Mlawula Nature Reserve

Mlawula Nature Reserve is a roughly 16,500-hectare protected area on the Lubombo escarpment in north-eastern Eswatini, run by Eswatini National Trust Commission and bordering Mbuluzi Game Reserve, Simunye and Hlane Royal National Park. The reserve is best known not for the "big game" species found elsewhere in Eswatini but for its exceptional biodiversity: around 1,035 recorded plant species (including endemic cycads and the Lubombo ironwood), and over 350 recorded bird species — roughly 70% of the country's total bird list, including specialties like the white-backed night-heron and African broadbill. Impala is the most commonly seen large mammal, with zebra, wildebeest, nyala, kudu, baboon and klipspringer also present, along with a small population of spotted hyena.

By car/road: 10 km from Simunye, about 80 km from Mbabane.

Self-drive game viewing and hiking trails.

Riverine forest, montane grassland, and Lubombo escarpment cliffs. Plains game (impala, zebra, wildebeest, nyala, kudu) and prolific birdlife.

Self-drive game viewing, hiking on marked trails, and birdwatching — the reserve is a noted birding destination.

Self-catering.

Bring water.

Self-catering chalets and campsites.

Basic supplies.

• Hlane Royal National Park — 20 km east
• Mbuluzi Game Reserve — adjacent
• Simunye — 10 km south