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Swaziland Tours & Activities White Water Rafting (half day) Sustainability


Swazi Trails

 

Swazi Trails is Swaziland's leading tour and adventure operator. The company is a fully licensed and insured tour operator established in 1987. Swazi Trails offer a wide selection of half and full day tours and activities, which encompass cultural, scenic, adventure and wildlife highlights in Swaziland.  Services are available 365 days a year, with guaranteed departures for minimum of two persons on most Swazi Trails operated tours and activities.  Prior reservation is required, however capacity generally exists to accommodate most short notice departures.

As a ground handler in Swaziland, Swazi Trails have extensive experience in transport, reservations facilitation and itinerary management.  Swazi Trails have experience in location management in Swaziland and the company's indepth experience of the Swaziland destination is an invaluable asset to film productions. 

For conference and incentive groups in Swaziland, Swazi Trails is a one-stop shop for either specific ground-handling or support services, or alternatively full itinerary management.   Swazi Trails are also dynamic team-building specialists and have a long list of satisfied clients in Swaziland.

Fulfilling the role of an incoming tour operator for Swaziland, Swazi Trails offer multi-day itineraries, both within the Kingdom as well as linked to Mozambique, Kruger National Park and other neighbouring areas such as Mpumalanga and Kwazula-Natal, otherwise known as Zululand.

Swazi Trails tours and adventure activities are guided in English by informative local Swazi guides. With prior notice and at an additional cost, other foreign language-speaking guides can be sourced. Swazi Trails specifically supply indigenous Swazi nationals as guides and takes pride in the quality and professionalism of its staff.

Swazi Trails use a variety of tour vehicles for transport and tour purposes. The standard tour vehicle is a 9-seater air-conditioned Hyundai H1. On occasions we make use of smaller sedan vehicles for individual departures. Our drivers have a minimum of 3 years driving experience and are in possession of Professional Driving Permits (PDP's) which are reviewed on an annual basis. Swazi Trails carry extensive passenger liability cover on all its vehicles.

This online booking site carries many of the most popular Swazi Trails tours and adventure activities, however if you do not find what you are looking for please contact Swazi Trails directly at tours@swazitrails.co.sz

For an video overview of Swazi Trails activities take a look at our video pages . 

 

Caring for destination

This tour provider has taken action to address one or more issues (whether environmental, social or cultural) which will contribute positively to the long term viability of the destination and hence their site displays a Caring for the destination rating.

Main area of focus in Caring for the Destination:  


Swazi Trails has targeted skills development, employment creation and educational support as its main social impact in the areas alongside its white-water section of the Great Usutu River.


Detailed description of the Caring for the Destination Initiative: 


As a key commitment to local employment creation Swazi Trails has hand-picked, trained and installed youngsters from the nearby Mphaphati area as its raft guide team. This recruitment process started in the late 1990's and after many years of assistance from visiting international guides, this guide team is now fully localised.

The Mphaphati area has historically been one of the least developed areas of Swaziland and although this ensures scenic values for travellers, it presents local residents with many social and economic challenges. To assist in a small way, Swazi Trails voluntarily contributes ZAR 10.00 for each rafting participant to the Mphaphati community. The initial disbursement of this fund in 2003 saw an amount of ZAR 45 000.00 used for the purchase of school books, scholarships and for the construction of a school administration office.

The fund has been left to slowly accummulate since then and as at the end of 2008 amounted to well over ZAR 65 000.00. In consultation with the community these funds were again disbursed in the year 2009 for a suitable community project.

At present Swazi Trails is actively seeking ways to leverage supporting funds from other donor sources so as to optimise the value of these funds in this very disadvantaged community.  There are no significant enterprises or large-scale farming developments within the Mphaphati area and most young adults are migrant workers in the cities. Swazi Trails is exploring the potential for revenue-earning activities at Mphaphati, so that young families are not separated by the usual need to pursue migrant work. It is the community's expressed desire that the skills of motivated people are retained locally, so that they are able to influence the quality of community life.  


Pickup info:

All white water rafting trips depart from the main Swazi Trails offices.  The meeting time is 08h30 for a departure shorty thereafter. Swazi Trails are situated within the Ezulwini Valley at  Mantenga Craft Centre. The centre has safe parking for vehicles.  For those without personal transport, a hotel, guesthouse or lodge pick-up is possible in the Ezulwini, Mbabane and Manzini areas.  This may attract an additional charge.



Free pick-ups are often provided when logistically possible, especially for larger groups or for participants accommodated in the direction of the tour departure. If unsure just ask as a special request when booking.

 

Participants on half day who are leaving Swaziland to the south (Lavumisa/Golela) or west (Mahamba) may follow in their own vehicle to the river, and then depart directly from the rafting exit point. This saves almost two hours of time from the onward journey and makes a half day of rafting feasible even for those with limited time in the country. 




Traveller Feedback

Score for how travellers see this initiative ... both in terms of impact and commitment.


Not impressed 2.17 out of 3 Fantastic
Mr Darius R.
- Switzerland
on 02 Jun 2010
I did not see anything special occuring during the tour that could tell me that the tour operator is specifically caring about sustainable tourism.




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