By Roxanne Reid
It’s easy to fall in love with Ithala Game Reserve near Louwsberg in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We certainly did. You’ll find a scenic fusion of ancient rocks and cliffs, rivers, rolling hills and wildlife. Take a high-clearance vehicle or 4x4 to navigate the rugged thornveld, and you're set to discover 16 things to do at Ithala Game Reserve.
It’s easy to fall in love with Ithala Game Reserve near Louwsberg in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We certainly did. You’ll find a scenic fusion of ancient rocks and cliffs, rivers, rolling hills and wildlife. Take a high-clearance vehicle or 4x4 to navigate the rugged thornveld, and you're set to discover 16 things to do at Ithala Game Reserve.
1. Stay at the beautiful Ntshondwe resort for at least three nights in a thatched chalet - a perfect choice for your Ithala Game Reserve accommodation. It's built into the natural landscape on a plateau at the foot of Ngotshe mountain. There’s a restaurant, info centre, shop, swimming pool and nature walks.
Ithala Game Reserve accommodation: Ntshondwe camp is carved into the natural landscape at the foot of a mountain; walk around to fully appreciate its beauty
2. Go on an early morning drive with a guide who can interpret the rocks, birds, trees and mammals that you see. A sundowner drive is a great way to experience the romance of an African sunset as well as to see nocturnal animals with the help of a spotlight.
3. Take a walk around Ntshondwe camp to enjoy the scenery, including the large boulders that fell from the cliffs above the camp hundreds of years ago. It’s a good chance to identify some of the trees of the area too, like euphorbias, acacias, wild figs and cabbage trees.
4. Go on a self-guided nature walk at Ntshondwe resort. The Plum-coloured Starling and the Porcupine trails will each take about an hour, the Klipspringer trail about 90 minutes and the longer Bushpig trail about four hours. Try to be quiet and you may see buck, dassies and birds like chestnut-vented titbabbler, Cape bunting, bearded scrub robin and grey penduline tit, even a trumpeter hornbill or Verreaux’s eagle soaring overhead.
3. Take a walk around Ntshondwe camp to enjoy the scenery, including the large boulders that fell from the cliffs above the camp hundreds of years ago. It’s a good chance to identify some of the trees of the area too, like euphorbias, acacias, wild figs and cabbage trees.
4. Go on a self-guided nature walk at Ntshondwe resort. The Plum-coloured Starling and the Porcupine trails will each take about an hour, the Klipspringer trail about 90 minutes and the longer Bushpig trail about four hours. Try to be quiet and you may see buck, dassies and birds like chestnut-vented titbabbler, Cape bunting, bearded scrub robin and grey penduline tit, even a trumpeter hornbill or Verreaux’s eagle soaring overhead.
See how many trees and plants you can identify
5. Collect the gate key from reception and travel up the mountain to the Horace Rall viewing deck overlooking the western side of the park. From there you’ll have spectacular views. You can walk freely and enjoy 400 hectares of rare semi-alpine fynbos vegetation. You might even see Verreaux’s or crowned eagle.
6. Spend some time in Ntshondwe’s hide in front of the reception building. The hide overlooks a waterhole where you could see animals, including elephants, come to drink.
7. Duck into the info centre at Ntshondwe to learn about the Wonder Mine, one of two gold mines from the early 1900s that operated inside what’s now the reserve. There are also displays about the history of the park, some of its geological features, rhinos, dung beetles, Ithala’s common frogs (there are 29 species in the reserve) and a leopard monitoring project.
6. Spend some time in Ntshondwe’s hide in front of the reception building. The hide overlooks a waterhole where you could see animals, including elephants, come to drink.
7. Duck into the info centre at Ntshondwe to learn about the Wonder Mine, one of two gold mines from the early 1900s that operated inside what’s now the reserve. There are also displays about the history of the park, some of its geological features, rhinos, dung beetles, Ithala’s common frogs (there are 29 species in the reserve) and a leopard monitoring project.
Don't miss the info centre near reception for info about animals and the old mines
8. Go on a guided bush walk with a field ranger for a chance to see and learn about small things like birds, tracks and other signs of the bush. There’s always a chance of finding dangerous big game like elephant, rhino or buffalo, so keep quiet and listen to what your ranger tells you to do.
9. Listen to and absorb the sounds of the bush, from the chittering of small birds or the call of the painted reed frog to the braying of zebra and rumbling of elephants.
