins out and animals gather around waterholes and rivers. Conditions tend to improve as winter progresses, and September is particularly lovely.

Where to stay in Hlane royal national park

The best place we recommend is the Hlane Ndlovu camp that is located in a strategic place for wildlife viewing and animals will come around like Rhinos.