Phinda Forest Lodge

The beautiful Forest Lodge building from outside. Porch with couch chairs and lantern lights, Pool and deck chairs Dinner room at night Suite with double bed Dinner table decked for two outside on the veranda.

&Beyond Phinda Forest Private Game Lodge

Phinda Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Despite the floor to ceiling glass walls, the beautiful forest surrounding your luxury suite ensure a sense of seclusion, while offering a grand view of one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet.

&Beyond Phinda Forest Lodge's eco-friendly design with its floor to ceiling windows creates an in-the-forest atmosphere with dwarf forest antelope darting among and below the raised luxury suites, creating the impression that you are inside a floating bubble within the bush and its life-forms even below your feet! Falling asleep with the rustling forest sounds, a pervading sense of peace and calm will set the tone for your entire African safari holiday."

Suni and Red Duiker live among forest plants, offering the chance of casual meetings with them or a graceful nyala or impala on the way to the main guest area of this superior African Safari Lodge.

Relax in Forest Lodge’s beautiful pool, or while away an afternoon on the spacious private veranda of your cottage or soak in your over-sized bathtub with huge glass windows offering another view on the surrounding forest and African game and birds that may be visible amongst the surrounding forest growth.

During mealtimes on the open air dining deck, monkeys frolic in the branches while an ever-changing wildlife presence is visible in the distance. Dinnertime in the boma, warm firelight welcomes you while wide-eyed bush babies watch inquisitively from the dense foliage above.

Surely, an African safari holiday needs the inclusion of at least two nights' stay in one of Southern Africa's luxury private game lodges like &Beyond's Phinda Safari Lodge to be complete. An even better plan will be to test them all on an African safari tour to see which one of these amazing wildlife accommodations you like the most!

A Day at Phinda Forest Lodge

Morning Game Drive

As dawn breaks over the African bush, a tap on your door will wake you to the adventures of a new day. Your ranger will discuss your wildlife expectations of what animals you would like to see that day over a hot drink and biscuits or rusks. &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve is renowned for its great sightings of cheetah and the rare black rhino, as well as the Big Five. There is also a number of resident lion prides and rangers will do their best to provide you with a special sightings of all of these animals.

Breakfast

Return to the lodge for a delicious breakfast, with platters of fruit and cheese followed by a selection of hot breakfast dishes.

Lunch

If you wish, you can walk off your breakfast near your lodge, accompanied by your ranger, who will share his insight into the smaller animals and vegetation in the area before returning in time for lunch.

Evening Game Drive

This game drive begins in the late afternoon and lasts until after dark, when spotlights are used for a glimpse into the nocturnal bush life. Listen to lions roar in the dark or admire the small nocturnal animals. A stop for sundowners in a scenic location as the sun slowly sinks beneath the horizon is traditional. If you prefer, you may rather go on a boat cruise down the Mzinene River, watching the wildlife as they come down to drink from the boat.

Dinner

A mouthwatering dinner is waiting for you at your lodge's boma or in a surprising bush location.

Wildlife at Phinda Forest Lodge

Phinda Game Reserve is home to an abundance of wildlife, from the large mammals to the smallest antelope and insect.

Cheetah was reintroduced to Phinda after an absence of over fifty years, andBeyond Phinda established a reputation as a great place to view and photograph these rare cats. With much of Phinda savanna habitat, these fast cats have enough space to practise their explosive hunting technique, as well as enough cover to protect and shelter their cubs.

Together with cheetah, lion and leopard are tracked on the reserve daily and guests have a good chance of encountering these magnificent carnivores. The successful re-introduction of both Black and white rhino have them flourishing in the diverse habitats of Phinda Game Reserve.

A frequent sight in the game reserve is the beautiful nyala, while other antelopes like kudu, the very small dik-dik, hartebeest also add to the variety of animals seen on game drives.

Things to Do at Phinda Forest Lodge

Mzinene River Boat Cruise

Take a leisurely cruise on the Mzinene River in the morning or afternoon. Your ranger will accompany you on your way along the reed-lined banks, fever trees, sycamore figs and acacias are habitat for over 200 species of water birds. Photograph these birds in the soft light of dawn or dusk before returning to your suite at the lodge (no additional cost).

