PHINDA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE | Luxury Lodge

Bordering the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park - a World Heritage Site - Phinda comprises 22 000 hectares (54 500 acres) of prime conservation land. Seven distinct habitats shelter an abundance of wildlife including Africa's Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, black and white rhino, buffalo) and over 380 bird species, while the marine diversity off the nearby coast of Sodwana is said to rival the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Guests can look forward to exciting game-drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles led by experienced rangers and Zulu trackers, as well as thrilling optional activities on the water, in the air and on the beach.

Exhilarating Walking Safaris are accommodated in spacious en suite safari tents, offering an incredible up close and personal experience of Phinda's pristine wilderness.

Spend seven glorious days exploring the seven habitats of Phinda Private Game Reserve, with no less than 14 adventures to experience.

Accommodation

SAFARI LODGES AT PHINDA, SOUTH AFRICA

Seven intimate safari lodges - Phinda is world-renowned for its exclusive and unique safari accommodation situated in one of Africa's most ecologically diverse regions. Its splendid lodges capture the magical flair of the African bush, offering guests a unique safari experience never to be forgotten.

Enjoy delicious Pan-African cuisine in dramatic bomas (outdoor dining areas) illuminated by dozens of candles and lanterns, or served to you in a spectacular clearing in the bush under a star-studded sky. Phinda is renowned for wonderful bush banqueting in surprising settings.

PHINDA FOREST LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Sumptuous safari lodge

Set deep in the heart of the rare Dry Sand Forest, the spectacular stilted suites of this award-winning safari lodge are an exemplary exercise in building eco-sensitive structures with a light footprint.

Wake up to the sight of graceful nyala and duiker browsing in the foliage of the Sand Forest right outside the glass walls of your private suite. Inventively designed in what is often called "Zulu-Zen", each suite is a combination of glass, wood and minimalist design incorporating high-gloss wooden floors and crimson Zulu artefacts.

PHINDA MOUNTAIN LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Scenic African safari lodge

With wrap-around views of the spectacular Ubombo Mountains and the South African bushveld below, Mountain Lodge is set apart from other safari lodges due to its dramatic location.

Observe the serenity of the South African wilderness from your private deck, surrounded by the indigenous trees and shrubbery of the pristine Zululand bushveld. Each suite features a comfortable sitting area below the large beds. Paved pathways lead down the mountainside from the main guest areas to the spacious suites - a subtly executed blend of avant-garde and ethnic design.

PHINDA VLEI LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Sophisticated safari lodge

Fringing Phinda's unique vlei (wetland) system, this gracious safari lodge is a study of intimacy and integration with the African bush.

Watch the drama of South Africa's wilderness unfold while relaxing in your private plunge pool. Each suite - decorated in a subtle blend of North and West African styles with hints of Balinese influences - overlooks the grassy vlei, where you're likely to see a dazzling variety of wildlife including herds of zebra and grazing antelope. The atmosphere is exclusive and personal, a mixture of understated sophistication and sheer luxury.

PHINDA ROCK LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Unique African architecture

Set into a cliff-face overlooking the beautiful Leopard Rock, this safari lodge is an absolute delight. Its intimate suites are seemingly suspended over the deep valley below, providing breathtaking views.

Capture fiery sunsets from the game viewing deck suspended over South Africa's bushveld, or relax in your private sitting room while observing an abundance of birdlife in the trees surrounding this safari lodge and animals in the valley below.

Activities

SAFARI ACTIVITIES

A range of fun-filled activities at no extra cost.

Twice-daily game-drives

Enjoy exceptional Big Five game viewing in open 4x4 safari vehicles with experienced rangers and Zulu trackers.

Interpretive Bush Walks

Learn more about the traditional uses and the legends surrounding indigenous trees and shrubs, as well as how to identify tracks and see rare birds on walks led by armed rangers and trackers.

Mzinene River Canoeing

Catch sight of some of Phinda's incredible birdlife while paddling along the river - flanked by lush riverine forest with huge fever and sycamore fig trees - in a sturdy canoe.

Mzinene Riverboat Cruise

Watch a magnificent sunrise or sunset while enjoying a leisurely cruise along the Mzinene River in Phinda's riverboat. See some of the 200 or more waterbirds, as well as crocodiles and hippos lazing about.

White Rhino Tracking

Set off with your professional armed ranger and tracker in a 4x4 safari vehicle, searching for fresh signs of white rhino activity. When tracks are found, experience the quiet thrill of tracking white rhino on foot.

BEACH AND BUSH ADVENTURES

At an additional cost, enjoy these awesome expeditions.

Flight of the Fish Eagle

Experience a breathtaking 60-minute flight over the diverse Maputaland wilderness of scenic pans, coastal lakes, bushveld, densely vegetated dunes and wildlife, and spot whales, whalesharks, dolphins and turtles in the magnificent Indian Ocean.