9. Listen to and absorb the sounds of the bush, from the chittering of small birds or the call of the painted reed frog to the braying of zebra and rumbling of elephants.
Zebra, giraffe, kudu, impala, wildebeest, eland, hartebeest, white rhino and elephant live in the reserve
10. Go self-driving along the Nghubu Loop, a two- to three-hour circular drive with some 20 points of interest marked with letters of the alphabet and cross-referenced on an info sheet. The route winds through the bush, looking down on rolling hills and up towards towering cliffs. Points of interest include marula, red ivory and scented thorn trees, an old Zulu kraal at the foot of ‘Iron mountain’, quartzite in the Ngubhu valley, a termite colony, cliffs where you might see Verreaux’s eagles, and a viewing platform. There’s a picnic site so take your breakfast or lunch with you.
11. Take a coolbox with you on your game drive and stop off at Onverwacht, Phongolo or Ngubhu for a picnic in the bush. Tables and benches, some shade and toilets are provided. Make sure you clean up after yourself and don’t leave food lying around for baboons or monkeys.
11. Take a coolbox with you on your game drive and stop off at Onverwacht, Phongolo or Ngubhu for a picnic in the bush. Tables and benches, some shade and toilets are provided. Make sure you clean up after yourself and don’t leave food lying around for baboons or monkeys.
Take a game drive and stop off at one of the picnic sites for brunch
12. Enjoy a braai at your Ntshondwe chalet in the cool of the evening. Just be aware that Ithala has a fairly big population of vervet monkeys, so don’t leave the windows or doors of your chalet open or food where these clever and sneaky creatures can get to it.
13. Enjoy a meal on the deck overlooking the waterhole at Ntshondwe for a chance of seeing animals even while you’re in camp.
13. Enjoy a meal on the deck overlooking the waterhole at Ntshondwe for a chance of seeing animals even while you’re in camp.
Ntshondwe's restaurant overlooks a dam where elephant and antelope come to drink
14. Stop at the erosion site between the entrance gate and Ntshondwe. It’s thought that the erosion may have started from overgrazing back in the 1900s when the area was the donkey camp of a gold mine. An info board explains how and why erosion happens. Now gabions have been used to stabilise the area by arresting water flow, retaining soil and encouraging plant growth to prevent further erosion.
Find out about erosion, how it happens and how to prevent it
15. If you enjoy basic rustic camping, book a site at Doornkraal. There’s a river along one side of the campsite where you can swim if water levels allow. You’ll also find flush loos, a hot bush shower, bush kitchen and communal dining area. Don’t expect luxury, but you’ll enjoy the feeling of being away from it all at this pristine unfenced site.
Ithala Game Reserve camping: if you like your campsites quiet and basic, with a chance of animals drifting through, Doornkraal is the place for you
16. Take some friends or family and book a couple of nights at one of Ithala’s bush lodges – Thalu or Mbizo in the west and Mhlangeni in the east. We got permission to go on the residents-only track to the Mhlangeni Bush Camp because there were no guests there. The camp is built between the rocks overlooking a river, just five two-bed chalets, a central kitchen/dining/lounge area and three ablutions, some with great views over the surrounding landscape. The setting and the privacy were fabulous, but the structures looked thirsty for a little wood sealer.
Mhlangeni Bush Camp sprawls in the spaces between rocks overlooking a river
Need to know
Note that, apart from the tarred road between the entrance gate and Ntshondwe resort, the roads at Ithala are rugged, so you need a high clearance or 4x4 vehicle for driving around the park.
Ithala Game Reserve
Tel 034 983-2540
https://www.ithala.info/
https://www.ekznw.co.za/Resorts/Ithala/Ithala.htm
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Falling in love with Ithala Game Reserve
Tembe Elephant Park - a Big Five game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal
At the foot of Ghost Mountain: serene spaces and lots to do
Note that, apart from the tarred road between the entrance gate and Ntshondwe resort, the roads at Ithala are rugged, so you need a high clearance or 4x4 vehicle for driving around the park.
Ithala Game Reserve
Tel 034 983-2540
https://www.ithala.info/
https://www.ekznw.co.za/Resorts/Ithala/Ithala.htm
You may also like
Falling in love with Ithala Game Reserve
Tembe Elephant Park - a Big Five game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal
At the foot of Ghost Mountain: serene spaces and lots to do
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