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After passing through Mbabane, the smooth, new, four-lane MR3 winds down the steep sides of Malagwane Hill in a series of sweeping curves, made hazardous by crawling lorries and reckless minibus taxis. The road then heads off southeast along the eZulwini Valley, but unless you're bound directly for Manzini and beyond, take the turning not long after the foot of the hill onto the older and quieter MR103 : this links most of the main sights of the scenic eZulwini Valley (Place of Heaven). In the 1960s, a succession of casinos, strip joints, hotels and caravan parks sprang up here, all catering for mainly South African tourists. When gambling became legal in South Africa in the mid-1990s, however, the number of pleasure-seekers dropped; the tourist industry had to start looking beyond the noise of the slot machines and karaoke to the valley's cultural and natural assets, and in particular places such as the royal residences of Lobamba and Ludzidzini , the Mantenga Nature Reserve and Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary . The latter, in particular, is one of Swaziland's main attractions, with its range of accommodation from backpacker lodges to colonial guesthouses, as well as numerous activities, including hiking trails and game viewing from a mountain bike.
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