Hello hi, TL/DR version - skip the first 2 paragraphs I am travelling to Piet Retief in Mpumalanga for a few days this December. I'm planning on cycling through the border and doing a loop as indicated on the map attached. I should mention I'll be cycling alone (don't have a choice about this, or I should stay home). I'll have a family member with a passport on standby in Piet Retief, but I don't know if I'll have no reception inside Swaziland (MTN SA prepaid user). I've cycled around 20km down the R543 before with the mtb about 2-3 years ago but was told afterwards it was a huge risk. I knew going onto the plantation jeep tracks was looking for death, but didn't know I should expect to be attacked just as likely on the road, or in fact any of the roads in the attached maps. I've crossed this border before with a car, so had no unusual troubles. I was warned to stick to tar roads in Swaziland when cycling, but at this point I'm thinking of taking the road bike (for more range during daylight!) so would have to anyways. I'm unfamiliar with the border outposts outside of Mahamba. I've attached 3 maps labelled route 1, 2 & 3. I'm expecting to do route 1 which is 187km (unless the white roads are dirt roads!), but route 3 seems the most scenic and fun! (at 300km though, so a day outing requiring more nutrition prepping). Route 2 is the shortest at 110km, but I think the road to the border to the North may be much more dodgy and busy. First question is if anyone has done a similar route around the same area or same roads? Any experiences or suggestions regarding the R543, the border and a bike+camelback? Has anyone stayed overnight somewhere near the routes indicated and cycled a longer distance? I'd appreciate any insight regarding the concerns mentioned above please. Ideally I'd want to cycling the inner perimeter of Swaziland on the road, but I haven't had time to plan accordingly. This is a plan for 2019.
