Manzini, Swaziland Travel Blogs

Swaziland - Part one.
Feb 14, 2009 (13 photos)

... year old. Once you've sat down (sometimes before) they speed off playing Swazi music at full volume, it's a great experience. Swaziland is one of Africa's richer countries, all Swazi people have a right to land. Yet tourists do create a problem, whereby ...

Swaziland - Part Two
Feb 15, 2009 (8 photos)

... was extinguished at the time). Very good. In the afternoon we drove up to Pigg's Peak, which gives the most amazing views of Swaziland there are, but after about half an hour of driving, cows were appearing not ten yards in front of me out of the fog ...

Week five - Durban and Swaziland
Sep 23, 2003 (21 photos)

... they got on in St Lucia and had been abusive. Load mouth Cockney guy eventually quietened down. Crossed border into Swaziland amid dramtic Thunder and Lightning. Got to Sondzela Backpackers between Manzini and the capital Mhabane at about 7.30pm. Just in ...

Swaziland
Nov 5, 2005 (2 photos)

Hi!! We are back in civilization, at least for tonight. We drove today from Johannesburg to Swaziland. We are spending a few days with my other friends from Guam, the Blossers. On the way, we did some shopping. Of course, it was a big tourist trap ...

Milwane Game Reserve
May 25, 2003

-

Zander Fawkes
Nov 6, 2008 (9 photos)

... off with a bang (if you'll excuse the pun).   I managed to track down the only Chinese shop in Swaziland (probably) and bought some sparklers, marshmallows and ludicrously cheap fireworks - some were only 20p!   Back at the lodge ...

Just for an Overnighter
Mar 8, 2007

only stopping

Speed Demons
Oct 26, 2008 (8 photos)

Despite not being able to feel the lower half of my body (see yesterday's entry) I went on the cultural quad bike tour anyway.  It was great fun zipping through all the villages taking in the view, drinking the local moonshine and learning about ...

Meshack....
Oct 27, 2008

...is gone.  You might remember that a while back I had to fight to get some more money for the doors and windows to finish the Gogo's house.  You might also remember that I asked Meshack to put down everything we needed and repeatedly asked ...

Another New Project
Oct 30, 2008 (5 photos)

After a couple of days of doing little things - cleaning windows and putting up a set of swings we're finally given a proper new project.  An HIV positive woman is recently divorced and as such has nothing to her name except a couple of kids to ...

Zander
Oct 18, 2008

Friday - A new backpacker has shown up at the lodge.  A guy called Zander from Liverpool who's been living & working in Botswana for a while, seems like a nice guy.  Big night on tonight at House on Fire, the best venue in the region.  ...

Mhkaya
Nov 6, 2005 (4 photos)

Hi!! Today we started on our last safari trip. No big cats in this park, but lots of elephants, Rhino, giraffe, etc. This is just a one night stay in an open hut, i.e. no windows or doors, not even in the bathroom. We had 2 game drives today. ...

Torture and Mad Americans
Oct 8, 2008 (4 photos)

... we either catch a lift off Sifiso if he's going that way or get a Kombi.  Kombi's are the lifeblood of Swaziland's transport infastructure.  Imagine a school minibus that seats about 13ish people and is normally full of 20+ people and you've got ...

Zululand and Swaziland
Oct 16, 2004 (2 photos)

... from the hostel that visited a local market, a craft market, batik & candlemaking shops, a waterfall, and a traditional Swaziland village. Highlights included the candlemaking shop where they can make magnificent animal shapes out of a ball of wax in ...

Swazi Safari
Jan 5, 2008 (3 photos)

... age of 4 months until he died at the age of 83, the longest reigning monarch ever, he also presided over the Swaziland regaining its independence, and unlike the Zulus they retained their Kingdom. We stayed in a very swish B&B room at Malandela's ...

Manzini market
May 24, 2003

-

Burning Down the House!
Oct 10, 2008 (6 photos)

... a local Dj called Dj Cleo. Highlights of the night include talking to a very quizzical law student about the state of Swaziland and the King, a Swazi girl who really wanted a British passport, Thomas having his phone pickpocketed (okay not exactly a ...

Safari and wildlife on the way to Swaziland
Oct 27, 2006 (5 photos)

... that stand unemployed, and nearly 70 percent of the population who live on less than a dollar a day. But arriving into Swaziland was fascinating. It really changed when crossing the border. Very rural and small villages of round mud huts. We also ...

It's as easy as A, B, C....
Oct 22, 2008 (6 photos)

... alphabet (using stencils made from cereal boxes that took a whole night to make!) complete the best looking NCP front in Swaziland .   (Actually if you look closely at the bee on the left you'll see that the attempted antenna came out a ...

Sportsday!
Oct 24, 2008 (16 photos)

As I've helped Richard to make party bags for all the kids (comprising of a few sweets, a pencil and a pen) I get to have first pick of the Sportsday event I want to run.  Hence Cap'n Ben's Scurvy Sack Race is born!!   The day was a ...

Race Day
Oct 25, 2008 (2 photos)

... stop giving out free coke and oranges.  Happy days.   17km - I'm stuck behind three cows.  Only in Swaziland .   18km - Last of the water stops, I actually think I might make this!  Take a can of coke, 2 ...

New Project!!
Oct 20, 2008

... a chance to mess around with 100+ kids?  I signed up straight away. Not so eager however to sign up to the Swaziland half marathon that Sarah has put up on the noticeboard.  Turns out she's a pretty good runner and runs that distance at least ...

Scissors
Nov 1, 2008

Should've noticed earlier than I did that the barbers I went into had no scissors, anywhere, at all.  So my plea for a number 3 back & sides and a bit off the top turned into a haircut my late Grandfather'd be proud of.

Push Hard
Oct 14, 2008

... Old woman (sitting down next to us) - hello, how're you? Us - We're fine thanks ow - What're you doing in Swaziland? Us - We're volunteering, doing building work up in Mlindazwye ow - Ah okay and so you looking for a good time, mebe some massage, some ...

Painting the House Red (well terracotta actually)
Oct 15, 2008 (7 photos)

Wednesday - Thomas departs, leaving me with the last bits of the project to manage and with a couple of criptic warnings about the way All Out operates. Anyway we need to start painting tomorrow, so off I go to the paint wholesalers with the E100 ...

Swaziland
Jul 21, 2007

Swaziland.

The Wedding Crashers
Oct 11, 2008 (11 photos)

... watched from the edge, feeling very Michael Palin-esque, and trying not to get in the way.   It's a good example of what the people of Swaziland are like.  I mean how would you feel if 10+ black tourists rocked up at your wedding just to watch?!

House Party!!
Oct 14, 2008 (4 photos)

Most of Monday was spent running about collecting & borrowing things for the housewarming party - chairs & benches from a local church, loads of food and booze from wholesalers (including the worlds biggest bag of Wotsits), music, lights, a ...

Last night in Swaziland
May 26, 2003

-

Kruger and Swaziland
Sep 11, 2007 (5 photos)

... of pictures.  I'm still working on how to post them.  I got on the Baz Bus and crossed into Swaziland.  I 'm staying at that hostel I talked about earlier.  This morning there were wart hogs eating grass from the soccer field ...