Tag Archives: Ithala Game Reserve

Our 2018 in pictures

Taking a look back at all the wonderful places we stayed at while exploring South Africa’s wild destinations in 2018.

We hope that 2019 will be kind to all our friends here at de Wets Wild, and that we’ll continue to share in each others adventures!

Skukuza Unit 210, Kruger National Park, March 2018

Twanana Research Camp, Kruger National Park, March & May 2018

Haak-en-Steek Cottage, Mokala NP, April 2018

Chalet 26 at Augrabies Falls National Park, June 2018

Cottage 25 at Twee Rivieren, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, June 2018

Cottage 1 at Mata Mata, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, June 2018

Cottage 8 at Nossob, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, June 2018

Chalet 24 at Twee Rivieren, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, June 2018

Ntshondwe Chalet #20, Ithala Game Reserve, August 2018

Camping at Bakgatla, Pilanesberg National Park, November 2018

Umlalazi Log Cabin #1, December 2018

Chalet 16 at Mpila in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, December 2018

High time we went back to Ithala!

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This past Women’s Day long weekend afforded us the opportunity to make a long overdue return visit to one of our favourite South African wild places – the Ithala Game Reserve in northern Kwazulu-Natal. We’ve been singing the praises of this little known yet exceptionally scenic reserve for as long as this blog’s been running and if you’d like to see all our posts about Ithala and learn more about it please follow this link.

While the weekend’s weather ranged from cold, wet and blustery to glorious sunshine, that didn’t curtail our explorations in the least. How could it, when the majestic scenery is so rewarding!?

Mountain stream at Ithala

Pongola River

Low hanging clouds over Ngotshe Mountain

A viewpoint in the mountains

The Pongola River flowing far below

Inclement weather over Ithala

Sunset glowing on Ngotshe

Ngubhu stream

Ngotshe in morning light

And, when the sun came out, so did the butterflies and various kinds of reptiles!

Common Dwarf Gecko

Rainforest Brown

Variable Skink

Barberton Girdled Lizard

Ithala has a rich variety of bird species and many of them are easily seen and photographed in Ntshondwe, the reserve’s main camp.

African Dusky Flycatcher

Amethyst Sunbird

African Firefinch (male)

Southern Bald Ibis

Blue Waxbill

Cape Batis (male)

Cape Glossy Starling

Cape Rock-Thrush (male)

Cape White-eye

Chinspot Batis (female)

Common Waxbill

Eastern Nicator

Familiar Chat

Fork-tailed Drongo

Mocking Cliff Chat (male)

Olive Woodpecker

African Pied Wagtail

Purple-crested Turaco

Red-billed Oxpeckers

Red-capped Robin Chat

Scarlet-chested Sunbird

Male Southern Double-collared Sunbird

Tawny-flanked Prinia

White-bellied Bustards

White-crested Helmetshrike

Yellow-billed Kite

Yellow-breasted Apalis

Yellow-throated Longclaw

Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow

And of course, what would a “game reserve” be without a rich assortment of large animals? Ithala never disappoints in its variety of mammals, and especially the giraffes (Ithala’s emblem) were out in force!

Blue Wildebeest

Rock Hyrax (Dassie)

Acrobatic Rock Hyrax (Dassie)

Rock Hyrax (Dassie)

Eland bull

A warning well worth heeding!

Elephant cresting a hill

Elephant bull

Iconic Ithala: Giraffe and Ngotshe Mountain

Giraffe calf nibbling on tender shoots

Giraffe at a gallop

Giraffe bull

Newly born Giraffe calf

Common Duiker lamb

Impala Ram with Red-billed Oxpeckers

Kudu calf

Young Kudu bull

Mountain Reedbuck pair

Mountain Reedbuck ewe hiding from the cold morning air

Nyala ewe

Nyala bull

Red Hartebeest

Southern Reedbuck

Steenbok

Thoughtful Vervet Monkey

Grooming Vervet Monkeys

Warthog on the run!

Waterbuck bull

We spent three nights at Ithala, staying in comfort in Ntshondwe’s chalet #20. Ithala’s a relaxed 6 hour drive on good tarred roads from our home in Pretoria.

Ntshondwe Chalet #20, Ithala Game Reserve, August 2018

Pretoria to Ithala
(drawn with Google Maps)

Our 2016 in pictures

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Looking back on another year of enjoying South Africa’s beautiful wild places!

Camping at Bakgatla, Pilanesberg National Park, February 2016

Golden Gate Hotel & Chalets, February 2016

Ntshondwe Chalet 34, Ithala Game Reserve, March 2016

Ntshondwe Chalet 15, Ithala Game Reserve, March 2016

Umlalazi Log Cabin, March 2016

Our camping setup at Bontle, Marakele National Park – April 2016

Bungalow 12 at Lower Sabie, May 2016

Olifants bungalow 23, May 2016

Satara Cottage 85, June 2016 (photo taken on a visit in 2012)

Mopani Cottage 43, July 2016

Haak-en-Steek Cottage, Mokala National Park, August 2016

Camping at Kgaswane, October 2016

Nyathi Camp unit #3, Addo Elephant Park, October 2016

OuKlip’s luxury safari tents (in Dinokeng Game Reserve)

Glen Reenen, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Unit 27, December 2016

Thendele Chalet 27, Royal Natal National Park, December 2016

Mpila Chalet 21, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, December 2016

Landscape

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This week’s WordPress Photo Challenge, Landscape, seems the perfect excuse to post this panoramic view of Ntshondwe, the main accommodation facility in Ithala Game Reserve, the subject of our weekly feature.

