View from the window of the airplane at sunrise. Landing in OR Tambo, South Africa

Our first impression of this wonderful country was set during the Lobamba tour. Sanele, an All Out Africa Tour Guide, guided us through the village where local people would kindly welcome us and offer us a sip of their traditional beer. I must admit it was not exactly tasting like the beers I´m used to drinking in Belgium, but it sure was an experience, without any doubt. Another great happening that day was our visit to the national museum to get to know the history of this country with its culture and traditions better before starting the volunteering adventure.

Anna, Simona, Alex and myself sharing traditional beer during our Lobamba Tour

The day after this so-called ´Orientation Day´, the six of us (Eleanora Cimadom, Anna Vanhaeren, Linde Colle, Simona Mambrin, Sabrina Miniotti and myself) woke up early to begin our trip to the Kruger National Park. For me, this was my first safari. I can tell you with great confidence, there´s not a single doubt in my mind that this was my last. I fell from one amazing feeling into another. To see wild animals in their natural habitat from that close gave me shivers all over my body. It was magnificent to be able to spot The Big Five and many more. I will forever remember the early sunrise game drives with our coffees in one hand and our blankets in the other to keep us warm in the jeep, or the many great stories and even greater laughs we shared at the bonfires in the evening. Tired but with hearts full of gratefulness, we returned to eSwatini to initiate what we´re here for in the first place: volunteering.

Eleanora, Anna, Linde, Simona, Sabrina and myself on a safari game drive.

I was placed on the Childcare Project at the Ezulwini NCP, together with Simona Mambrin from Italy – who had already become such a good friend of mine over this short period. We got lucky to volunteer in teacher Gugu´s class. She has the purest heart and truly cares about the children she teaches. Every single day we would arrive at the NCP and get overwhelmed with the sweetest hugs from the children. I will never forget the sentences “teacher, teacher, pick me up!” or “teacher, I missed you so much!”. In the blink of an eye, I had fallen in love with every single one of the little kids I got to teach. It´s unbelievably rewarding to see the kids grow through the exercises and to be able to be there with them through their journey. Especially when being able to help the ones who need your assistance the most, it´s such a heartwarming feeling to see their faces light up when congratulating them on their good work.

Writing exercise at the NCP

Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, the volunteers would go all together to the Elangeni NCP to help older students individually with their homework. First, we would do at least one hour of homework with them, and after the homework is done, we would play games. Some days, we would invent a whole quiz with different types of games: some educational, some just for fun. The girls were always enthusiastic to see us and at the same time, so eager to learn from and with us.
During our free time, we did a whole bunch of activities in the region. For example, we visited the handicraft market, the Swazi Candles factory, the Yebo Art Gallery, went for a biking tour at Mlilwane National Park, hiked the Sheba’s Breast, participated in karaoke at the restaurant near Lidwala Lodge, went for a spa day with the girls, to the movies, to the cute coffee shop nearby, and so on… We also signed up for the ziplining on our second weekend. Such a memorable experience! I felt like a bird flying through the mountains, so freely and without any worries on my mind. No worries, only good vibes and fully enjoying the moment we live in.

Myself, Eleanora and Simona at the peak of Sheba’s Breast

Every year, the people of eSwatini celebrate the Umhlanga or Reed Dance ceremony. When I first heard about it, I got so excited to see it with my own eyes! I felt so lucky to be in the country during this impressive ceremony. Dressed in traditional clothes, I showed up there and immediately got overwhelmed by the number of girls dancing and singing together. Everyone was so enthusiastic that I just could not manage to stop smiling. There was such a nice atmosphere of people in the crowd hyping up the girls that were dancing and singing. All the bright colours of their beautiful clothes together were just amazing to see. Right when I thought it couldn´t get any better, the king showed up. This was such a memorable day for me.

Simona and I during the Umhlanga or Reed Dance ceremony in Eswatini.