Maputaland Bush and Beach Safari

The vast sandy beaches of the Maputaland coastline provide a beautiful setting for a half-day beach outing. Soak up the sun, splash in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, relax with a good book, play beach games, take leisurely walks along the shoreline or snorkel alongside Jesser Point, a protected marine reserve.*

Indian Ocean Scuba safari

Recognised as one of the top ten dive sites in the world, Sodwana Bay offers an abundance of fish and marine life throughout the year. The gullies, ledges and pinnacles of the coral reef are home to more than 1 200 fascinating fish species.*

Black Rhino Tracking on Foot

Slip on a pair of walking shoes and spend the morning with an expert ranger and tracker to find the rare and endangered black rhino on foot. Follow rhino tracks, recognise rhino middens and scratching posts, and read the signs of the bush in search of your quarry.*

Turtle Nesting Adventure

(Available November to February)

For four months during the southern hemisphere summer, the enormous leatherback and loggerhead turtles emerge from the Indian Ocean at Sodwana Bay to lay their precious eggs in the sand. As the moon rises over the ocean, excitement grows as you drive along the deserted coastline in search of fresh turtle tracks that emerge from the ocean and travel along the beach in search of a suitable nesting site. Watch as the female turtle digs her nest and lays her clutch of up to a hundred eggs.*

Swimming with Whale Sharks

Drift in the warm currents of the Indian Ocean as you swim alongside the largest fish in the sea. Accompanied by a skipper and certified dive-master, head out to sea on board an inflatable vessel in search of these enormous fish. Once located, jump into the water to swim next to these massive yet gentle giants.*

Zulu Village Tour

Be invited into an authentic Zulu homestead, visit the training school of a local sangoma, or traditional healer, and shop for exquisite handicrafts in the community surrounding &Beyond Phinda. Get a glimpse into the rituals of daily life and see how tribal culture and traditional affect rural Zulu villagers in the modern world.*

(* at an additional cost)

Children

Children are welcome at &Beyond Phinda Forest Lodge, although the rooms are not suitable for triple configuration.

If available, booking exclusive use of a safari vehicle means that game drives can be tailored for the shorter attention span of younger children, leaving and coming back to the lodge at any time. A swimming pool is available for families to enjoy.

When not using an exclusive safari vehicle, game drives are available to children aged twelve years and older. Children aged six to twelve are permitted on game drives at the lodge manager’s discretion. While children younger than six cannot participate in game drives, childminders can be arranged during game drives and meal times at an additional cost.

&Beyond's WILDChild Program

Designed especially for children visiting &Beyond's lodges, WILDchild is a filled with fun, interactive activities that offer opportunities to learn and discover new experiences and cultures. On arrival at &Beyond Phinda Forest Lodge, each child will receive a WILDchild branded bag containing a logbook, crayons, pencils and a pawprint tattoo. There is a personalised welcome note for every child, with those under three getting an African-themed soft toy as well.

Rates

Please contact us for our latest rates and availability.

Lodges offer varied rates which change from time to time. Rates depend on service levels, the type of lodge or hotel, number and age of guests, the time of year, location and any specials which may apply at time of enquiry.

Included

  • Accommodation
  • Three meals daily
  • Soft drinks, house wines, local branded spirits and beers
  • Teas and coffees
  • Refreshments on game drives
  • Laundry
  • Safari activities
  • 1-hour nature walks accompanied by experienced armed trackers (subject to
  • availability)
  • Emergency medical evacuation insurance
  • VAT
  • Transfers to and from the lodge airstrip

Not Included

  • Telephone calls
  • Safari shop purchases
  • Gratuities
  • All items of a personal nature
  • Champagne, cognacs, fine wines, premium brand spirits and cigars
  • Adventures at Phinda
  • Government bed levy
  • Conservancy or park fees
  • Landing fees
  • Administration fee

Rate Conditions

All rates are inclusive of VAT and in South African Rand.
Accommodation rates are per person per night sharing.
Long-Stay Rates & Signature Offers: May be applied for.

Single Supplement: A single supplement of 50% applies from the first single room throughout the year.

Children 6 - 16 years sharing with 1 or 2 adults are charged 50% of the adult rate. This is subject to the availability of triple rooms.

Private 4x4 safari vehicles can be pre-booked at Phinda Private Game Reserve at additional cost and subject to availability.

The Conservancy fee are not included in the above mentioned rates - these are charged per person per stay
All pricing is indicative and subject to exchange rate fluctuations.

&Beyond Trading Terms apply

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