Hostels in Swaziland Hostels in Swaziland

You are looking for hostels in Swaziland? Good news, you have come to the right place.

On this page we list every single city with hostels and other budget accommodations. Hostelz.com helps you to find your Swaziland hostel and compare its prices on the major booking sites such as Hostelworld, Hostelsclub and Booking.com. So you can sleep on a budget and save money while backpacking Swaziland.

All Cities in Swaziland

We list every single hostel in Swaziland and the world. In total, we have 6 cities in Swaziland for you. Please note that not all cities actually have a hostel to stay in. Below you can filter for cities with hostels and with no hostels-type accommodation, but guesthouses and budget hotels. This will help your planning.

All Swaziland hostels on a map

Alright, you are more the visual type? Planning your trip with a map is always handy.

Therefore, this map shows you all cities with hostels in Swaziland. It will help you to plan your trip. Just zoom in the map and click your destination for more details. Just so you know: If we do not have a hostel in a city, it is likely that there is no hostel in that city.

Our handwritten guide on Backpacking Swaziland

Bordered on three sides by South Africa and by Mozambique to the east, this landlocked kingdom, granted final independence from Britain in 1967, makes a fantastic trip for those travelling in South Africa. Visas are readily available at all the borders, cost free, and the country has a huge diversity of geography and flora and fauna for such a small nation.
Ruled over by King Mswati III, Swaziland is world famous for it's traditional ceremonies. Umhlanga, held in August/September and Incwala, held in December/ January. The exact timing of these ceremonies are defined by the phases of the moon. Umhlanga, also known as the 'reed dance' is where young, childless and unmarried girls dance to pay respect for the Queen Mother. Incwala is held on the fourth day after the full moon nearest the longest day, 21 December and lasts one month. It is based around the honouring of the king and a celebration of the new harvest. Both events are spectacularly colourful scenes of music and dance.

Although a tiny country; around 17,300 sq. km, it has more than 20 protected areas. The more well-known of these being Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary in the Malkerns valley; Hlane Royal National Park and Lubombo Conservancy, the largest, which sits along the border with Mozambique and stretches down to the border with KwaZulu-Natal. It is comprised of a number of reserves including Shewula, Mbuluzi, Mlawula and Hlane.

For backpackers, there are some great choices for hostels in Swaziland. They are spread around the country, some of them quite remote and give access to the different regions and lifestyles of Swaziland. Predictably, most of the Swazi hostels are located in the central area around Malkerns and Ezulwini valleys. There are several in this area, all of very good quality, but wi-fi access is not great here, if available at all and that goes for Swaziland as a whole. Most of these hostels are self-catering, but the ones in Malkerns valley do provide meals. There are opportunities for hiking, biking, rafting, etc. These can be organized easiest from the Ezulwini hostels. These hostels are long-running and well managed and are used to taking tourists on various excursions, so excellent info and advice can be got here.

Access to the remoter parts of Swaziland is not difficult as local transport links are good. There is hostel dorm accommodation in Shewula by the Mozambique border with access to Shewula, Mbuluzi and Mlawula nature reserves. Food is available here, too. In the north-west of the country, there is hostel accommodation at Hawane Resort, but of poor quality, and more further north near Mnyokane which has a wonderful rural atmosphere with great views and some interesting hikes.
Even more remote, there is hostel accommodation just being completed in the Hhohho region, in Hhelehhele. This area gives a great insight into real Swazi rural life and, despite its remoteness, can be accessed by public transport from Piggs Peak.

Nearly all the hostels in Swaziland are clean, efficient and comfortable and the Ezulwini and Malkerns hostels are a great way to meet other travellers depending on the time of year, as most of the tourism is focused in this area.

There is a terrific diversity of landscapes here from dry lowland bush to high mountains peppered by canyons and rivers. It makes an excellent trip in itself, although most travellers spend a few days during a South Africa tour and the excellent accommodation through all ranges and especially for the budget traveller make this a not-to-be-missed destination.

expert for Swaziland hostels

Handwritten by local expert for Swaziland hostels LondonroadMa

Travel Tips for Swaziland - from the Community

Hey fam! Here are a few more tips from the community, from them to you, and you to them. This space is dedicated for travellers to share their best tips on backpacking Swaziland. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Swaziland. Everyone is welcome to add something useful, funny, unexpected and the "absolutely necessary to know before you go" - share, share and then share a little more!

FAQ on Hostels in Swaziland

There is a lot of travel planning to do. So let us help you once again by putting together the frequently asked questions:

Finding Hostels and Prices

What hostel booking sites are best to use?

There is several hostel booking sites, such as Hostelworld.com, Hostelsclub.com and Booking.com. While every platform has its pros and cons, there is a universal truth you as a traveler should be aware of: Not a single booking site can always offer the best prices.

This is where Hostelz.com comes in. You can compare all major booking portals with one click.

For you as a traveler, Hostelz.com is the best booking site to actually save money.

How much are hostels in Swaziland?

Prices always vary, depending on various factors. Weekends tend to be more expensive, same goes for special holidays. Please also take into account local vaction time.

You can search for exacty hostel prices in Swaziland here on Hostelz.com. Pick your destination and pick a date. The system will track down the prices to give an idea of what budget and prices you can expect.

When to book hostels?

If you want to stay at the best hostels, it is a good idea to have your hostel booked around 1 month before you travel. For the regular hostels, booking one week before should be okay. Yet again, this always depends.

We dedicated a full article to the topic of when to book hostels.

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Safety and Packing

Are hostels in Swaziland safe?

Generally speaking, hostels are as safe as you make them. We highly recommend always to bring your own padlock, using the lockers and taking care of your belongings. Make sure you pick a safe hostel, offering lockers and a safe location. Please always pay attention to the reviews; they can give you a great insight on what to expect and safety tips.

What to pack when staying in hostels?

There is a few basics you should always pack when staying in hostels.

  1. Padlock
  2. Earplugs
  3. Sleeping Mask
  4. Quick Dry Travel Towel
  5. Head Lamp

There is more actually. We wrote a complete guide with more details. Read our full hostel packing list.

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