(You may have to click on the image and then enlarge it further to fully appreciate the resort’s magnificent setting)

Back to Ithala

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Our regular followers and friends here at de Wets Wild will know that Ithala Game Reserve, in the north of Kwazulu-Natal Province between the towns of Vryheid and Pongola, is one of our favourite wild destinations. This lesser known conservation area has an amazing diversity of fauna and flora, dramatic scenery, great accommodation facilities, lovely picnic sites and a most hospitable staff compliment. Our latest visit in March 2016 came just six months after our previous visit in September 2015, and by now we’ve probably told you all we know about Ithala in earlier posts.

In this post we’ll only be sharing a few photos from our latest visit and let the pictures do most of the talking.

The stately giraffe is Ithala’s emblem…

Icon of Ithala

… and they share the reserve with a multitude of other wildlife

Plains zebra

Vervet monkey

White with black stripes, I suppose?

Rock hyrax, or dassie

Waterbuck

Male collared sunbird

Cisticola

Jumping impala

Impala lamb

Young kudu

Older kudu

Grey duiker

Waterbuck

Rock hyrax, or dassie

African Firefinch (female)

Not all of them are always peaceful…

Zebra altercation

…And some are downright scary!

Enormous earthworm

Rain Spider, the size of a cake plate!

Corn Cricket

While out walking on one of the trails…

View over Ntshondwe from one of the trails

Nature reigns even inside Ntshondwe

Sandstone cliffs along the Bushbuck Trail

Along one of Ntshondwe’s trails

This small cave, on the bushbuck trail, is often used by porcupines

No one home today though…

Sandstone cliffs along the Bushbuck Trail

…be sure to keep a look out for the smaller fry…

Variable skink

CMR Blister Beetle and honeysuckle

Watch where you’re driving!

Barberton Girdled Lizard

Butterflies abound in Ntshondwe’s gardens. This is a Green-banded Swallowtail

Honeybee and honeysuckle

… if you don’t find the grand scenery too distracting!

Ithala scenery

The comfortable accommodation almost goes to waste as you spend so much time enjoying the wonders of Ithala outdoors!

Ntshondwe Chalet 34, Ithala Game Reserve, March 2016

Ntshondwe Chalet 15, Ithala Game Reserve, March 2016

Pretoria to Ithala
(drawn with Google Maps)

Honey

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The honeysuckles are in full bloom here in Ntshondwe, Ithala’s main camp, attracting swarms of busy honeybees.

Ithala 21 March 2016

Iconic Ithala

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The giraffe is the emblem of Ithala Game Reserve, and this afternoon we were treated to one providing such a spectacular pose that it just begged to be posted as our “photo of the day”!

Ithala 20 March 2016

Kicking off the Easter 2016 holidays!

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It’s the start of the Easter Holidays in South Africa, and we kick it off at Ithala Game Reserve, one of our favourites!

Ithala 19 March 2016

Our 2015 in pictures

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Looking back at the marvelous places we stayed at while exploring South Africa’s wild places in 2015 😀

Glen Reenen, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, December 2014

Comfortable log cabin accommodation at Forever Resorts Loskop Dam

Glen Reenen at night (April 2015)

Kamberg, May 2015

Camping at Kgaswane, May 2015

Cabin 18 at Cape Vidal, iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Mpila cottage 17

Lower Sabie Tent 26, July 2015

Sweni Wilderness Trail hut, July 2015

Thendele Chalet 23

Ntshondwe Unit 15, Ithala Game Reserve, September 2015

Mopani bungalow no3

Mockford Cottage, Pafuri Border Camp

Lower Sabie cottage 93, December 2015

Olifants Rest Camp, unit 14, December 2015

Shingwedzi Cottage 29, December 2015

> Glen Reenen, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, January 2015

> Forever Resorts Loskop Dam, Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, April 2015

> Glen Reenen, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, April 2015

> Kamberg Nature Reserve, uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, May 2015

> Kgaswane Mountain Reserve, May 2015

> Cape Vidal, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, June 2015

> Mpila, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, July 2015

> Lower Sabie, Kruger National Park, July 2015

> Sweni Wilderness Trail, Kruger National Park, July 2015

> Thendele, Royal Natal National Park, uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, August 2015

> Ntshondwe, Ithala Game Reserve, September 2015

> Mopani Rest Camp, Kruger National Park, October 2015

> Pafuri Border Camp, Kruger National Park, October 2015

> Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi, Kruger National Park, December 2015 (trip reports to follow soon!)

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