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Overview
Capture fiery sunsets from the game viewing deck suspended over South Africa’s bushveld, or relax in your private sitting room while observing an abundance of birdlife in the trees surrounding this safari lodge and animals in the valley below.
Phinda Private Game Reserve, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Phinda Mountain Lodge lies within the 22 000 hectares/54 362 acres of Phinda Private Game Reserve, in the Maputaland region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Phinda neighbours the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park – a World Heritage Site – to the east and is only 30km/19 miles due west of the white-fringed beaches of the Indian Ocean.
ACCESS
By road: 6 hours from Johannesburg, 3 hours from Durban, 1 1/2 hours from Richards Bay. By air: Federal Air operates a direct return flight daily from Johannesburg International Airport to Phinda. SA Express offer daily scheduled flights from Johannesburg to Richards Bay. Road transfers from Durban International Airport to Phinda can be arranged. Phinda Airwing can also arrange private charters from anywhere in South Africa directly to Phinda’s airstrip.
Dining
Delicious Pan-African cuisine is served to you in the dining area under hand-wrought chandeliers, on the Lodge's exclusive deck or enjoyed in the privacy of your suite. Phinda is renowned for excellent cuisine served in adventurous bush clearings under the African night sky.
Activities
SAFARI ACTIVITIES
Twice-daily game-drives Enjoy exceptional Big Five game viewing in open 4x4 safari vehicles with experienced rangers and Zulu trackers.
Interpretive Bush Walks Learn more about the traditional uses and the legends surrounding indigenous trees and shrubs, as well as how to identify tracks and see rare birds on walks led by armed rangers and trackers.
Mzinene River Canoeing Catch sight of some of Phinda’s incredible birdlife while paddling along the river - flanked by lush riverine forest with huge fever and sycamore fig trees – in a sturdy canoe.
Mzinene Riverboat Cruise Watch a magnificent sunrise or sunset while enjoying a leisurely cruise along the Mzinene River in Phinda’s riverboat. See some of the 200 or more waterbirds, as well as crocodiles and hippos lazing about.
White Rhino Tracking Set off with your professional armed ranger and tracker in a 4x4 safari vehicle, searching for fresh signs of white rhino activity. When tracks are found, experience the quiet thrill of tracking white rhino on foot.
BEACH AND BUSH ADVENTURES At an additional cost
Flight of the Fish Eagle Experience a breathtaking 60-minute flight over the diverse Maputaland wilderness of scenic pans, coastal lakes, bushveld, densely vegetated dunes and wildlife, and spot whales, whalesharks, dolphins and turtles in the magnificent Indian Ocean.
Scuba Safaris A 15-minute flight and short drive takes you to one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Diving the reefs of Sodwana Bay allows you to experience a portrait of marine diversity, with approximately 1200 species of fish and spectacular coral formations. (Can be combined with Maputaland Beach Adventures)
Deep-sea Fishing Fly to Sodwana Bay – a fisherman’s paradise inside a Marine Reserve – where a short drive takes you to your 25-foot sport fishing boat rigged for bill (marlin and sailfish), game (barracuda, yellowfin tuna and kingfish) and shark fishing. Phinda supports ‘catch-and-release’ procedures for deep-sea fishing.
Maputaland Beach Adventures A 15-minute flight and a short drive in a specially designed 4x4 beach vehicle takes you to the beautiful beach at Jesser Point. Depending on the tides, you will be driven to a secluded spot where you can enjoy snorkelling, swimming, or simply sunning on the endless beach, as well as a delicious picnic.
Beach Horse Riding A 45-minute drive from Phinda takes you to the beach for an exhilarating one-hour ride followed by a scrumptious picnic snack. (Can be combined with Maputaland Beach Adventures)
False Bay Horse Riding Enjoy the unmatched delight of riding well-schooled horses through False Bay Nature Reserve. A 1.5 hour ride takes you through the rare Dry Sand Forest habitat and along the picturesque False Bay lakeside. After the ride, relax and enjoy a delightful picnic snack while the horses rest at the water’s edge.
Night Turtle Drives (seasonal) A 45-minute drive from Phinda takes you to meet your beach ranger who will show you the wonders of the beach at night. In season, loggerhead turtles and gigantic leatherback turtles make the strenuous trail up the beach to lay their eggs - a humbling experience. Depending on the tides, you will either enjoy snacks, drinks and hot toddies on the beach or a delicious surfside supper.
Isikolethu (“Our Culture”) Community Experience Experience the wonders and diversity of the Zulu culture while exploring the Mduku, Mnqobokazi and Nibela rural communities surrounding the Reserve. Guests will depart after breakfast at 10h00, enjoying visits to Macebo crèche, the Sangoma (witch doctor), Ngubane Homestead and Mdluli Ancestoral Home. After an action-packed morning, guests will return to Phinda in time for a late lunch and their afternoon game-drive.
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Rooms & Accommodation
Guest Accommodation
Guest Accommodation
Six exceptional suites perched on the side of a rocky cliff. Each suite has a spacious bedroom with bath, shower, twin hand basins and separate w.c. All suites have their own private sitting area, personal bar, plunge pool and deck offering unrivalled views of spectacular Leopard Rock and the valley below.
Guest Areas
Guest Areas
The guest dining and sitting areas have imposing fireplaces and open out onto a shaded deck with sweeping views of the Lebombo Mountains and bushveld below and beyond. Guests are welcome to visit the Safari Shop at Mountain Lodge.
Phinda Private Game Reserve is committed to CC Africa’s core principle – Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the People. Phinda is our flagship lodge regarding conservation and community empowerment, and continues to provide a global benchmark for ecotourism.