Scuba Safaris

A 15-minute flight and short drive takes you to one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Diving the reefs of Sodwana Bay allows you to experience a portrait of marine diversity, with approximately 1200 species of fish and spectacular coral formations. (Can be combined with Maputaland Beach Adventures)

Deep-sea Fishing

Fly to Sodwana Bay - a fisherman's paradise inside a Marine Reserve - where a short drive takes you to your 25-foot sport fishing boat rigged for bill (marlin and sailfish), game (barracuda, yellowfin tuna and kingfish) and shark fishing. Phinda supports 'catch-and-release' procedures for deep-sea fishing.

Maputaland Beach Adventures

A 15-minute flight and a short drive in a specially designed 4x4 beach vehicle takes you to the beautiful beach at Jesser Point. Depending on the tides, you will be driven to a secluded spot where you can enjoy snorkelling, swimming, or simply sunning on the endless beach, as well as a delicious picnic.

Beach Horse Riding

A 45-minute drive from Phinda takes you to the beach for an exhilarating one-hour ride followed by a scrumptious picnic snack. (Can be combined with Maputaland Beach Adventures)

False Bay Horse Riding

Enjoy the unmatched delight of riding well-schooled horses through False Bay Nature Reserve. A 1.5 hour ride takes you through the rare Dry Sand Forest habitat and along the picturesque False Bay lakeside. After the ride, relax and enjoy a delightful picnic snack while the horses rest at the water's edge.

Night Turtle Drives (seasonal)

A 45-minute drive from Phinda takes you to meet your beach ranger who will show you the wonders of the beach at night. In season, loggerhead turtles and gigantic leatherback turtles make the strenuous trail up the beach to lay their eggs - a humbling experience. Depending on the tides, you will either enjoy snacks, drinks and hot toddies on the beach or a delicious surfside supper.

Isikolethu ('Our Culture') Community Experience

Experience the wonders and diversity of the Zulu culture while exploring the Mduku, Mnqobokazi and Nibela rural communities surrounding the Reserve. Guests will depart after breakfast at 10h00, enjoying visits to Macebo crèche, the Sangoma (witch doctor), Ngubane Homestead and Mdluli Ancestoral Home. After an action-packed morning, guests will return to Phinda in time for a late lunch and their afternoon game-drive.

Specialist Activities (supplements payable)

PHINDA WALKING SAFARIS

Phinda Walking Safaris offer an exhilarating walking adventure in Phinda's pristine wilderness, guaranteeing an exceptional and interpretive South African wildlife safari experience.

Nothing can compare to seeing the incredible natural beauty of Phinda Private Game Reserve on foot. The lush forests, pristine bushveld and captivating vleis are alive with birdsong, insects and the sounds of the South African bush. Discover the adrenaline rush of encountering animals on foot whilst enjoying a three- to five-hour morning walk, and short pre-sunset walk and night-drive combination. Identify tracks and insects, birdwatch, and learn more about Phinda's diverse habitats and facinating ecology.

Exceptional game viewing

Whether observing a herd of elephant from a safe distance or tracking rhino, the excitement is never far off. Thrilling evening walks are followed by dramatic night game-drives that reveal the thrilling world of predators on the hunt.

Safety on a Walking Safari is our highest priority

Rangers undergo intensive specialised instruction at Inkwazi Ranger Training School at Phinda, and each Walking Safari begins with a comprehensive briefing on how to behave when encountering animals on foot. An armed ranger and tracker accompany guests throughout.

PHINDA'S SPECIALIST SAFARI PACKAGES

A memorable safari experience

Extraordinary and unique itineraries - tailored with infinite attention to detail - expert guides, and the exclusive use of a 4x4 vehicle ensure an unforgettable African safari experience.

Bush Skills Adventure @ Phinda

Stalking cautiously through the bush, tracking a rhino, shooting targets in a remote riverbed and rifle skills training are some of the exciting activities experienced on this four-day, three-night adventure. If you're a daring decision maker, and would like to learn game-ranging skills from Phinda's knowledgeable rangers and trackers, this safari is just for you.

Subject to availability to of Specialist Ranger and Tracker.

Cost: Call Amanzi Travel now for current prices
Duration: 3 Nights, 4 Days
Age: 18 years and older

Birding @ Phinda

With over 480 bird species in Maputaland, this safari led by Phinda's expert birding guides is the ultimate experience for avid birders. Enjoy exceptional birding at Nibela, Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, Dlinza Forest's Aerial Canopy Boardwalk in Eshowe, and throughout Phinda with its bountiful array of birdlife, including Rudd's Apalis, Neergaard's sunbird and Narina Trogon, in your own private 4x4 safari vehicle.

Subject to availability to of Specialist Ranger and Tracker.

