Most romantic destination # 05: Phinda Rock & Forest Lodges, Phinda Private Game Reserve
[Location: Zululand, South Africa] |
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Phinda is an ultimate beach & bush experience. Face-to-face with Lion & Rhino after breakfast, up close to a Whale Shark after lunch. Phinda's experience, is one of the most exciting safari destinations in Africa. Accommodation at Phinda is unique, there are 4 diverse lodges within one reserve. Not just a luxury destination, Phinda is also a dynamic working model in wise land management & creative wildlife conservation. Phinda Rock Lodge is perhaps the most romantic, & Phinda Forest Lodge has the best views from it's glass walls. We highly recommend you split your stay between the two, spending nights at both Rock & Forest lodge, if your holiday duration allows it. |
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"The Return" |
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Prestigious local/international awards
Small Luxury Hotels of the World member
Forest, Vlei, Rock, Mountain Lodges
Sand Forest at Forest and Vlei
Rock Lodge built into rock face
Conference centre at Mountain Lodge
Seven different ecosystems
Chosen as Best Hotel for Wildlife Enthusiasts by Town & Country, January 2001
Listed among the 101 best hotels in the world in UK Tatler's Travel Guide 2001
Members of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
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Approximately 400 bird species
"Big five" plus dolphin and turtles
Marine diversity rivals Great Barrier Reef
Twice daily game drives
"Flight of the Fish Eagle" air safari
Zulu Cultural Village visit
Voted by Association of Southern African Travel Agents (Asata) as "Best Game Lodge in Southern Africa" (1998)
Winner of British Airways' "Tourism for Tomorrow" Award (S.Hemisphere) (1998)
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Nestled below the Lebombo Mountains of Northern KwaZulu-Natal, Phinda is a Zulu word meaning "the return". In one of the biggest reintroductions of game in Africa, Phinda was restocked with lion, rhino, buffalo, elephant, leopard, giraffe and other big game in an operation dubbed "phinda izilwane", return of the wild animals. Game drives are only one aspect of the Phinda experience. There is little that can compete with our "Flight of the Fish Eagle" air safari - soaring over a bay where the diversity of species rivals Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Or floating past pods of hippo in a canoe or river boat. Scuba diving, snorkelling and deep-sea fishing are just a hop away. And in the evenings, immerse yourself in the ancient culture of Southern Africa's warrior tribe, the Zulu.
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 Phinda Rock Lodge: The ingenious stone and wood cliff chalets of Phinda Rock Lodge are chiselled into the rock face overlooking the impressive Leopard Rock. This is one of the few places in the world where you can sip your drink while watching Bateleur eagles swoop by at eye-level. Each of the six suites has a large bedroom and an en suite bathroom with bath and shower. Each suite, suspended from the edge of the rocky cliff, has its own private lounge, deck and plunge pool, all offering unrivalled views. Three suites have both indoor and outdoor showers. Overlooking scenic Leopard Rock, the lodge's rough-hewn sandstone and adobe walls and ochre-packed roofs cling to the rock face. A beautiful extension of the natural environment, the rock foundations blend seamlessly into the mountain's contours. The suites are decorated with artwork from Spain and Mexico. The colour scheme is warm and inviting, blending beautifully with the ochre mud-packed walls ("adobe" style). Terminalia wood, gathered from the bush-clearing project in the north of the reserve, is used as a supporting feature. Expanses of windows frame views of impressive rock formations, and fill the rooms with light. In the private lounge, a beautiful sisal rug is complemented by comfortable lounge chairs, perfect for relaxing and admiring the view.
 Phinda Forest Lodge's 16 raised glass-encased chalets have a bedroom, lounge and spacious en suite bathroom with a bath and separate shower. Outside, wooden decks have been erected around the growing trees. Although surrounded on three sides by glass, the fertile forest floor and towering torchwood trees ensure privacy in each of the chalets. Constructed to minimise impact on the unique Sand Forest, the air-conditioned rooms are raised off the ground to allow smaller animals complete freedom of movement along the forest floor below. At Forest Lodge, the glass walls display the sea-green canopy with wide-screen effect. A few short paces outside, birds and animals such as the tiny red duiker, suni antelope and rare red squirrel move quietly through the forest. The chalets evoke the luxurious minimalism of classic Japanese architecture. This is offset by the verdant forest scene beyond the glass walls, creating a sensuous African delight. The chalets have polished beechwood and slate floors.
