Lubombo Mountains accommodation, Swaziland
| country: | South Africa |
| location: | Lubombo Mountains, Swaziland |
| price: | From R45 for camping to R160 for half board, per person per night. Sleeps up to 24 peopl (4 huts sleep 6 people each). |
description
Our accommodation straddles the 500m high Lubombo mountains with views of Swaziland encompassing nearby Mbuluzi and Mlawula, and Hlane game parks. The Shewula community are a friendly agricultural people, with traditional thatch and stone houses dotted amongst neat fields of maize, cotton and vegetables. They encourage visitors to their area to enjoy the incredible view, gain an insight into traditional Swazi lifestyles and appreciate the natural splendour of the Lubombo conservancy. The camp is ideal for cultural tourists, nature lovers, overland and 4x4 travellers, backpackers and small group workshops.
rooms, food and facilities
The camp consists of 4 comfortable roundavel huts made of local stone and thatch, with 5 beds each (2 bunk beds and 1 double), sleeping a total of 24 persons. A boma with a fully equipped kitchen, dining area and a store room and a separate ablution facility with flush toilets and hot showers. Refrigeration, paraffin lanterns to light the darkness of the night, bedding are provided. A conference room will be available soon, with all the facilities for workshop and conference that will accommodate at least 60 people. There are facilities for self catering meals as well as traditional menu prepared by the friendly camp staff. You may as well join the camp staff in preparing these mouth-watering Swazi menus. Most of the food comes from the community, so traditional organic swazi menus are offered.
special things to do and see here
We have a restaurant that serves local traditional meals, and you can join in the preparations if you wish. We organise cultural walks so that you can visit a typical swazi homestead or a sangoma (a traditional healer that can foretell your future). You also have the opportunity to buy locally made crafts. It is possible to go hiking in the Shewula Nature Reserve and conservancy.
how to find us
We are located in northeast of Swaziland, in the Lubombo region, approx 100km from Maputo and 120km from Manzini. The camp is accessible by 2-wheel drive vehicles. For backpackers, access is possible by local bus from Manzini, Simunye or Lomahasha border.how this holiday makes a difference
 This eco-tourism camp is fully owned and run by the community. All the families have access to the land and to the other natural resources and this free access is a good weapon against poverty. We have a handicraft project and produce indigenous local products. We are involved in the building of schools and support an orphan care and health care project. We have set up water and sanitation initiatives, created a resource centre for the community and improved infrastructure. The area benefits from the environmental education centre and indigenous plant nursery. With the introduction of game, the nature reserve will boost tourism in the area. We are involved in forestry management and conservation agriculture.  This holiday is part of the responsibletravel.com and Conservation International Community Based Tourism Programme to support and promote community based tourism ventures that offer significant conservation and development benefits to local communities. To see other community based tourism holidays and find out more about the programme click here. |
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