Cost: Min 1, max 6 guests - excluding accommodation - call Amanzi Travel now for current prices
Duration: Nightly rate
Age: 6 years and older

Rhino-Darting Safaris @ Phinda

This remarkable three-night four-day safari offers you the opportunity to participate in Phinda's exciting rhino-darting programme. Under the supervision of experts, the rhino is darted in order to plant microchips in their horns and perform ear notching for future identification - an essential task to ensure the preservation of this endangered species.

Subject to availability to of Specialist Ranger and Tracker.

Only available from April - September.

Cost: Min 1, max 6 guests - excluding accommodation - call Amanzi Travel now for current prices
Duration: 3 Nights, 4 Days
Age: 16 years and older

7 Wonders in 7 Days @ Phinda

Understand the social behaviour of resident lion prides. Contribute to Phinda's leopard research program. Discover Phinda's elephant herd dynamics. Identify Phinda Star Birds. Track black rhino on foot. Soar above Zululand on the Flight of the Fish Eagle. Gallop along the beach or beautiful forest trails. Photograph Phinda's cheetahs from close up. Visit Phinda's neighbouring communities. Experience Phinda's diversity on a full day walk. Sleep out under a million stars. Cruise on the Mzinene River. Scuba dive in one of the world's top 10 dive sites. ...with a perfect ending - a 7 course meal with 7 perfectly matched wines.

The 7 Day Adventure Safari rate includes

Private Landrover and expert Phinda Specialist guide Mike Karantonis, and Zulu Tracker

Cost: Min 1, max 6 guests - excluding accommodation - call Amanzi Travel now for current prices
Duration: 6 Nights, 7 days
Age: 16 years and older

Game viewing:

WILDLIFE SAFARIS AT PHINDA, SOUTH AFRICA

Phinda's seven distinct habitats are home to an incredible diversity of South African wildlife:

Phinda Private Game Reserve wildlife habitats

The unique dry Sand Forest is characterised by newtonia, umzithi, pteliopsis and Zulu podberry trees with abundant epiphytic orchids and Africa's only cactus species (Rhipsalis). Mixed bushveld savanna is dominated by acacia trees, with different species thriving on clay or sandy soils. Open woodland of tall marula, bushwillow and terminalia occurs on sandy soils. Palmveld is characterised by open grassland dotted with lala palm and waterberry thickets. Evergreen forest and thickets fringe the Mzinene and Munyawana Rivers, with tamboti, sycamore fig and weeping boerbean among typical trees. Groves of sulphur-barked fever trees occur on floodplains. Seasonal marshes and pans are inundated after heavy summer rains. Rocky hillsides are cloaked with trees such as common wild-pear, red bushwillow and galpinia.

Mammals at Phinda Private Game Reserve

Phinda Private Game Reserve is home to an incredible diversity of mammals. Predators like cheetah, leopard and lion are tracked on a daily basis and visitors stand extremely good chances of seeing them. The territorial white rhino favour waterholes and wallows. Herds of elephant and buffalo move throughout the reserve and are easily spotted. Impressive nyala antelope feed alongside impala and warthog. Nocturnal aardvark, bushpig and greater bushbaby may be encountered on exciting night game-drives. Mountain reedbuck dwell on rocky slopes, while common reedbuck favour palmveld and wetlands. Tonga red squirrel are restricted to Sand Forest where tiny suni and red duiker are most abundant. The extraordinary four-toed elephant-shrew forages among leaf-litter in forest and thickets.

Birds at Phinda Private Game Reserve

An impressive 378 species are recorded. Rudd's apalis, Neergaard's sunbird and pink-throated twinspot are endemic to the Maputaland region. Lemon-breasted canary, southern banded snake-eagle and grey waxbill are characteristic of the coastal plain. Among resident birds in the Sand Forest are Narina trogon, African broadbill and square-tailed drongo. Trumpeter hornbill, white-eared barbet and golden-rumped tinkerbird gather at ripe figs. Crested guineafowl, purple-crested turaco and gorgeous bushshrike are among species which favour woodland and thickets. African finfoot, African purple swamphen (gallinule), white-backed night-heron and malachite kingfisher are resident on the Mzinene River. Mocking cliff-chat, red-winged starling and cinnamon-breasted bunting favour rocky outcrops. Great concentrations of waterfowl assemble seasonally at the Nibela Peninsula of nearby Lake St Lucia.

Other African wildlife

More than 80 species of butterfly have been recorded with mamba swordtail, forest king charaxes and gold-banded forester among the more impressive. Marshlands beat to the sound of calling frogs after summer downpours with Argus reed-frog, red-legged kassina and sharp-nosed grass-frog among the 37 recorded species. Dazzling rainbow skink and giant plated lizard live among boulders where African rock python find refuge. Nile crocodile inhabit the Mzinene River and some waterholes. Phinda's close proximity to the Indian Ocean offers guests the opportunity to explore an underwater kaleidoscope that rivals Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Over 1000 species of fish are found in these subtropical waters and you may glide past moray eel, leatherback and loggerhead turtles and huge whale sharks.

