Bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique, lies the rich, vibrant and utterly picturesque Kingdom of Swaziland. As we travel to our hotel from the airport, I marvel at the beauty of the sparsely populated African landscape.
We left the cold back home in Cape Town and are welcomed by balmy weather as we disembark from the plane at Matsapha Airport. After a short 20-minute drive, we arrive at the 5-star Royal Swazi Spa Hotel, one of three hotels making up the Royal Swazi Valley complex. The entrance hall is bustling and we are graciously welcomed by Xoliswa (a tall, striking woman in public relations), a porter, a waiter with fresh cold orange juice and the hotel’s general manager. We are swiftly checked in and given a brief overview of the resort. Facilities include a casino, spa, convention centre, golf course, lawn bowls, squash, tennis and horse riding. Downstairs from the entrance hall is a cool lounge with large windows and doors looking onto the outside pool and bar area. There is so much space for the kids to run around here and they can hardly contain their excitement. It has taken us two flights to get here, one from Cape Town to Johannesburg and a short one from there to Manzini, so the girls are revelling in the freedom of being able to move around without restraint.
The hotel is big. Our luxury family room is at the end of a long corridor leading there from reception. It’s beautiful and cool and furbished in right royal style. A complimentary fruit basket, bottle of red wine, nuts and biltong (dried meat) are laid out on the coffee table. To the right is the open-plan lounge and main bedroom, to the left a twin bedroom and separate bathroom. Both rooms lead out onto the large balcony, overlooking the well-kept hotel gardens, backed by the 18-hole, championship golf course. It’s one of the most scenic locations found anywhere in the world, with a different mountainscape waiting to be enjoyed from every tee and green. The room is perfect for a family of four, as the kids can have their own space when they need it. For larger families, sleeper couches are available. After some much needed relaxation I’m off to explore while Carl takes the girls for some fun at the Magic Company – a games room downstairs for the kids, where they can play to their hearts’ content.
The Royal Swazi Spa Hotel is the flagship of the Ezulwini Valley trio. The combination of luxury accommodation, conference centre, country club, casino and an elegant health spa, make it the ideal destination for families, couples and conferences. I meet Xoliswa downstairs and we amble down the garden path, past the tennis quarts to the spa. Stepping over the bridge arching over a tranquil Koi pond I enter a different world. The subtle blend of frangipani and vanilla fills the air. The soft oriental music in the background unites with happy voices coming from the lounge. There are a few people there, all in white gowns and slippers, relaxing before and after treatments, enjoying the complimentary herbal tea, juice and freshly sliced fruit. The beautiful deep blue plunge pool next to the elevated lounge sublimely looks out onto the golf course with its magnificent mountain views. Leading out from the pool and reception area, on both sides, are two corridors concealing treatment rooms where highly qualified therapists specialise in a range of stress-relief, beauty and slimming therapies. It’s the ultimate in rest and relaxation, especially needed when you travel with two small kids, and I can’t wait to come back for a special treat. In the meantime, I wonder what Carl and the girls are up to and I set off in search of them.
I find them back at the hotel – Hannah and Georgia both beaming. “Look Mommy, see all my tickets!” Daddy treated them to a number of games at the Magic Company and Hannah won more than two handfuls of tokens, which she can take back to swap for toys. Xoliswa comes over to ask us what time we would like to have dinner and knowing the two little ones will be hungry by now, I reserve our table for half past six.
There are two main restaurants at The Royal Swazi Spa. Planters is an intimate a la carte restaurant and bar, which offers an all-night service and specialises in grills, curries and a variety of prawn dishes. No kids under twelve are allowed here, so we make ourselves at home at The Terrace, overlooking the pool. This delightful restaurant serves a lavish breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet. It’s absolutely perfect for us. The girls don’t have to wait for their food and there is a great variety for them to choose from. No fretting about “I don’t eat this” or “I don’t like that”. They’re both good eaters but lately Hannah seems to have an aversion to anything green. The restaurant is bustling. We have a waiter stationed at our table, always ready and eager to please. I can’t get over how friendly everyone is. The food and beverage manager comes over to greet us and to ensure we are comfortable and have everything we need. The food is delicious. I have my favourite starter, prawn cocktail, followed by cold meat and salad and beautifully rich oxtail for mains. Carl has a taste of the oxtail with an added small portion of mutton curry, because, well, there are just so many gorgeous dishes to choose from! The girls always love their pasta and of course they choose Bolognese, their favourite.
We have our coffee by the pool. It’s a warm evening, no need for all the jerseys and jackets we packed. Carl and I catch up on what’s going on in our lives, while the girls entertain both staff and guests by chasing each other, laughing infectiously and just having pure fun. Again I am aware of how friendly the Swazi people are. They just adore children and rather than stifle their excitement, they seem to share in their delight. We may be on holiday, but even then we have limits so we take the kids upstairs and off to bed…tomorrow is another day.
Following a delightful breakfast, I’m off to the spa for a full hour of relaxation. A Swedish massage with aromatic oils – pure heaven. Afterward I stroll back to the hotel as if in a daze, looking for a way in which to hold onto that bliss. I meander up the hill to browse the hotel’s shops, which offer a variety of stationery, clothing, newspapers and curios.
The Royal Swazi Spa Valley complex boasts two more hotels, the Ezulwini Sun and the Lugogo Sun. The three hotels are a minute’s drive apart by courtesy bus and after lunch, we take the girls to go and explore further. To their utter enchantment we discover a dreamland for children, just a few minutes away. Kamp Kwena, situated at the Lugogo Sun, is a kid’s paradise offering fully supervised child care and a host of activities. There is a large playground, complete with jungle gym, tree house, jumping castle and indoor play centre. A daily programme is on offer, which includes face painting, arts and crafts activities, swimming, horse riding, quad biking and more. If your child is between four and twelve years old, you can drop them at Kamp Kwena for half a day or a full day, in which case lunch is included. The friendly staff here are well trained and well equipped to look after and entertain the young ones for hours. The fee is minimal and the set-up perfect. It provides you with much needed time to spend together as a couple, knowing your kids are safe and joyfully occupied. The hotels also offer babysitting services on request. After the girls have tired themselves of climbing, jumping, running and laughing, we head back to our hotel. It’s almost five o’clock and a Super 14 rugby match is about to kick off. This time, the girls and I are off for a swim, while Carl enjoys the game at the Casino Bar.
It’s Sunday morning and regrettably the moment has come to head back home. Our time here has been wonderful. We all had a spectacular stay and the people here have been unforgettable. Small as it may be, Swaziland is an exciting tourist destination. It has a rich and colourful history and offers a variety of attractions and activities – from scenic drives around the country to exciting arts and craft markets, as well as great adventures such as hiking, river rafting and game drives. I wish we had time to experience more but the million thrills we had will fill our family’s memory box for a long time to come.
Contact:
Tel: +268 2416 5000
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.suninternational.com
Address: Old Mbabane/Manzini, Main Road, Ezulwini Valley, Mbabane, Swaziland
Central Reservations (Sun International)
Tel: +27 (0)11 780 7810