Visit to Swaziland

For a long weekend Mark and I decided to take the kids to Swaziland.  Originally we were going to travel the 4 hours to Swaziland for a one night stay on our way to Mozambique but Grant’s doctor would not write a script for Malaria medication and advised against going to a Malaria area, though it is quite common for the locals, so we skipped the Mozambique part and spent 3 days in Swaziland.

We left mid-day and it only took 3 hours to reach the border of South Africa and Swaziland.  It took another 45 minutes to get through customs and pay our fees, like other aspects of Africa we have experienced, there was no method to the madness of chaotic people and procedures at the borders.  We received our passport stamps and made our way into the little country the size of Connecticut.

With the Drakensburg Mountains on one side and rolling plains on the other, it was a picturesque country.  It was easy to see that the country was quite a bit more remote and poor than South Africa but had sufficient roads to get us through and still maintained good stores and places to eat. 
Only an hour into Swaziland was our destination outside of Malkerns.  

We booked a bed and breakfast that is situated in the middle of a pineapple plantation called Umdoni.  Our wonderful host, Jane, made us feel right at home in the 2 bedroom cottage on her property.  It was a beautiful piece of land with huge trees, manicured gardens, swimming pool, tennis court and even a batting cage.  We spent our first afternoon just discovering the property.

On our first night we went to a local restaurant that was quite eclectic with shops, an art gallery, an amphitheatre and many statues.




Not realizing several restaurants in the area do not open for dinner until 6, we ate some take away sandwiches from their kitchen and enjoyed the view while Adalyn and Grant got to explore the sights.

The next morning we headed to the Swazi Candle Factory which also has an assortment of shops to peruse and a restaurant on their property.  We watched a local candle craftsman hand carve candles and Adalyn requested a butterfly which he completed in a few minutes.


















 I was happy to pick up a few gifts and a handmade bag by some local ladies and Adalyn was happy to pick up another cat.   

In the afternoon we went to the Swazi Cultural Village to take a guided tour of a traditional Swazi settlement and watch a 45 minute dance presentation showcasing a local tribe.

 







A waterfall down the road was up next and we enjoyed a little hike through the woods to take a look at it.  

Adalyn made a friend as usual, even though he did not speak any English.

After a great pizza dinner (which is always surprising given I am constantly comparing them to what I can find in the US), we headed back to the pineapple plantation for the night.

Before heading back to South Africa the next morning we walked through the rows of pineapples, Adalyn posing for pictures and even taking my camera to test her photography skills.  







We learned about planting and harvesting pineapples, these shown were planted in October and will be hand picked in one year.  The first time a pineapple is planted, which consist of just ripping off the top and sticking it into the ground, it take 2 years to harvest the first set of crops.  That first year will yield the largest pineapples then each year after the pineapples will grow back smaller.  A typical pineapple plantation will let one pineapple plant grow 3 pineapples before plowing the entire field and starting over.  Adalyn and I enjoyed searching for the largest pineapple and thought the baby ones were quite cute, with their purple flowers around the base and vibrant colors on the spikes.  

It was a very relaxing weekend and I am glad we got to experience another country on this continent.  With so many countries in Malaria areas that you cannot visit when pregnant/breastfeeding/or with small kids, it was nice to venture out without the worry.  I highly recommend Swaziland for a visit, there is tons to do that we did not even get to experience, the landscape is beautiful and Umdoni could not have been a better spot to relax.