Nestled between South Africa and Mozambique, this little-known kingdom of Southern Africa is a haven for safari and hiking enthusiasts with its national parks.
Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland since 2018, is a landlocked country, separated by about a hundred kilometers from the Indian Ocean. Yet, it boasts ports and a maritime fleet, as noted by Geo. « Mbabane Port is the port of the Kingdom of Eswatini. […] It is a multipurpose terminal handling containers, bulk carriers, tankers, small passenger vessels, and others, » reads the country’s maritime authority’s website.
The reason behind this is that Eswatini is a flag of convenience country. This means that a ship (whether a cruise, cargo, etc.) must be registered in a state but can fly the flag of a country even if the shipowner is not originally from there. This practice is common in maritime transport, often for tax reasons. Consequently, many ships sailing across the world are registered in countries like Panama or Liberia. Like Eswatini, other landlocked nations also have maritime activities, such as Luxembourg (216 ships in 2020) and Mongolia.
As tourists cannot access Eswatini by boat, they can travel there by air or land. French nationals are exempt from visas for a tourist stay of up to 30 days. Most visitors include a stop in the country while touring South Africa. Safari enthusiasts are attracted to its national parks, such as Hlane Royal National Park, known for its rhinoceroses. The Malolotja reserve, with its mountains, forests, and waterfalls, offers 200 km of hiking trails. Just 10 km from the capital Mbabane, Sibebe Rock, the second-largest rock in the world after Uluru in Australia, is one of the kingdom’s most iconic landmarks in this lesser-known corner of Southern Africa.
Source: lefigaro
