Nestling in the shadows of the Waterberg Mountains, near Bela-Bela (formerly Warmbaths), Itaga Luxury Private Game Lodge is located in the greater Mabalingwe Nature Reserve - a Malaria free area of Limpopo Province, South Africa and home to the 'Big 5'. It takes only 2 hours to reach Itaga from Johannesburg and just over an hour from Pretoria, travelling via the national Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) road - one of the country's finest scenic highways.

Itaga has earned a proud reputation as an exclusive but affordable 5 Star lodging establishment, and also offers an intimate venue and experience for small scale conferences and special functions.

Itaga offers 8 unique, individually styled African themed thatch chalets. Each unit is tastefully furnished with climate control air-conditioning for maximum comfort in warm summers or cool winters. The rooms have private pergola covered patios with comfortable outdoor furniture, perfect for lazy afternoons.

Guests have a choice of either shower and bath or shower only. Most of the rooms also have a screened outdoor bush shower, for that exhilarating 'Out of Africa' experience! All rooms are equipped with electric hairdryers and power sockets for shaving equipment. All rooms are non-smoking.

Superior rooms also include tea and coffee making facilities, guaranteed inside and outside shower, digital safe, special bathroom amenities, bath robes, slippers and late check out (1pm instead of 11am).

Itaga Luxury Private Game Lodge's thatched central complex has a romantically appointed dining area; an intimate lounge with feature fireplace; a cocktail bar with viewing deck overlooking the floodlit waterhole; a cozy open-air bush boma; an all day tea & coffee refreshment station for the convenience of our guests; a DSTV loft lounge and library; a gift, curio and fashion goods boutique; a swimming pool with large sundeck, and indoor / outdoor conference facilities catering for up to 16 corporate delegates.

The 'upper deck' offers stunning views across the plains and the quiet solitude of this private location makes it the perfect place to witness sensational sunsets, whilst savouring the moment with a sundowner cocktail.

For the safety of our guests (and the protection of our Marula trees from mischievous elephant), the area surrounding the camp is encircled by an electrified game fence.

Itaga Lodge is renowned for its excellent service and fine cuisine, complemented by a selection of South Africa's best wines. We also offer a choice of popular liqueurs, cognacs and imported cigars for after dinner enjoyment. Please be warned that your dinner may be interrupted by a minor distraction when a thirsty Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, or one of the many other game species that frequent our floodlit waterhole, stops by for a visit!.

Breakfast is a scrumptious brunch served either at the pool deck or in the main dining area shortly after the early morning game drive returns. It usually comprises of juices, cereals, breads, a selection of fresh fruit, yoghurt, cheeses and cold meats, as well as a hearty "cooked to order" South African breakfast.

High Tea is usually presented at the cocktail bar shortly before the afternoon game drive departs. It generally includes fruit, pastries, cakes, savories and sandwiches, served with tea or coffee.

Dinner is a three course white tablecloth candlelight affair in our romantic restaurant which is situated directly opposite the floodlit waterhole. We offer a choice of 3 starters (usually the soup of the day, a salad dish and the chef's selection); a choice of 3 main courses (usually a vegetarian meal, chicken or fish and the chef's main course recommendation). This is followed by your choice from our selection of 3 popular deserts, or a cheese platter.

Snack Menu: Our snack menu is available from 10 am to 5 pm each day. It offers a selection of light meals (hamburgers, salads, sandwiches, quiches, etc), for those who may feel the need for a light snack in-between meals.

Game viewing

Itaga Lodge has traversing rights over more than 12, 000 hectares of good game country - home to Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Hippo, Buffalo, Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest, Hyena, Warthog, a wide variety of antelope and bountiful bird life. Guests can enjoy an early morning and afternoon game drives with an experienced tracker / ranger from the comfort of our open 4 x 4 game vehicles, with individually contoured bucket seats for the comfort of each passenger.

Like many other private game reserves, the lions in our reserve are contained in a separate high security, fenced area of the reserve. Visits to the lion enclosure at Mabalingwe should be pre-booked after arrival and will be subject to space availability, based on the limited number of permitted visitors for each scheduled game drive / viewing experience. Visitors are not always guaranteed to see the lions as they can be elusive!

Other activities

Resident guests at Itaga Lodge have access to the superb 5 star Zebula Golf Estate & Spa. It is located just 20 minutes drive from the Lodge, via our private access road through the reserve with an opportunity for an additional game drive along the way.

This pristine 2, 600 hectare bushveld resort and nature reserve was voted "Best New Golf Estate" in South Africa when it opened in 2004. It boasts a sensational 18 hole world class Peter Matkovich designed golf course. Green fees, hire of golf clubs & golf carts are available to guests of Itaga Lodge at special member rates and transfers to / from Zebula can be provided by the Lodge in our 4 x 4 vehicles.

Other facilities at the Zebula Country Club include:- a Restaurant; a Cocktail Bar; the Half Way House for fast food and snacks; a Bush Boma; Shopping (convenience store, curios, gifts, clothing and golf accessory items from the Pro shop and Beauty products from the Spa); Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi; Squash and Tennis Courts; fully equipped Gymnasium; a large Bird Aviary; Meerkat Manor; a Snake and Reptile Centre and the world class, award winning Zebu Health and Beauty Spa.

This private estate is also home to an extensive variety of free roaming indigenous "non predator" plains game with unique and abundant bird life. The Animal Care Centre provides an opportunity for visitors to be photographed with Lion Cubs or baby Bengal Tigers and the famous Zebula "Cheetah Run" is a chance to learn more about these fast and fascinating felines as you experience the exhilaration of seeing them reach exceed speeds of almost 100 kilometres an hour.

In addition to the popular Golf and Spa attractions at Zebula, various other nearby optional activities and local excursions can be arranged and paid for at Itaga Lodge. This includes:- Elephant tracking; Night game drives; Guided Horseback trails; Quad Bike Safaris; Clay Pigeon Target Shooting; Fishing; Birding; the Lion enclosure at Mabalingwe Nature Reserve or a visit to the nearby Cheetah and Wild Dog Breeding Centre which is highly recommended.

Due to its close proximity to Pretoria and Johannesburg, Itaga Luxury Private Game Lodge is the ultimate, intimate 'bush break' venue for small corporate conferences or special events, from 6 to 16 people. Our indoor / outdoor conference facilities can be configured to meet your precise requirements and we can provide flip charts, overhead projector, TV, video equipment etc., for your convenience. Tea and coffee refreshments can be served on the upper deck, which offers spectacular elevated views across the plains.

For total exclusivity and privacy, conference groups are encouraged to take over the entire lodge for the duration of their stay. The dining area and waterhole viewing deck are ideal for smaller breakaway group working sessions or for 'open air' conference meetings, where the only distraction may be the occasional visit from Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo or other game, to our waterhole!

Rates for conferences and groups are available on request, depending on meal requirements, game drives and the optional activities program selected.

A minimum stay of two nights is required if a Friday or Saturday night is included. Rates vary for midweek (Sunday - Thursday) and Weekend (Friday - Saturday, Public Holidays) stays.

All Standard Prices Include:
Luxury climate controlled, en-suite accommodation; welcome drink on arrival; scrumptious brunch; high tea with savouries; three course candlelight dinner; two game drives per day in our open 4 x 4 game viewers; complimentary tea; coffee and biscuits available from our self service refreshment station throughout the day.

Please enquire about frequent specials and package offers.

PLEASE NOTE: A high season supplement of R200 per person per night on all rates will apply during the period from 11 June to 10th July 2010.