Bridget Hilton-Barber : Unspoilt places
The views at Itala Game Reserve in KwaZulu- Natal are so gorgeous they should be prescribed by optometrists. From the highveld plateau in the east to the Ngubu Basin in the west, the land falls steeply and spectacularly a drop of almost 1 000m. The drive from the nearest village will scorch your brake-pads and sear into your retinas images of unforgettable profundity. Under moody skies, countless cosmic puppies wriggle under a grassy, green blanket. Forget funky screen savers this is the real thing!
Once something of the Cinderella of the Natal Parks Boards reserves, Itala has now slipped its foot into that metaphorical glass slipper to become one of the finest at their wilderness ball. Itala has won the AA (thats Automobile Association in case youre wondering) award for best public rest-camp two years in a row which means along with the views comes great service and that particular state of relaxedness that only ever happens when things work properly. You wont find families of mice under your mattress for example, or shattered lightbulbs in the bedroom. The loos will flush, the kettles will boil, and you, my friends, will not have to concern yourself with tedious detail.
Ntshondwe, the main camp at Itala, snuggles under the shadowy eaves of a vast, crumbling cliff. This is not a world of ostentatious, whitewashed cattle ranch style entrance or fake Spanish villas. Itala is simple, integrated, unpretentious. The thatched roofs of the main camp peak out from the treetops, shaded brick paths lead from the main complex to a series of cosy chalets. Theyre all self-catering but if youre not in the mood for happy camper cooking, you can amble on down to the Kraal Restaurant where you wont encounter nouvelle cuisine lurking under lettuce leaves, but you will find fine home-style cooking in the form of things like chicken and prawn curry, guineafowl pie and hearty rumps.
Like your views at Itala, your action options are wide open. You can spend early mornings on the wooden terrace overlooking a waterhole; afternoons on the sundeck watching the sun soften the contrasts between peaks and valleys. Twitchers can head straight for the on-site bird hide; strollers can disappear into the hills. If youre in lizard-mode you can bask in the sun alongside the pool; if youre seized with inspired energy, you can hit the trail with a game guard.
There are daily duskndawn game drives from Ntshondwe, but if youd rather avoid that particular brand of khaki-clad formality, the thing to do is pack a picnic and head off in your own car to one of the picnic spots along the banks of the lazy Pongola River. The routes are well-marked and thoroughly signposted even sub- standard passenger seat navigators cant go wrong. This might be wild, untamed territory, but, thankfully, the Natal Parks Board has taken into account the fact that most visitors are more at home negotiating densely peopled suburban traffic than real live zebra crossings.
A series of idiot-proof day drives criss- cross the reserve through this delightfully undulating countryside, where wild animals appear like surprises as you round the bends. White rhinos browse under thorn trees; giraffe step like dignitaries across grassy stages. Plump zebras graze alongside herds of wildebeest and tsessebe; waterbuck turn their cheeky white-ringed bottoms as you pass. There are gangs of scurrying warthogs, herds of prancing, wide-eyed impala.
For those whove invested wisely or have a little more disposable income, Ntshondwe camp also has a luxury lodge, and for those who would rather not share their wilderness experience with strangers, there are three self-catering bushcamps Mbize, Thula and Mhlangeni dotted about the reserves wilder reaches.
Here you can play Out of Africa to your hearts content, knowing all the while that residents of neighbouring communities are not cruelly enslaved under colonialism, but get free access into the park, provided they can prove their residential authenticity. Thats the thing about Itala its a playground underpinned by good old PC professionalism.
For more information contact the Natal Parks Board at (0331) 47-1981