Although we only spent one night at Reilly’s Hilltop Lodge en-route to the North Coast of Natal, it was an absolute breathe of fresh air! Swaziland is a beautiful country with green rolling hills and mountains … Reilly’s depicts its amazing landscapes as it is set in the Mlilwane Game Reserve. We passed through the reserve gates and followed the gravel road up to the lodge (only takes about 10 minutes) as the sun set over the mountain tops and the zebra grazed alongside us – what a spectacular place!
Reilly’s Hilltop Lodge is the old homestead of conservationist Ted Reilly, so we felt like we were experiencing a piece of the past. The main house and cottage have now been converted into a lodge, but it still has a homey feel to it. There is also an abundance of history about the Reilly’s, and Swaziland, in the lounge area.  As we walked through the homestead, we could picture a family living here all those years ago – it must have been absolute paradise. The gardens are pristinely kept and have a large variety of flowers, plants and tress – all of which are labelled for your convenience. We had dinner in the boma area around a roaring fire, and breakfast was served on the veranda where you can soak up the sun, listen to the birds and look out at the beautiful landscape.
Our room felt small in comparison to the other places we stayed on honeymoon, but it was actually the perfect size – we slept in a gorgeous four poster bed where we didn’t lose each other for once, and the room itself was decorated in a lovely Victorian style – cosy and comfortable!
As Reilly’s Hilltop Lodge is in a game reserve, there is plenty to do in the area. Before we set off the next day, we hired some bicycles from the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary and went for an hour cycle through the reserve. We spotted crocodile, impala, warthog, zebra and a whole host of animals – it was a welcome change from being in a game vehicle!
Reilly’s Hilltop Lodge is the perfect place to spend a night or two in Swaziland, especially if you are doing a self-drive and are travelling from the Kruger area to Kwazulu Natal. It breaks up the trip and will give you the rejuvenation you need to drive the next stretch.
