anbdBeyond Phinda Forest Lodge (Phinda Private Reserve, KwaZulu, Natal) South Africa
Location:
Set deep in the heart of a rare and beautiful dry sand forest, the spectacular Forest Lodge at &Beyond Phinda fuses architectural design and conservation.
The creation of this award-winning safari lodge was an exemplary exercise in building eco-sensitive structures with a light footprint (not one tree was felled during construction).
Accommodation:
Inventively designed in Zulu Zen style, each handcrafted, glass-encased suite is a combination of glass, wood and minimalist design incorporating high-gloss wooden floors, richly tactile fabrics and crimson Zulu artifacts. These 16 private stilted suites each feature luxurious ensuite bathrooms with slate hand basins, and viewing decks where guests can awake to the sight of graceful nyala and duiker outside the glass walls. They say that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones and that is certainly true at Phinda Forest Lodge!
Mindful of the devastation that a single wayward projectile could cause in our glass encased suites, our designers have created a calming atmosphere of Zulu Zen. And there’s no need to worry about the privacy of your retreat - in spite of the floor to ceiling glass walls, the towering torchwood trees and fertile forest floor that surround your suite ensure a sense of seclusion. Set in rare sand forest, the glass walls of Phinda Forest Lodge offer a sweeping view of one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet. Cradled in a deep maze of ancient vegetation, each air conditioned suite provides serene, reflective spaces to watch the secrets of the forest unfold. The dappled green shade works its magic on guests and animals alike, providing an intimate glance into the world of the forest dwellers.
Facilities:
Unwind in the lodge’s sparkling rim flow swimming pool, or relax in the Lodge sitting areas with expansive viewing decks affording panoramic views of the game-filled plains.
While away an afternoon on the spacious private veranda of your suite, secluded from all except an occasional red Tonga squirrel in the treetops. Invite the tranquility of the forest inside with you and take a soak in your oversized bathtub with huge glass windows offering yet another perspective on the play of leaves and light outside.
Mealtimes on the open air dining deck bring about their own distractions, as monkeys frolic in the branches and an ever-changing assortment of wildlife grazes on the open plain in the distance. In the evenings, when warm firelight welcomes you to the boma, wide-eyed bush babies watch inquisitively from the dense foliage above.
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.
Accommodation Rates:-
From $825 per person per night sharing. Please contact us
for a quote and suggested itinerary.