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Roughly 30km north of Big Bend lies Mkhaya Game Reserve , situated along a turn-off from the wonderfully named village of Phuzumoya ("drink the wind") in classic lowveld scrubland, filled with acacia and thorn trees. A sanctuary for the rare black rhino , Mkhaya also accommodates white rhino, elephant and numerous antelopes such as nyala and eland. As well as a tourist attraction, Mkhaya also operates as a refuge where endangered species such roan antelope and tsessebe are bred. Rubbing shoulders with them all are herds of Nguni cattle . Day visits and overnight stays at Mkhaya must be booked in advance, and you can't tour Mkhaya in your own vehicle, but must arrange to be met at the gate. Day visitors are taken on a game drive, where you have a high chance of encountering much of the big game, and a generous lunch is included in the price. For overnighters, morning and evening game drives are included in the accommodation price. Unlike game reserves in South Africa, Mkhaya's experienced Swazi rangers have few qualms about stopping in the middle of a game drive and inviting visitors to get out of the vehicle and walk quite close to white rhino and elephant. If you're staying overnight, early-morning game walks can also be organized. You'll need to book your visit to Mkhaya through Swazi Big Game Parks Central Reservations (tel 5283944, ). Day visits cost around E250, including lunch. The reserve's main camp, Stone Camp , makes up for the lack of elevation in the reserve with an atmospheric bush setting beside the dry Ngwenyane river bed. There are two types of full-board accommodation (including game drives R500-750): open-plan and open-sided thatched cottages which give you a wonderful sense of sleeping right in the bush; and luxury safari tents with en-suite toilets and showers. All of these are secluded but secure and lit by paraffin lamps; cooking is done on a large campfire in the main part of the camp under the shade of a massive sausage tree (its seed pods look like sausages), and staff have been known to treat guests to an after-dinner concert.
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