From the unhurried village of Louwsburg on the R69, a tarred road descends a steep escarpment to the wilderness of Itala, a 296-square-kilometre tract of grassland with dramatic mountain scenery and densely wooded valleys.

The reserve was established in 1972, and over the years 13 farms have become one of South Africa’s top sanctuaries. The Phongolo River flows along the northern boundary for some 37 kilometres. seven tributaries have carved the deep valleys that dissect this park and enhance its scenic splendour. The Ngoje escarpment rises dramatically to 1,446 meters, providing a striking backdrop to Itala’s game-viewing roads.

Game-viewing at Itala is excellent. Visitors will see white rhino, giraffe, hartebeest, kudu, eland, impala, wildebeest, warthog and zebra, as well as the only population in KwaZulu-Natal of the rare tsessebe antelope. Elephant, buffalo, leopard and black rhino are also present, but are generally more difficult to locate.