North West Eswatini
Highland Adventures
The North West region of Eswatini (Swaziland) lies primarily in the highveld and is a beautiful landscape of dramatic rolling uplands. The impressive hills and winding river valleys form the eastern edge of South Africa’s Drakensberg escarpment and are topped by the country’s two highest peaks – Emlembe (1,862m) and Ngwenya (1,829m). Winter nights are chilly and mist often cloaks the high ground. The region is very easily reached from Mbabane and Central Eswatini just to the south, or from South Africa via one of three road borders.
Among the region’s attractions are the stunning Malolotja Nature Reserve, Eswatini’s greatest wilderness and home to its only zip-wire treetop canopy tour, and Ngwenya, with its ancient mine and glass factory.
North of Malolotja, the MR1 highway from Mbabane winds steeply down into a spectacular valley, where the Nkomati river – Swaziland’s second largest – carves its winding way east across the top corner of the country towards the Indian Ocean. The small town of Piggs Peak sits among cool forestry plantations on the northern side, offering a convenient pit-stop between Mbabane and South Africa’s Kruger Park. Scattered around the picturesque surrounding countryside are a number of visitor attractions. These include the wide waters of Maguga Dam, the ancient rock art at Nsangwini, the natural haven of Phophonyane Falls Nature Reserve and the rehabilitated mountain mining town of Bulembu.
Maguga Dam
Maguga Dam
Malolotja Nature Reserve
Phophonyane Nature Reserve
Pigg's Peak
Pigg's Peak
