Tag Archives: Ntshondwe Resort

Our 2018 in pictures

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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

 

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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
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
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)
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
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Tawny-flanked Prinia
White-bellied Bustards
White-crested Helmetshrike
Yellow-billed Kite
Yellow-breasted Apalis
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Yellow-throated Petronia

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)
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
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)

Ntshondwe Landscape

 

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
Icon of Ithala
Icon of Ithala
Icon of Ithala
Icon of Ithala

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

Plains zebra
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
Zebra altercation
Zebra altercation
Zebra altercation
Zebra altercation
Zebra altercation
Zebra altercation

…And some are downright scary!

Enormous earthworm
Wolf 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
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
Ithala scenery
Ithala scenery
Ithala scenery
Ithala scenery
Ithala scenery
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)

Pretoria to Ithala
(drawn with Google Maps)

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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