&Beyond Phinda Zuka Lodge (Phinda Private Reserve, KwaZulu, Natal) South Africa
The Lodge:
&Beyond Phinda Zuka Lodge is a home away from home. It is an intimate safari retreat situated amongst densely wooded hills studded with aloes overlooking a private (and very popular) waterhole.African hospitality means treating each guest as though your house were his own. At the sole-use &Beyond Phinda Zuka Lodge we have taken this concept a step further, giving you your own private holiday home in Africa! With four bush cottages and a team of welcoming staff completely at your disposal, feel free to create your own African experience.
Everything you need is right within reach - your personal game ranger and game drive vehicle, an interactive kitchen with a dedicated chef, a butler to see to your daily needs, a comfortable library with Internet access and TV for the children, a sitting room with a fireplace for evening chats, your own swimming pool and even a private watering hole for your own exclusive wildlife encounters. With no set timetable or routine, savour the wonders of the bush at your own pace and leisure.
The sky and savanna of &Beyond Phinda Homestead is designed to make the most of the luxury of Africa’s wide open spaces. Breathtakingly stylish and sophisticated yet refreshingly simple, the Homestead provides the ideal venue to reconnect with friends and family.
Accommodation:
The cropped garden lawn ends in a popular watering hole that entices many a four-legged visitor. When the temptation of the water gets too much simply take a dip in the sparkling lodge pool or follow the example of the resident water monitor lizard and bask immobile in the sun on the extended pool deck.
Should you want a little privacy, each bush cottage has its own private sitting area and ensuite bathroom. At the end of the day, revel in the relaxation of an oversized bathtub set in a circular stone bath chamber. Round off the evening with a nightcap in the generous sitting room overlooking the watering hole, where herds of antelope may be settling in for the night or an opportunistic owl may be making a meal of the insects attracted to the light shining on the water.
Facilities:
The warm, friendly faces and helping hands of a full complement of staff are ready to welcome guests on arrival. Inviting rooms designed around retro trinkets, Zulu crafts and sleek, contemporary touches reinforce the impression that this private safari villa is designed for comfort and ease.Generous courtyards, ponds and living areas that open up to the landscape beyond embrace the surrounding bush, inviting it into the spacious interiors.
Large sliding windows give a sense of space and light. Beds are positioned to face the waking bush but there's no need to jump out of bed early - with a dedicated game ranger and tracker, as well as a private game drive vehicle, guests set their own game drive times.
Activities / Wildlife
Phinda is home to an abundance of wildlife, from the large mammals to the smallest antelope. However, it is the faster of predators that has a special place here. Having reintroduced cheetah to the area after an absence of over fifty years, Phinda has quickly established a reputation as one of the best places to view and photograph these rare cats. With much of Phinda dominated by a mosaic of various savanna habitats, these speedy carnivores have plenty of space to carry out their explosive hunting technique, as well as enough cover to protect and shelter their cubs.
Along with cheetah, lion and leopard are tracked on the reserve on a daily basis and guests have a high likelihood of encountering these magnificent animals. Another success story at Phinda is that of both the white and the more endangered black rhino. Brought back from the brink of extinction, both the grass easting white rhino and the shrub grazing black rhino are doing well at the reserve. While the white rhino favors water holes and wallows, the black rhino indulges its inquisitive nature in constant solitary rambles.
The elegant nyala antelope is a frequent sight at Phinda, with the reserve boasting one of the highest densities of the species. With its dark brown coat, buttery yellow legs, shaggy mane and impossibly bushy tail, the male nyala is particularly spectacular, while the female contents itself with a less flashy chestnut coat. The rare sand forest in the northern parts of Phinda is the perfect environment for some of the rarer smaller species. The shy red duiker is found grazing on fallen leaves and fruit and the tiny suni, one of the smallest antelope species, may also be seen.
Begin or end your day with a leisurely cruise on the Mzinene River. A game drive with your ranger will take you down to the river. Wind your way along the reed-lined banks, where fever trees, gnarled sycamore figs and acacias provide nesting places for over 200 species of water birds that inhabit this riverine system. Photograph these beautiful birds in the soft light of dawn or dusk before returning to your lodge.
Accommodation Rates:-
From $615 per person per night sharing. Please contact us
for a quote and suggested itinerary.