Phinda

It's time for something new

I love to come back to places I've stayed earlier - especially if the location, the sightings and the ranger/tracker were nice. Further, the things you are going to see are different each time you are there. So there is nothing wrong with getting back to some places regularly. But for this trip I've decided to visit the last region within South Africa I've never been to: Phinda in Kwazulu Natal. Phinda has something unique: a sand forest with very old huge trees. I've decided to stay 3 nights in a lodge in the area of the sand forest and another 3 days in the rocky area, which reminded me of Shamwari in the Eastern Cape.

It's not so easy to get there. There are two options in general if you like to go there by plane: You can fly out of Johannesburg with Airlink to the Kruger International Airport (Mpumalanga, Nelspruit) and connect there to a bush plane (operated by Federal Airways). The first flight takes about 30 minutes - the second one around 1.5 hours. But with that option, you will land directly on an airfield within the Phinda Private Game Reserve.

Size: 17.000 hectars/170 km2

Opened: 1991

Big Five: Yes

Lodges: 4 + 2 private lodge with different styles

The other option is to fly to Durban (more flight availability, but around 4 hours by car to Phinda) or to Richardsbay (fewer flights, but just around 2 hours by car to Phinda). I've used the first option to fly-in - but on the way back I took the road to Richardsbay and flew to Johannesburg from there.

Let me share some impressions of the wildlife to get started:

About &beyond Phinda

Phinda is just one of the many destinations of &beyond. They have private game reserves and lodges all over Africa and as well on other continents. All of them are very exclusive and they are really going beyond the standards with nice surprises. This could be a special sundowner drink which was already prepared by others at a scenic place next to a waterhole, on top of a mountain or in another unique location. Once we stopped for a full breakfast in the middle of the bush and another time we prepared jaffles (like stuffed toasts prepared in a round waffle iron directly in the hot charcoal), which is a South African speciality. There was always a surprise in their backhand and things like that makes a huge difference.

Phinda has several lodges spread over the whole reserve. Some of them are within the area of the sand forest - others in the more rocky area. There are options for more privacy in smaller lodges (Vlei Lodge in the sand forest, Rock Lodge in the rockier area) with just around 6-8 rooms and if you like to meet more other people, there are lodges with up to around 24 rooms (Mountain Lodge and Forest Lodge). There are even two private, exclusive-use lodges available. Each lodge is unique architecture-wise. The food is amazing. Especially lunch looks very improvised - but it is really cool. It seems that the chefs are just have a look to their fridge and decide very spontaneously what to serve. But it is always delicious and way too much. They are serving many local delicacies, which is very much appreciated!

They have a pair of Swarovski glasses a field guide and a ranger on each vehicle which holds not more than 6 guests. The binos are noteworthy because they are pretty expensive and provide a crystal clear vision. The only downside is, that they are using red light during night time to shine on the game. Usually they are just using regular white light and pointing that just on night active animals. According to a eye-specialized doctor this is no problem at all, if you don't blind them the whole night. It's a no-go for day active animals - yes. But not for night active ones. So not really good photo opportunities at Phinda on night drives.

 I've stayed at Vlei and Rock lodge on my recent trip. Let me give you some impressions about these two lodges and the &beyond surprises (spoiler alert - but I'm sure, they have way more things which they can get out of their magic hat). Most of the pictures are taken with an iPhone and not with my proper camera:

Wildlife at Phinda

The wildlife in Phinda is magnificent! They got the big 5 there and I was able to see all of them in a single day. But you must be a little bit lucky to do so, leopards do show up at Phinda way more often, than in the Eastern Cape - and leopards are usually the most difficult animals to catch if you aren't in Kruger. No springboks in Phinda - but a lot of nyalas, because of the many thick bushes there. Speaking of thick bushes: That's how a proper bush adventure should be - but in the other hand, it could be tricky to find animals on safari like that. On one of my days there, we focussed on elephants. We heard them properly and they were close by. But guess what: We didn't see them, because they were hiding within the areas with thick bushes. And when I tell you, that we "heard them properly" I've lied a bit: Because elephants could be so silent! Sometimes you hear branches cracking, but not much more, if they feel comfortable.

But there are plenty of open areas as well. And hey: It is all about finding the animals. Africa is NOT a zoo. It's a natural environment and you'll feel honoured as soon as you get a sighting. Just consider spending enough time in the bush and you are able to see the big five and way more. I do recommend about 4 days / 3 nights for first-timers and for Africa lovers around a week. Because it could be overwhelming at a certain point and you need a break from it to get into it with fresh eyes again (if this is not your job).

Phinda has a lovely and diverse landscape and great wildlife and you just need to make sure (or the ranger has to), to get all of that in front of your eyes. Let me give you some more impressions from my stay at Phinda:

Conclusion

The more you visit in Africa, the more you're afraid of getting not the things you expected on-site, however Phinda delivered in every area and I was happy to be there. Would I go back there? Absolutely! I'm really looking forward to being back there and I can't name anything that was not to my expectations. The only downside is, that Phinda is very remote and maybe you get all of these things as well at other places, which are more easily reachable. But I will be back for sure!

Disclaimer: I've paid regular rates as usual. This trip report is my personal opinion.