By Alan Murphy
Alan is a renowned Africa expert and has authored many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the Swaziland section of their 'South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland' guide.
Swaziland is, overall, a safe country to visit in our opinion. All the more so if your visit is primarily an organized safari or tour. More than half a million tourists visit Swaziland every year and most visits are trouble free.
Many tourists visit Swaziland and South Africa together. South Africa has a high level of both petty and violent crime. Johannesburg and Durban in particular are crime hotspots. Unaccompanied walking around the city and driving at night is not recommended. An overnight stay at a reputable hotel or an organized visit to one of the many attractions in or around the cities are fine. Swaziland’s cities are very small and safe in comparison, but tourists should be extra careful when visiting one of the vibrant, busy markets as pickpockets are common.
As for all traveling abroad and in wildlife areas, we do advise these basic safety precautions:
- Wildlife Viewing Safety Precautions
- Cities & Urban Areas: Safety Precautions
- General Travel Safety Precautions
- Malaria & Vaccinations – Swaziland
Governments’ Travel Advice
Please use the links below for governments' travel advice on Zambia.
- Australia
– www.smartraveller.gov.au - Canada
– www.voyage.gc.ca - Ireland
– www.dfa.ie - New Zealand
– www.safetravel.govt.nz - United Kingdom
– www.gov.uk - United States
– travel.state.gov
