Wondermondo 🢖 World 🢖 Wonders of Africa 🢖 Wonders of eSwatini
Territory
Wonders of eSwatini
  Highlights
This small country offers several outstanding landmarks.
The most amazing wonders of eSwatini are the world’s oldest mines – the 42,000 years old Lion Cavern and the amazing, more than 4000 years old cliff paintings in Nsangwini Rock Shelter. The country is rich with impressive gorges and other rock formations.
Map with the described wonders
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Top 14 wonders of eSwatini
Geological wonders
Mowane Gorge
Lubombo
Deep gorge, a sacred place to local people.
Sibebe Rock
Hhohho
Enormous, 800 m high granite dome, some 3 billion years old. The second largest monolith in the world.
Ngwempisi Gorge
Manzini
Deep gorge of Ngwempisi River, formed in sandstone and shale.
Phophonyane Falls
Hhohho
80 m tall waterfall, flowing down along the steep surface of gneiss. On the stream have formed multiple falls and rapids. Exposed rocks are 3.55 billion years old.
Mahamba Gorge
Shiselweni
Spectacular gorge.
Mantenga Falls
Manzini
95 m tall waterfall, consists of two parallel streams sliding down along the granite cliff.
Manzamnyama Falls
Shiselweni
Site of royal ceremonies in the past.
Malolotja Falls
Hhohho
90 m tall waterfall.
Nsangwini Gap
Hhohho
Impressive rapids – falls on the powerful Komati River.
Biological wonders
Usuthu Gorge
Lubombo
Deep, 8 km long gorge of Usuthu (Maputo) river with rare plants and animals, including cycads. A beloved place for rafting.
Archaeological wonders
Ngwenya Mine (with Lion Cavern)
Hhohho
Lion Cavern is the world’s oldest iron ore mine that was worked at least 42 thousand years before the present times: in the Middle Stone Age. Iron ore was used as a pigment – red ochre. The smelting of iron ore started sometime around 400 AD. Mine contains a pool – a sacred place for local people.
Siphiso Rock Shelter
Lubombo
Cave – a prehistoric shelter that has provided valuable information about the human past in this part of Africa.
Nsangwini Rock Shelter
Hhohho
This rock shelter is famous due to its rich displays of rock art. Cliff paintings were created by San people more than 4000 years ago and some drawings are truly surprising. Unusual are two winged figures and other paintings that may show ancient rituals.
Sandlane Rock Paintings
Manzini
Comparatively well preserved prehistoric rock paintings, albeit washed out by tourists willing to see the images. Drawings show animals and humans.
Recommended books
Adventures In Swaziland; The Story Of A South African Boer
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high-quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
Swaziland (Bradt Travel Guide)
This is the only dedicated, in-depth guide to Swaziland. Author Mike Unwin explores the excellent wildlife reserves and wild hiking trails offering waterfalls, rock art, and prolific flora and birdlife. He introduces travelers to the country’s rich and varied landscapes encompassing both the mountainous western ‘highveld’ and the dusty eastern ‘lowveld’. His personal insights, together with colorful anecdotes, drawn both from Swazi residents and travelers throughout the kingdom, provide entertaining insights, affording an insider’s perspective lacking in other guidebooks.