Last but certainly not least was the trip to Tofo, Mozambique. Being there felt as if I had just entered some hidden paradise. I am very much a beach person, so my first swim in the Indian Ocean was for sure a core memory for me. I enjoyed every single second of my time there. On our first day, we cruised by sailboat to Survivor Island. Let me tell you, it´s not given this name without a reason. People there live in a very primitive manner, but not a single person is complaining. I got my hair braided and drank out of a fresh coconut; I even climbed a palm tree – although I have to admit that I wasn´t even close to reaching the end of the tree to grab some coconuts. The next days were filled with an ocean safari where I snorkelled together with a whale shark only approximately 2 meters under me. As you might imagine, the adrenaline rushed through my body. At that exact moment, I realized I was dealing with a once-in-a-lifetime experience here.

Eleanora and I drinking coconut water in Tofo

The surfing lesson afterwards was also so much fun. Since it was my first time, my only goal was to just stand up on the board for more than a split second before losing my balance and falling off. In fact, I underestimated myself and managed to surf until the point my board reached the sand again. Such a good feeling! We ended our last evening with a sunset cruise and were able to look back on some unforgettable days when we got to meet the friendliest people. Tofo: I will be back one day to expand my surf skills!

Taking off for an ocean safari tour in Tofo

Written by Elisabeth Sucaet, who signed up for Kruger to Coast 

Many people in Eswatini (Eswatini) have visited Maputo before, but there are some other destinations that are well worth checking out, and All Out Africa can take you there! Here is our list of the top 3 Mozambique destinations within reach from Eswatini (Eswatini):

Ponta d’ Ouro Beach Tours from Eswatini (Eswatini)

Ponta d’ Ouro Beach Tours from Eswatini (Eswatini) are probably the quickest way to get to a great beach. Located just south of Maputo “Ponta d’ Ouro” is only a 4-hour drive from Ezulwini and can be enjoyed on a 2-night visit. The Ponta bay has beautiful golden sand beaches and warm, clear ocean water, making it a popular choice.

Swim with dolphins in Ponta d’ Ouro

The town is set right on the beach and there is a wide range of accommodations and restaurants to choose from. The highlights of Ponta include the stunning beaches, ocean safaris to swim with wild dolphins and quad biking tours through the breathtaking coastal plains.

One of the restaurants found in Ponta d’ Ouro

Tofo Beach Tours from Eswatini (Eswatini)

Tofo Beach Tours from Eswatini (Eswatini) take you to a proper tropical Indian ocean beach. Tofo is a microcosm of Mozambique with so much on offer. It takes about 9 hours to get to by road from Eswatini (Eswatini) so we recommend no less than a 4-night visit. There are many good restaurants in the town as well as markets to explore. You can choose from a wide range of accommodation many of which are located right on the beach.

This is one of the best places in the world to snorkel alongside whale sharks and scuba dive with manta rays. Other activities included surfing lessons, beach yoga, mangrove kayaking, and sunset sailing trips.

Kayaking Tofo Mozambique’s Indian ocean

Maputo Elephant Reserve (Maputo Special Reserve) Beach Tours from Eswatini (Eswatini)

Maputo Elephant Reserve (Maputo Special Reserve) beach tours take you through one of the most beautiful and untouched coastal nature reserves in southern Africa and it’s just a hop over the Lubombo hills from Eswatini (Eswatini). Nestled just south of Inhaca Island and Maputo it’s only 4 hours from Ezulwini. The park combines miles and miles of exquisite, untouched sand beaches with rolling coastal plains and inland lakes. Elephants are present and fairly commonly seen along with reedbuck, waterbuck, warthog and kudu.

Maputo Elephant Reserve shows a herd of elephants

Accommodation ranges from luxury lodges to mid-range bungalows and camping. What makes this place so unique is that you can combine a game drive safari experience with the beach and diving. This is a place well worth visiting, it’s like paradise on earth.

For more information or to book your own Mozambique tour email us tours@alloutafrica.com