I have just returned from a trip to Itaga, which is a honeymooners paradise.

Itaga is located in the Warmbath area nestling in the shadows of the Waterberg Mountains and is home to the big 5 in a malaria free area. The road trip from Johannesburg is a comfortable 2 hour ride.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the manager of the lodge and our luggage was taken in to the lodge and our car parked for us. Check in was personal and accompanied by a welcome drink and towels. We were taken to our lodge which overlooked the waterhole where a resident hippo was taking his bath. What stuck me most was the tranquillity of the area, the silence being punctuated by the sound of the indigenous birds.

The thatched central area of the lodge has a truly romantic feel with an intimate lounge and fireplace, a cocktail bar for those long lazy drinks on the viewing deck overlooking the waterhole. There is an elevated observation deck from which the views across the plains are rather breath taking and the quiet solitude makes for a perfect place to enjoy the African sunsets.

Our individual chalet was pure luxury with climate control, a beautifully decorated bed with crisp white sheets which made you look forward to going to sleep. Our chalet had an indoor and outdoor bush shower, giving one the feeling of that exhilarating ' Out of Africa ' experience. High tea was served at around three in the afternoon and was absolutely gorgeous. The platters had home made muffins, both sweet and savoury, sandwiches, canapés and strawberries dipped in coconut chocolate ' most decadent.'

Shortly after this divine food eaten on the deck, we slowly made our way down to the 4 x 4 to board for our evening game drive, however not before being asked what we preferred to have for sundowners. Lazarus was our guide and driver and proved to be most knowledgeable and was an excellent tracker in spotting an enormous amount of game.
We observed Elephants seriously close up, followed by a white Rhinoceros and her baby, herds of buffalo and wildebeest, then giraffe and numerous buck every where. I was amazed that we saw all of this in less than two hours. We stopped to watch the sunset and enjoyed the drinks that Lazarus had packed along with platters of biltong and canapés.

Dinner that evening was in the dining area and the atmosphere was very romantic. Earlier on we were requested our order for dinner and there was a choice between three starters, three mains and three deserts.
I chose the Roquefort salad starter, roast lamb and crème caramel. The food was all freshly and individually prepared with attention to detail, a most divine meal. The wine list is excellent and our dinner was truly perfect. After dinner drinks could be enjoyed around the boma whilst sharing your experiences of the wild life.

The following morning after a good cup of coffee and homemade rusks we awaited our early morning game drive. Lazarus had warm blankets as well as coffee and rusks prepared for our trip. There is something magical about setting off early as it is the beginning of a new day. We spotted an entire family of hippos basking in the early morning sun near an enormous water hole, elephants, zebra and giraffe were spotted and all fairly close, which made for excellent photography. The bird life is abundant so if you are an avid orthonoligist this is the place for you. We enjoyed an almost three hour game drive which was punctuated by a coffee and homemade Rusk, break at an interesting little village, home to old cars and old artefacts. On the route back to the lodge we passed a large expanse of water home to hippos and a variety of birds.
Breakfast was absolutely divine. There was a choice of fresh fruit, cereals and homemade breads and muffins. I ordered two fried eggs with sausages and whole wheat toast. The meal was without the usual grease and the eggs perfectly cooked and fresh. The Earl Gray tea was great. The staff in every aspect were lovely and this is most important as your every need is catered for in a professional and friendly way.

The entire experience was incredible and I would make this my first choice for either a special birthday or anniversary and I highly recommend this for a honeymoon, it is the perfect choice.