The jolly, familiar chatter of a darkcapped bulbul from a nearby tree reminds me how relaxing it is to sit in a suburban garden full of birds. But then, further away, from the densely wooded valley below, I hear the call of a purple-crested turaco. And later, the babylike howl of a trumpeter hornbill. These aren’t garden birds – these are birds that tell you you’re in a wild, exotic place.
I took a late afternoon drive from Ntshondwe, the main rest camp at Ithala Game Reserve. Almost immediately out of the camp gate, I turned left onto a dirt track. The main entrance road from the nearby town of Louwsburg is tarred all the way to Ntshondwe, but within the reserve most roads are dirt, and some, like the Nghubu Loop I’m on now, are 4x4 tracks. But the first couple of hundred metres were easy to traverse and brought me to the Mgamgela viewpoint.
Ithala is richly blessed with viewpoints where you can get out of your car and sit on a bench or stand on a deck to observe the landscape. In fact, even though you’ll see enough wildlife on a game drive, this activity of just sitting and looking is one of the best things you can do in Ithala. It allows you to engage with nature in a quiet, unhurried way. Without the hum of your car’s engine and aircon, you can hear the birds and insects, smell the warm, green excess of summer and experience something of the texture of the landscape: stony ground, mossy tree trunks, prickly grass seeds.
この記事は go! - South Africa の August/September 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は go! - South Africa の August/September 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
The wilder shore
The final leg of a 30-day trek across East Africa sees lan Tyrer and the Africa - Wild & Untamed crew explore both shores of Lake Malawi. Get ready for an overloaded ferry, a croc attack and being surrounded by elephants...
A river runs through it
Sabie is onthe Drakensberg escaromentialongMpumalanga’s famous Panorama Route. Want a weekend away surrounded by forests and waterfalls? Here's wnat you need to know.
TAKE A HIKE
Harkerville's mini Otter
Sweet & juicy!
This issue's recipes all include lush seasonal fruit like nectarines, plums and apricots. Enjoy!
Big mountain magic
On a clear day, as you approach the Cathedral Peak Hotel, it happens involuntarily: You start to grin. You'll be standing up there soon, gazing over this valley, and the scuttling of ground-level life will seem irrelevant. Join us on a five-day adventure into the heart of the high Drakensberg
Your next weekend away
A self-catering house in the Tankwa, a campsite next to the Orange River, a guest farm near the Drakensberg... Toast Coetzer travelled a lot last year: Here are six of his favourite places to stay if you're planning a road trip or weekend escape.
A life through binoculars
If the name Hugh Chittenden sounds familiar, it's probably because you see it every time you use your Roberts Bird Guide he's one of the co-authors. He lives in Mtunzini on the KZN coast and birding is as much part of his day as a cup of coffee.
Wanderlust in the park
All great cities have great parks, writes Dara Kell: spaces where you can exhale and slough off the stress and grime of urban life.
The Kalahari remembers
The Kalahari is a place of magic and heartache, where drought is an ever-present threat. Drive a loop from Upington to the Kuruman River and discover soulful landscapes, brilliant skies and resilient people who never give up.
Take a Hike
Hug a baobab in the Bushveld