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 Phinda Forest Lodge: The central dining area, lounge and shaded swimming pool of this secluded camp overlook a tranquil open grassy vlei (wetland pan). The elevated lookout deck is a prime bird-watching spot for the approximately 400 species at Phinda. Our range of souvenirs in the curio shop at main reception area is worth exploring.
Phinda Rock Lodge: Savannah grasslands and the majestic Lebombo Mountains can be seen clearly from the central areas. An open fireplace in the lounge draws winter guests. Fiery sunsets are captured on the west-facing outside deck, which is suspended over the bushveld. You are welcome to visit the curio shop at Mountain Lodge.
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Phinda Forest Lodge invites you to savour flamboyant cuisine infused with Pan-African flair. You may dine on the deck viewing the grassy plains. Or indulge in the romance of al fresco dining beneath a starlit sky around the forest boma (enclosed reeded area). Large tables for eight glow in the light of the central boma fire.
Dinner at Phinda Rock Lodge is a Pan-African banquet spread under hand-wrought chandeliers. There is an open fireplace in the dining room.
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Twice a day, you may take a game drive in an open Land Rover. An experienced ranger will reveal the sights and sounds of wild Zululand. Guided bush walks allow for closer exploration of the shadowy forest canopies. On bush walks, you will hear about traditional legends and the medicinal benefits of a wide variety of plants. You could stay at Phinda for a month and still find new things to do:
Moonlit bush dinners
Visit to local community school and clinic
Zulu cultural lectures
Private bush breakfasts
Bird-watching and birding safaris
Canoeing and river boat cruises
White rhino tracking
Optional activies at Phinda are:
Deep-sea fishing off the Maputaland coast
Turtle viewing (November/December/January) on Maputaland beaches
A visit to the Zulu Cultural Village
Horse riding
"Flight of the Fish Eagle" air safari - where you soar over the Maputaland wilderness
Scuba diving (bring your certificate along)
beach adventures including snorkelling at Maputaland coastline
Experience the quiet thrill of tracking white rhino on foot, (advanced booking is required.) Our armed trackers are familiar with the favoured haunts of the resident rhino and chances of sightings are good. Dunghills, fresh browsing sites and evidence around drinking points or wallows are among the clues assisting in the search. During your "Flight of the Fish Eagle" air safari, experience the magic of floating weightlessly over the fragile dunes in a light aircraft. As if from nowhere, the Indian Ocean appears before you.
They also offer a selection of wildlife books, magazines and videos. Spend hours enjoying them on cosy nights or in quiet moments between adventures.
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Phinda has a subtropical climate with hot, humid, wet summers (September to April) and warm to cool, dry winters (May to August). Rainfall: One of the most interesting features of Maputaland's climate is the layered variation of rainfall in an east-to-west direction. Along the coast, rainfall averages about 1 000 mm per annum. Much of the rainfall comes in the form of short, intense thunderstorms. Temperature: Daytime temperatures in summer may rise above 35°C/95°F. Nights in winter rarely drop below 10°C/50°F. Altitude: Phinda lies at less than 200m above sea level.
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Best time to travel: |
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All year round, although the best game viewing is from the end of March to the end of August.
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 The plains of Phinda are the roaming grounds of buffalo, white rhino, elephant, giraffe, impala, zebra and wildebeest. Predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena wait their turn in the shadows. In pools and lakes, hippo lounge the day away, while along the Mzinene River, African Elephant and impala wander past. The forest and vlei zones of Phinda are home to red duiker, nyala, suni antelope, bushpig or red squirrel. Phinda has the largest privately owned population of nyala in the world. Spotted genet, porcupines and bush babies appear after dark. In the mountain and rocky zones, you may spot mountain reedbuck and chacma baboon. To the east of Phinda lies the warm, inviting waters of the Indian Ocean. On the reefs of Sodwana, Whale Shark, Moray Eel, Leatherback and Loggerhead Turtle, crab, starfish and iridescent nudibranch sway with the rhythm of the tides.
An incredible array of about 400 species of birds fly through the skies over Phinda - Pied and Pygmy Kingfishers, Goliath Herons, Great White Egrets, the elusive Purple Gallinule, Pygmy Goose, African Fish Eagle and White-faced "Whistling" Duck. Giant Eagle Owls and Nightjars come alive at night. Forest birds include the striking Purple-crested Lourie (Turaco) and the Bluemantled Flycatcher. In the mountains, look out for White-bellied Sunbird and Scarlet-chested Sunbird.
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