Siteki is one of the many towns that is located in the Lubombo Conservation atop the Lubombo plateau east of the Manzini town. It has a great view of the Lubombo Mountains from its location and although it does not have a lot of tourist attractions it is still worth visiting for tourists who want to experience untouched nature and the culture of the Swazi people. The town does not really have much to offer but at least you will have an ATM service from where you can easily get cash to pay for all the services that you need.
Siteki was the first place that colonialists settled in when they came to Eswatini and it is believed that they settled here because of the cool breeze that is experienced in the area blowing from Lubombo Mountains which are located in the western part of the town.
It was named Siteki after the King Mbandzeni, a former king to the Eswatini kingdom from 1875 to 1889 allowed his army to get married from here. Siteki is a Swazi word that can loosely be translated as marrying place.
The Siteki town was once a glorious place to visit and stay in especially during and immediately after the colonial times. But at the moment it is not easy to see the many things and constructions that once made the town a pleasant place, you will however find some shops where you can get yourself some souvenirs and accommodation facilities where you can carry out many of the activities that will keep you entertained.
The Good Shepherd hospital
The good shepherd hospital was constructed in the town of Siteki and it was constructed to provide medical care to the locals in Siteki but since there are almost no large health Centres in the whole Lubombo conservation area, it now serves the whole region. You can visit the hospital and help out with volunteering especially in the children’s ward. Your trip will not be wasted once you visit the hospital and trust us that you will enjoy visiting the area even though it is filled with sick people because it is one of the best ways that you can learn and get close to the locals.
Mabuda Farm
The main accommodation facility that is found in Siteki is the Mabuda farm which is located atop a hill one kilometer away from the Siteki town providing some of the best views in Siteki. The Mabuda Farm has a lot of activities that guests can engage in like horse riding, guided walk through the town and meeting the locals, milking and feeding the cows and hikes among others. The farm has different types of accommodations that is grass thatched chalets that have a great view of the Lubombo Mountains, bunk beds for those that are on a limited budget and a campsite that has facilities that are not all that up to date but still good for sleeping in.
Hiking to the city Centre
There are guided hikes that are provided by the Mabuda farm to tourists down the hill into the city Centre. Since it is located on a hill, you will need a guide to show you the best route to use while heading to the City where you will be able to do some shopping for souvenirs, enjoy meals at the restaurants and also get some more cash from the ATMS.
Walk around the farm
A walk around the farm will keep you busy and not bored while in Siteki and if you ask for permission, you can help out with milking the cows and also learn how and what they feed on. You can also enjoy a pony ride around the farm but note that this is done in the presence of a tour guide.
Siteki hotel
The Siteki hotel is another accommodation facility that you should check out while in Siteki town. It is classified as a three star hotel and it offers some of the best services in the town with good self-contained rooms, a restaurant facility where most of the meals can be got both local and international cuisines and conference rooms for tourists who would love to hold meetings while on their trip.
There is also a bar where you can rest from especially in the evenings after a hefty meal, they have 27 single rooms with twin beds, suites which are a bit expensive as compared to the other rooms and they have six double rooms all which offer the guests with all the privacy they need and the rooms are all fitted with a satellite television set and an air conditioner.
The hotel is surrounded by some of Eswatini’s best tourist attractions and it would be a shame if you do not use this time to visit them and the one that you shouldn’t miss out on is the Hlane royal national park which is located just 26 kilometers away from the hotel.
Exploring the Hlane Royal National Park
The Hlane Royal National Park is the largest national Park in Eswatini and it is just a few kilometers away from Siteki. The Park is a home to a wide range of animals some of which include lions, Zebras, elephants, kudus, antelopes and not forgetting the large number of bird species that habitate within the Park. The wildlife in the National Park can either be done while driving through or by taking a guided walk which takes about two hours around the National Park.
How to get to Siteki
It is not very hard to get to Siteki that is you can either drive to the town from Mazini which is about 65 kilometers away or drive from the international airport of Eswatini that is the Sikhuphe international airport which is 40 minutes away from the Siteki hotel. And you should also note that a trip to Siteki is very safe and you do not need to be worried about the security.