Conservation

ECOTOURISM AT PHINDA, SOUTH AFRICA

Phinda Private Game Reserve is committed to the core principles

Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the people. Phinda is the flagship lodge regarding conservation and community empowerment, and continues to provide a global benchmark for ecotourism.

Phinda's focus is

Community equity, income generation, education and health care are a primary concern. In consultation with community organisations such as the Africa Foundation - a not-for-profit rural development organisation - Phinda has initiated many successful community empowerment projects in the Mduku, Nibela and Mnqobokazi communities surrounding the Reserve.

PHINDA COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENTS

Ecotourism in Africa

Guests play a critical role in helping realise the dream and vision: to create a model in wise land management, integrating international travellers and rural people to their mutual benefit and demonstrating that wildlife can be preserved on a sustainable basis by all.

Positive Health Programme

Our partner CC Africa strongly believes in its people and was recently listed as one of three finalists in the Investor in People category of the 2005 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The October 2005 edition of Africa Geographic featured an article on AIDS and conversation, and highlighted the activities and programmes that various African companies are implementing in order to increase AIDS awareness and, in doing so, empower the communities taking care of some of the world's richest wilderness regions.

"Probably the most attractive program ... is that of CC Africa... CC Africa launched a Positive Health program in 2003 and in April and May last year ran two seven-day courses.... Their approach focuses on home-based care, gardens, counseling techniques and gender issues.... The health of the habitat is critical to the health of the individuals in it.... The conservation industry is uniquely positioned to take the treatment of HIV/AIDS in radically new directions.... Benefits [of the program] include acquiring 'hard skills' such as maintaining clean water, producing food, and home-based methods of dealing with illnesses that are not life threatening.... It takes only the will of ecologically minded people to make sure that the wild places are not lost."

Africa Geographic, October 2005

Getting there

Phinda is easily accessible by self-drive, road transfer and air - we can pre-book and package all of your regional/internal flights and transfers.


	Location:	South Africa
	Prices:	Price on application
	Seasons:	Phinda Vlei Lodge - Mountain Lodge High Season - 01 to 06 January, February, March, October, November & 21 to 31 December Low Season - 07 to 31 January, April, May, June, July, August, September & 01 to 20 December Phinda Vlei Lodge - Rock Lodge High Season - 01 to 06 January, February, March, October, November & 21 to 31 December Mid Season - June, July & August Low Season - 07 to 31 January, April, May, September & 01 to 20 December
	Payment:	Pay only 30% at the time of booking, with the balance due 3 months before travel
	Notes:	Please telephone for special price rates on group visits or extended stays over three nights.
	Reference:	APT0078

PHINDA PRIVATE GAME RESERVEKWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA

General information

Accommodation

SAFARI LODGES AT PHINDA, SOUTH AFRICA

PHINDA FOREST LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Sumptuous safari lodge

PHINDA MOUNTAIN LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Scenic African safari lodge

PHINDA VLEI LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Sophisticated safari lodge

PHINDA ROCK LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Unique African architecture

Activities

SAFARI ACTIVITIES

Twice-daily game-drives

Interpretive Bush Walks

Mzinene River Canoeing

Mzinene Riverboat Cruise

White Rhino Tracking

BEACH AND BUSH ADVENTURES

Flight of the Fish Eagle

Scuba Safaris

Deep-sea Fishing

Maputaland Beach Adventures

Beach Horse Riding

False Bay Horse Riding

Night Turtle Drives (seasonal)

Isikolethu ('Our Culture') Community Experience

Specialist Activities (supplements payable)

PHINDA WALKING SAFARIS

Exceptional game viewing

Safety on a Walking Safari is our highest priority

PHINDA'S SPECIALIST SAFARI PACKAGES

A memorable safari experience

Bush Skills Adventure @ Phinda

Birding @ Phinda

Rhino-Darting Safaris @ Phinda

7 Wonders in 7 Days @ Phinda

The 7 Day Adventure Safari rate includes

Game viewing:

WILDLIFE SAFARIS AT PHINDA, SOUTH AFRICA

Phinda Private Game Reserve wildlife habitats

Mammals at Phinda Private Game Reserve

Birds at Phinda Private Game Reserve

Other African wildlife

Conservation

ECOTOURISM AT PHINDA, SOUTH AFRICA

Phinda Private Game Reserve is committed to the core principles

Phinda's focus is

PHINDA COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENTS

Ecotourism in Africa

Positive Health Programme

Getting there

Price Includes/Excludes - PHINDA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE

What is included:

What is not included:

PHINDA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA