African treasures - Mbabane

Tucked in the jumble of granite peaks and valleys that make up the Dlangeni hills, Swaziland's administrative capital, MBABANE (pronounced "M-buh-ban"), is small, relaxed and unpretentious, with a population of only 90,000. The most popular route into Swaziland, through the Oshoek/Ngwenya border post, is only 20km west of Mbabane; the city roughly marks the point where the mountainous southern African highveld descends briefly into middleveld, before bottoming out further east as dry lowveld.

This is a good base from which to start exploring Swaziland, especially if you're without your own transport: the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary lies not far south, and the royal village of Lobamba makes an easy day-trip - vital if you're here when the Umhlanga or Ncwala ceremonies take place. There's not much to do in the city, but many visitors find it more agreeable than hectic Manzini , especially if you need to change money, find a comfortable bed or plan your trip ahead

Entertainment
The city's liveliest bars are Valentino's and the Plaza Bar , both in the Swazi Plaza complex. The best bet for nightlife is the West End Girls nightclub , above the Yemfo bar, reached down Western Distributor Road or West Street, where a good local band can normally be found at weekends. Most locals think nothing of travelling to happening spots along the eZulwini Valley or in Manzini, and for the best nightlife it's not a bad idea to follow them. Check the daily Times of Swaziland for details. Women travellers on their own are likely to encounter some unwanted attention in bars and clubs, but the pestering probably won't be aggressive or persistent.

While most visitors - and Transtate buses from South Africa - approach Mbabane from the Ngwenya/Oshoek border, a good alternative route is via the Sandlane/Nerston border post (8am-6pm), about 35km further south, and roughly 70km from the city. Although a longer journey, this road passes through some outstanding scenery and will take you past some excellent places to stay.

Once past Nerston, where there are some interesting San paintings (ask at the church for someone to show you the way), the road plunges deep into the vast and beautiful Usutu Forest , which covers over ten percent of Swaziland. After some steep climbs, you'll start a long descent to the factory town of Bhunya , whose hub is a belching pulp mill - reason enough not to linger. Press on for another 15km or so on the road to Mhlambanyatsi, taking care when crossing the single-lane bridge over the Usutu River. Just before Mhlambanyatsi is a fine hotel , The Forester's Arms (tel 4674377, ; half-board: R300-500), set in a picturesque clearing in the surrounding woodland. Cosy rooms with wonderful mountain views and hearty meals make this a good place to stop over; on Sundays, people from all over the country pour in to feast on the hotel's superb buffet and roast - you'll need to book ahead to be sure of a table.

Back on the road, Mhlambanyatsi itself has a small shopping centre and some filling stations, but little else. The road beyond it enters a beautiful, lush river valley dotted with traditional houses; this is prime hiking territory, and a particularly spectacular unmarked trail leads all the way to (but not into) the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Note that there are no facilities, and you have to be pretty self-sufficient, asking at villages for somewhere to stay. Eventually the road breaks through the hills to the plateau on which Mbabane stands, where you can connect with the main routes to the centre of the country.

Mbabane's hilly centre is a pleasant jumble of office blocks, markets, plazas and shacks that you can very easily explore on foot - which is just as well, as driving here can be stressful without a sound grasp of the street layout. Allister Miller Street is the closest the city has to a main street; running south into the central business district (CBD), it's lined in parts by colonial administrative buildings which are attractive to look at, but can only be entered on official business. At the end of Allister Miller Street, on the banks of the Mbabane River, lies the Swazi Market , with neat rows of curio stalls with a colourful selection of handicrafts and, though prices aren't cheap, you can always haggle. It's just as interesting wandering further into the market, where fresh fruit and vegetable stalls make for a colourful scene (though prices here aren't negotiable).

The main focus of the city centre, however, is the sprawl of shopping malls down the hill from Allister Miller Street. Most of Mbabane's main shops, banks and services are located in either the Swazi Plaza or the more upmarket Mall and New Mall . Alongside the Swazi Plaza is the busy bus and taxi rank.