Hostels in MBABANE, SWAZILAND

City of Mbabane in Swaziland – Capital and Largest City of Swaziland

With an estimated population of nearly 100,000, Mbabane is the capital as well as the largest city of Swaziland. Located on River Mbabane and its tributary named Polinjane River in Mdimba Mountains, the city is a part of Hhohho district. Average elevation of the city is around 3,800 feet above the sea level.

Mbabane Accommodation
A travel to Mbabane becomes hassle free since besides the luxury hotels and budget hotels, there are multiple other sources of accommodation for the visitors. Bed and breakfast joints, guest house, guest lodge, budget hotels, hostels and resorts are all available in the city. It is easy to find a safe accommodation in different parts of the city that meets one’s budget. While the luxury hotels offer all the modern amenities including swimming pools, spa, internet browsing, excellent restaurants and various others, the budget hotels offers all the basic amenities for the tourists and travellers.

Brief Background
Substantial growth of the town of Mbabane took place only after the administrative centre of the nation was moved from Bremersdorp, which is now known as Manzini, to this city. Name of the city was derived from the name of a chief Mbabane Kunene. The place has served as a commercial hub for the surrounding regions and tin and iron were mined regularly in the city. While SiSwati is the primary language of the city, English is also widely spoken. Tourism and sugar are the major industries in the city.

Getting Around
To get to Mbabane, one can use the Matsapha International Airport. Minibuse taxis are among the best means of transportation from one part of the city to another. While exploring the city, it is good to be in the company of a professional city guide.

Places of Interest
Mbabane is home of Waterford-KaMhlaba United World College as well as one of the three main campuses of the University of Swaziland. British High Commission is also located in the city. While the city has developed pretty rapidly during the recent years, the only tourist interest is the Swazi Market located to the south end of Allister Miller Street. A travel from Mbabane to Pine Valley could be a pleasant trip. On the way is the Umbeluzi River that offers a number of waterfalls. Walking and riding in the country is good due to mild temperature even during the summer season.

Mbabane Currency
Swaziland Lilangeni is the currency operative in Mbabane. You can obtain current exchange rates of the currency with that used in your country from the web. However, the rates are highly volatile and it would be good for someone looking for the exchange rates for the day to keep track of currency market news either online or in the financial trade journals.