* Winner of the Imvelo Responsible Tourism Award 2002 * British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award (southern region winner) 1997 * In 1991, Phinda undertook the biggest game relocation in a private reserve in the world at the time * 14 000 hectares (34 000 acres) of degraded farmland restored to pristine wilderness
CC Africa's focus: Community equity, income generation, education and health care are a primary concern. In consultation with community organisations such as the Africa Foundation – originally founded by CC Africa, now a not-for-profit rural development organisation – Phinda has initiated many successful community empowerment projects in the Mduku, Nibela and Mnqobokazi communities surrounding the Reserve.
PHINDA COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENTS
* Building of 46 classrooms, 19 pre-schools, 3 libraries and 1 science laboratory * Providing over 150 000 books and educational aids * Granting USD57 000 worth of bursaries * Organising 30 CLEF (Community Leaders Education Fund) scholarships worth USD130 000 * Two Siya Kwamukela students (sponsored by Moët & Chandon) are at Phinda in their second year of internship * Implementing Edu-peg – a practical self-corrective early learning tool – at various primary schools * Ongoing conservation lessons * Founding Mduku Clinic and adjacent six-bed pre-natal facility * An HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programme * Distributing 233 Hippo Water Rollers in local communities * Installing guttering and water tanks at Nontshwiliza Primary School * Implementing various income generation and small business development projects
Our guests play a critical role in helping CC Africa realise our dream and vision : to create a model in wise land management, integrating international travellers and rural people to their mutual benefit, and demonstrating that wildlife can be preserved on a sustainable basis by all. <
Positive Health Programme: CC Africa strongly believes in its people and was recently listed as one of three finalists in the Investor in People category of the 2005 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The October 2005 edition of Africa Geographic featured an article on AIDS and conversation, and highlighted the activities and programmes that various African companies are implementing in order to increase AIDS awareness and, in doing so, empower the communities taking care of some of the world's richest wilderness regions.
"Probably the most attractive program ... is that of CC Africa... CC Africa launched a Positive Health program in 2003 and in April and May last year ran two seven-day courses.... Their approach focuses on home-based care, gardens, counseling techniques and gender issues.... The health of the habitat is critical to the health of the individuals in it.... The conservation industry is uniquely positioned to take the treatment of HIV/AIDS in radically new directions.... Benefits [of the program] include acquiring 'hard skills' such as maintaining clean water, producing food, and home-based methods of dealing with illnesses that are not life threatening.... It takes only the will of ecologically minded people to make sure that the wild places are not lost." Africa Geographic, October 2005
Our Trusted Partner's Responsible and Sustainable Travel Policy
Care of the land, Care of the wildlife, Care of the people.
andBEYOND is dedicated to these three principles which encapsulate the vision we have for Africa. We believe that our continent’s heritage of wild places, the wildlife living there and the neighbouring communities are amongst Africa’s most precious resources. We also believe that the wisest utilisation of our wild places is through the development of sustainable ecotourism with reciprocal benefits – both for our guests and for the rural communities living in and alongside our rich wildlife heritage.
We aim to ensure that wildlife conservation in the 21st century is pivotal to the development of the custodians of the land - the people of Africa. At the core of this vision is our dedication to continually serve as a model in wise land management, integrating international travellers and rural communities to their mutual benefit, and demonstrating that everyone can participate in the protection of wildlife on a sustainable basis.
One of our flagship South African lodges, Phinda Private Game Reserve, is ongoing testament to andBEYOND's vision. Here we consolidated over 17 000 hectares/42 000 acres of degraded land, ravaged by decades of inappropriate cattle, pineapple, sisal and cotton farming, and restored it to its original wilderness state. More than 2 000 head of game were reintroduced, including the Big Five. And in a very short space of time, our neighbours were benefiting directly from Phinda. This was achieved through employment and community development projects implemented - in consultation with the communities - by CC Africa's Rural Investment Fund, now an independent, non-governmental not-for-profit organisation called the andBEYOND Foundation.
Our guests play a crucial role in helping us to realise our vision for Africa. You are our future ambassadors – the link between Africa and the rest of the world. You are the impetus that drives our dream of advancing the green and wild frontiers of the oldest continent on earth, of helping us to be ongoing custodians of our planet’s endangered species and wild places.
We invite you to experience Africa with andBEYOND and to embrace our dream of a proud, prosperous and protected Africa.
About our Trusted Partner
We are Africa’s leading ecotourism organisation, committed to providing world-class holiday experiences for discerning travellers, and to ongoing investment in sustainable conservation development and community empowerment.
Our ecotourism model recognises that economic development of the areas in which we operate is crucial to the maintenance of bio-diversity. We also recognise that much of Africa’s wildlife heritage and land is influenced or owned by local communities. Our model – successfully implemented throughout our operations in Africa -- links international high net worth, low volume/low impact visitors to these wilderness areas and their resident communities. The resultant revenue tangibly demonstrates the benefits of ecotourism and conservation to the neighbouring residents.
Phinda Rock lodge, clinging to the hill side : Phinda Rock Lodge at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Phinda Rock lodge, clinging to the hill side
Your private plunge pool with a view : Phinda Rock Lodge at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Your private plunge pool with a view
Phinda Rock Lodge - interior : Phinda Rock Lodge at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Phinda Rock Lodge - interior
Phinda Rockl Lodge - sitting room : Phinda Rock Lodge at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Phinda Rockl Lodge - sitting room
Phinda Rock room interior : Phinda Rock Lodge at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Phinda Rock room interior
Kudu Bull : Phinda Rock Lodge at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Kudu Bull
Lioness : Phinda Rock Lodge at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
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