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Phinda Resource Reserve
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Location: Just inland of the Maputaland coastline Northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Accommodations: 2 lodges |
| Game Viewing & Activities: Morning and evening game viewing in open, 4-wheel drive vehicles, nature walks, visits to coast, snorkeling, fishing, river boat cruises | |
| Phinda resource reserve, which combines seven different ecosystems, is unmatched in its biodiversity of flora and fauna. Nearby are beautiful lakes and pans while the pristine Maputaland coastline is a mere 10 minute flight away. Here you have the choice of many eco-adventures: take a game drive where you are likely to see lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino, elephant plus a host of general game or walk through the forest with an experienced ranger. Nearby you can canoe or cruise on the Mzinene River, go deep sea fishing or scuba diving on coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, swim in clear warm seas, snorkel in rocky pools, or enjoy champagne picnics on deserted beaches. | |
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Phinda Nyala Lodge: On top of the world, looking down on the great coastal plains of St. Lucia to the east and across to the Ubombo mountains in the west, the Phinda Nyala Lodge has left no stone unturned in its quest for perfection. The main lounge and bar open out onto cool verandahs with spectacular views. Lunch is served in the dining room or on the adjoining spacious patio. Paved pathways lead down the mountainside from the main lodge to 4 rock chalets and 16 luxury bush suites - their ethnic Zulu decor blending surprisingly well with modern facilities. Each has a specious split-level bedroom and lounge opening onto a private balcony where you may relax to a melody of bird songs. Activities start early and often end late, but during the heat of the day there it time to relax, perhaps at the poolside where you can look down on a herd of nyala or, on occasion, a rhino grazing on the slopes below. After a day packed with adventure, drinks followed by a sumptuous dinner under the African skies, are served in an open-air boma. Charming evenings may be spent relaxing around a campfire, listening to traditional Zulu stories which focus on wildlife, art and culture. |
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| Phinda Forest Lodge: At Forest Lodge walls have become windows, opening onto the pageant of the living forest. From this unique and luxurious habitat catch a glimpse of a secretive suni antelope, a graceful nyala or look for beautiful forest birds in the canopy above. When designing Forest Lodge, trees were given the right of way; twisted trunks of torchwoods replaced corner beams while wooden decking was built around the growing trees. Each of the sixteen suite has been decorated to reflect the textures of the surrounding wilderness and to give guests a lifestyle without precedent. So much is different, from the spaciousness of the glass-walled suites raised on stilts above the forest floor to the sunny bathrooms and the charm of the central dining lounge and pool facility which look from the sand forest onto an open grassy vlei. Yet much is unchanged; the high standard of the cuisine, the suites which are the epitome of luxury and the exceptional service. Each room is equipped with air conditioning, ceiling fans, telephones and bar fridges. The Forest boma is also different; many enchanting evenings will be spent dining under the stars around tables for eight which have a glowing central charcoal core. | |
