The word 'Hlane' means 'wilderness' in siSwati. The park stretches across the hot eastern lowlands of Eswatini, which get much less rain than the cool highlands in the west. The dry landscape is dotted with fever trees — tall yellow-barked trees that give the bush a golden glow.
Hlane is one of only a handful of places in Eswatini where you can see a lion. The lions were reintroduced to the park, which means people carefully brought them back after they had disappeared from the area. Watching a lion from a safari vehicle is an unforgettable experience for visitors.
The park also works very hard to protect white rhinos, which are threatened animals. Rangers patrol the park to keep the rhinos safe, and the numbers have been slowly growing. Seeing a rhino — which can weigh as much as 15 grown-up cars — waddling across the road is one of the most exciting moments a visitor can have.
Birds are spectacular at Hlane too. The majestic southern ground hornbill — a large black bird with a bright red face — stalks through the grass looking for insects and lizards. Vultures circle overhead, riding the hot air that rises from the baking lowveld plains.