The Malolotja canopy tour is carried out in the Malolotja nature reserve which is located in the capital city of Eswatini which is Mbabane. It is a home to quite a large number of animals and birds and it is also a dense vegetation that covers up the whole reservation. The canopy tour is carried out in a gorge in Malolotja and with it comes 11 platforms that were set up for tourists to explore. This is the best place for tourists who want to get their first experience in Zip lining. The first two platforms are a little bit easy to try out and these are the ones that are used for first timers but after finishing these, you are taken to the more difficult platforms and once you get there you will realize that it was all worth it.
Once you launch off from the platform, you will have a new feeling of everything around you that is the forest, animals and birds will be seen from a different point of view. The canopy tour will take you over the larger part of the reserve, from the forest, to the famous Malolotja falls, past the very many hiking trails in the country and many more other things.
Once you decide to go for the canopy tour, make sure that you put on appropriate clothing that is closed shoes that will not easily fall off, if you are a lady it is better if you avoid skirts, carry some sunblock and do no forget to carry your camera with you in order to capture the fun moments.
What you need to know about the canopy tour before travelling to Eswatini
Below are some of the things that you need to know about the canopy tour so that by the time you are travelling to Eswatini to engage in one of the best adrenaline activities in the country, you are definitely ready for the best part of your trip to Eswatini.
- The equipment that is used in the canopy tour is provided by the reserve and therefore you do not need to carry your own.
- You do not need to have prior experience in order to participate and there will be a tour guide to take you through the process.
- The canopy tour is very safe and you should not worry about any accidents.
- The canopy tour costs about 45 euros but this keeps on changing due to the different seasons.
- You will need to make reservations days before you actually travel to Malolotja because it is always booked and you do not want to bounce.
- The canopy tour takes 2 and half hours or three before completion, so prepare for those hours appropriately.
- The canopy tour part of the Malolotja trip is always open all throughout the week.
- Make sure that you carry your own bottled water as you head out to the canopy tour in Malolotja.
The canopy tours in Eswatini are worth your trip to the country and the moment you try it out, you will want to come back for more adventures because it is not a onetime activity because each time you get there, the experience is different from the previous one.
After enjoying the canopy tour which is done in the Malolotja reserve, you can also explore the reserve where you can do many activities like hiking, birding and game drives.
Hiking through the Malolotja
Malolotja Nature reserve has some of the best hike routes in Eswatini and these can easily be navigated with the help of an experienced tour guide. The hike routes are quite many with some of them being easy to try out while others are extremely hard. Best done during the dry season, hiking through the Malolotja should be added to your canopy tour itinerary especially for tourists who love adrenaline high activities.
Birding in Malolotja
Birding in Malolotja is done during the wet season and some of the bird species that you can look out for while here include the bush shrikes, bee-eaters, the bald Ibis, the ground woodpeckers, the Stanley’s bustard, the half collared kingfisher, the blue crane bird, the black winged plovers and the blue swallow bird.
Game drives through the reserve
Malolotja nature reserve does not really have a lot of animals within it but the few that you will get to see while here include baboons at the baboon Mountain and these are best seen while enjoying the canopy tour, the red hartebeest, the bush pigs, aardwolf, the blue wildebeest best seen during a hike around the reserve, Oribis, the black backed jackals, zebras and many more others.
A few of the questions that tourists normally ask about the canopy tour in Eswatini include the following:
When can I go for the canopy tour?
The best time for tourists to go for the canopy tours in Malolotja is during the dry season also known as summer which is experienced in the months of December to April. The Zip lines can be a little hard to enjoy with rains coming down but during the summer season it is quite easy to try out and also do other outdoor activities in the Malolotja nature reserve.
What should I expect from the canopy tour?
There is a lot to expect that is you will get to learn more about the vegetation in the forest, see the animals and birds from a different point of view and all this will be done while you have lots of unlimited fun for three hours. A tour guide will be available to ensure your safety.
Where can I stay if I go for the canopy tour?
There are a lot of accommodation facilities that you can use in Mbabane but if you want to stay closer, there is an option of camping in the main camp within the reserve or if not you can try out the Malolotja cabins that accommodate a maximum of ten people.