Doug and Paisley in SWAZILAND: Mkhaya Game Reserve

Doug took me for an overnight getaway to the Mkhaya Game Reserve last weekend in celebration of my birthday. We tend to travel in packs over here, so it was only the 2^nd time in 6 months that we went out of town by ourselves! Mkhaya is one of the three ‘Big Game Parks’ in Swaziland and is just 90 minutes from Mbabane. While it boasts numerous animals, it is probably best known for its open air accommodations and full course meals (sign-me-up; I like to sleep AND eat).

The reserve operates on a couple of different schedules and we opted for 4:00pm Saturday to 4:00pm Sunday which includes a late afternoon game drive, early morning drive, late morning walking safari, and early afternoon game drive (with lots of eating in between, of course). The weather cooperated and while it didn’t rain during the day it actually rained all through the night, which was really cool since we were sleeping in a thatch roofed hut without walls in the middle of a forest.

The ranger was waiting for us when we arrived just before 4:00pm.

When we reached reception and finished checking-in, there was a poaching display that showed the number of traps and snares removed from the park.

There were also skeletons, which I haven't seen a game reserve do before. So sad. Although, I did ask the ranger if poaching is a current problem in Mkhaya and he said that they haven't lost a rhino to poaching since 1992 (which made me feel better).

While we were busy checking-in there was a baby impala that was busy checking-out our bags. I had drool all over my purse!

Clearly he was a part of the family, because he laid down at our feet like a dog!

You've probably noticed by now that I like to take pictures of wherever we stay...so, get ready.

Our hut

'Inside'

Bathroom sink

Toilet

Dining room

With three game drives and a walking safari there were numerous opportunities for animal sightings. And, there were lots and lots of animal sightings.

Zebra

White rhino 'hiding' in the grass

Giraffe

Giraffe eating

Another white rhino. This mother had just been in the mud and her toddler came racing along after her.

There was a hippo party in one of the watering holes. We counted 6 hippos that we could see; although, our guide assured us there were others as they have a large hippo family in the park.

Just coming to take a closer look and to check us out

Our first endangered species: the white wildebeest (not a very good picture, but you get the idea)

Our guide took us through the 'elephant' graveyard which was really a graveyard of trees. The elephants eat the bark and pull the trees down to the ground, so the foliage becomes very thin in elephant territory.

And here they are, now

Baby warthogs in the road. They hadn't heard us yet, but when they did...

I am pretty sure this is where the phrase, 'high tailing it out of here' comes from...

When we were in Klaserie Game Reserve over Christmas, we went on a couple of walking safaris and I couldn't help but feel that we were taken to the parts of the park where animals were known NOT to hang out. The ranger explained the purpose of a walking safari was to learn how to track, to learn about the insects, birds, foliage, etc. but secretly I was always a little disappointed when we didn't run into an elephant or something. Well, with this in mind, while on walking safari in Mkhaya, I was traipsing along (head down) simply following Doug's feet (admittedly kind of bored) when we stumbled upon this little lady and her baby. Nuts-o.