Mantenga Nature Reserve & Cultural Village

Mantenga Nature Reserve & Cultural Village

Mantenga Nature Reserve & Cultural Village
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles90 reviews
Excellent
41
Very good
39
Average
8
Poor
2
Terrible
0

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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Paul v
Dronten, The Netherlands29 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
The waterfall is not much, the big waterfall is far away and you can reach it. The small one is more of a rapid. The performance with song and dance is beautiful, the female voices are shrill and in harmony. Definitely worth going to. The traditional village is also worth visiting with a guide to gain insight into the culture of the past.
Google
Written January 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fortune_Madhuku
Harare Province, Zimbabwe625 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Friends
This is a top tourist attraction in Eswatini, and a must visit for nature and culture lovers. The village tour with a local guide is great and the cultural dances are breathtaking. To add to this, there is the Mantenga falls and picnic site, just a short walking distance from the village. Away from the madding crowd, the cultural village gives you an appreciation of the Swazi culture, and you'll fall in love with it. Highly recommended!
Written January 15, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carl X
Brisbane, Australia105 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Solo
Located just 20 mins from Mbabane. Don't trust the GPS but look up US embassy and it is only 5 mins from that. Entry fee is R150 which includes a guided tour to the local village and access to the reserve. The culture talk was quite interesting and certainly learnt a lot of the past. The set up is just for tourists, no local actually lives there. Walk to Mantenga call is about 20 mins up a small hill, return is easier. They said there is a hike to the top of a mountain but there is no clear sign so better give it a pass. Dance was nice, starts at 11:15 and lasts for 45 mins.
Written October 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BDV
22 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
To be honest, was disappointing. Waterfall is small, pictures seem nicer. The walk is anticlimactic. Pretty though. No indication or comment from reserve on hiking trails, so also disappointing. Village tour interesting, but long in heat, and many huts had dancers sleeping with beer bottles by them inside. Fellow tourists were drinking on the tour, and that wasn’t nice for a family, especially as they were told they could keep drinking during the tour. Dance was so so, the dancers didn’t look happy. Was hard to watch them. I’d have preferred a day in Mliliwane.
Written November 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert O
Rotterdam, The Netherlands6,602 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
The falls and the reconstructed 19th century native village are promoted as the major attractions of this nature reserve. Due to the rains, the waterfalls were magnificent. The village was deserted as there were hardly any tourists due to covid restrictions.

If you are interested in observing wildlife nearby Mlilwane sanctuary is a better option, as in Mantenga despite the warning for crocodiles only some monkeys can be seen roaming around. Perhaps if you explore some of the marked trails a different experience can be had. E.g. there is a trail to Sheba's breast starting near the (eastern) park entry point. The park office had run out of maps!

Note there are two points to view the falls (one at the bottom and another one further up).

The eastern park entry is 2 km west from the US embassy in Lobamba along Ligugu street.

Entrance fee 50 R
Written February 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bush-papa
Oostkamp, Belgium101 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2012 • Friends
Beautiful waterfalls in an amazing setting. Real chilled, good swimming. With cultural village.Traditional dances. Very good guides ! Educational and funny ! They have a lot to tell and speak good English. Please respect their culture.
Written February 18, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Esteban_Esteban
Buenos Aires, Argentina68 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2016 • Friends
I had the chance to see the performance where local people made a demonstration of tradicional songs and dances. It was super interesting.
Then they would explain their customs and traditions. And how was the life organized in a traditional village. After the show you can buy handcrafts.
Besides that, there's a short path that takes you to a waterfall which is pretty nice.
Written October 4, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bruno I
Brazil327 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017 • Couples
You pay 100R per person to enter the Reserve and that's it: you can access the waterfall, do a guided visit to the traditional village and enjoy the absolutely amazing typical dancing and singing show that happens daily, twice a day. Of course, tips are more than welcome after the show, so remember to bring some cash with you. It helps the villagers directly and you'll be so amazed by the beautiful dances - followed by a very touching coral - that the tipping will come naturally. After the show we ate at their pleasant restaurant: a (huge) chicken mushroom pizza and porc steak with chips. Nothing sophisticated but good enough and very cheap.
Written April 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DazzlingSunflowerTravels
Johannesburg, South Africa341 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2013
My cousin, Vuyo lives in Swaziland. I guess it's still an eye opener to see your country through new eyes. We had African lunch at the restaurant, lots to choose from and very yummy. I had a little bit of everything - beef, mutton, tripe and spinach. Lunch was nicely topped off with traditional Swazi song and dance. This was spectacular! Beautiful does not begin to capture my heart beating rhythmically to their drum and beat.

We took a drive and walk to the Mantenga Falls, oh wow thank You Lord for such a beautiful surprise. Trinkling power of the falls, rocks leading to it, soothing waters in this heat. I just wished there was a nicer picnic area to relax at versus the rocks.

Mantenga Cultural Village provides an authentic cultural experience. Visit for history, folk tales and for a Swazi cultural explosion. The village has a view of the Nyonyane Mountain, also called Execution Rock. According to legend, Swazi warriors would march their enemies and suspected witches up the Nonyane Execution Rock and made them jump to their deaths.

You can also buy the handmade intricate traditional beadwork on site after the cultural village tour. Have loads of FUN and give us some feedback how your experience was like.

No need to book, you just rock up during office hours.

Mantenga Cultural Village
Mantenga Falls Road
Ezulwini
Swaziland
Written October 19, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Garth J
Johannesburg151 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2014 • Business
I really enjoyed this little outing to the Swazi Cultural Village at the Mantenga Nature Reserve. Don't go there expecting a "real" experience but rather just relax and enjoy what is on offer!
The tour starts off with a great exhibition of enthusiastic and powerful dancing by the young men, unmarried women and married women in traditional dress. Our guide, Angel, explained the dances and made the experience really a lot more meaningful. I have been to many traditional dances made for tourism and this one was so much more interesting because of this. The drummers were great and the whole experience really enjoyable.
This was followed by a visit to the village which seemed at first a little sterile but soon came alive and great. So, if you have your doubts about a "made for tourism" cultural village? Throw them away and visit Mantenga Swazi Cultural Visit - a really good outing and educational to boot.
Written April 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Mantenga Nature Reserve & Cultural Village - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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