Phinda Forest Lodge, Northern KwaZulu-Natal

The Phinda Private Game Reserve is located in the Maputuland region of Northern KwaZulu-Natal and borders onto iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly Greater St Lucia Wetland Park) a World Heritage Site. It's not far from the spectacular and unspoiled Indian Ocean beaches, making this the perfect bush and beach adventure. Phinda is a wilderness sanctuary with seven distinct habitats for you to explore: from woodland, grassland, wetland and forest to rivers and marshes; a veritable haven for a huge diversity of animals and an impressive 378 species of birds.

Elegant Suites on Stilts

Phinda Forest Lodge offers 16 beautiful, eco-friendly, stilted suites, surrounded on three sides by glass to give you the best possible views, as do the private viewing decks. Each suite has a bedroom, lounge and spacious en-suite bathroom with a bath and separate shower. All suites are air-conditioned and equipped with room fans, mosquito protection, in-room safes, personal bars, telephones and hairdryers.

Relaxing Main Area

The central dining area overlooks the game-filled plains and the elevated lookout deck is a prime bird-watching spot. There's a sparkling rim-flow swimming pool as well as a Zulu craft gallery. Wherever possible, meals are served outdoors and you'll enjoy delicious bush breakfasts and evening boma dinners under the stars.

Excellent Game Viewing

Phinda is renowned for its excellent cheetah sightings. It's also home to the Big 5 and its diverse habitats attract a wide variety of wildlife. Another success story is that Phinda has established healthy populations of endangered black and white rhino. Particularly at Phinda Forest Lodge, you’ll have a good chance to see some of the rare, smaller species like the shy red duiker and the tiny forest Suni, some of the smallest antelope species.

Variety of Activities Nearby

Mzinene River Boat Cruise, excellent for birding (no additional charge)

Additional Costs Apply:

• Maputaland Beach Adventure - sun soaking, swimming and snorkelling
• Indian Ocean Scuba Safari at Sodwana Bay - one of the world's top 10 dive sites
• Black Rhino tracking on foot - with an expert ranger and tracker
• Turtle Nesting Adventure (November to February only)
• Swimming with Whale Sharks - accompanied by skipper and certified dive-master
• Zulu Village Tour - invited to an authentic Zulu homestead

Community Involvement

The staff at &Beyond Phinda Forest Lodge are very involved with local conservation and community projects. For example, they are working with a nearby community school to help establish worm farms and an organic garden to provide a sustainable source of nutritious vegetables for the school children. Ultimately, the goal is for the school to produce enough veggies to sell to the lodge. This will provide ongoing income for the school which, in turn, will help provide better education and facilities to the students.

Getting There

By air: Direct scheduled flights connect from OR Tambo International, Johannesburg to Phinda on certain days of the week. Daily flights also connect from Johannesburg to Durban and Richards Bay Airports. A light aircraft shuttle service is also available between Richards Bay and Phinda.

By road: From Johannesburg, it’s about a 6½-hour drive, from Durban - a 3-hour drive and from Richards Bay - a 2-hour drive to Phinda. Road transfers can be arranged.

Our Take on Phinda Forest Lodge

Tucked away between the sand forest floor and the overhead forest canopy, you really feel like you've escaped away from it all at Phinda Forest Lodge. It's part of the andBeyond group, so you can rely on superb service, warm hospitality and beautiful rooms and attention to detail everywhere. An unforgettable safari experience.