&Beyond Phinda Mountain Lodge

In the Phinda Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Phinda Mountain Lodge is a romantic honeymoon setting for newlyweds. The beautiful views, great game drive safaris camera hunting for the Big Five will appeal to both private groups and couples looking for wonderful adventure safaris.

Built on the crest of a mountain, Mountain Lodge offers wide vistas over the landscape down below where each suite commands a magnificent panorama.

Communal viewing decks and private verandas attached to each suite ensure proper appreciation of the spectacular views that is the result of the clever selection of a spectacular setting for a never-to-be forgotten Nature experience.

Guests are greeted with warm welcomes from the lodge’s well-trained and friendly staff. &Beyond's staff is considered by &Beyond to be one of their greatest assets and their training and motivation finds expression in truly wonderful service.

The 25 suites are placed to enhance both privacy an the views from the verandas. Each suite has a private outdoor shower and plunge pool where you can appreciate the fresh mountain air.

Your suite also has a private sitting room where you can enjoy some solitude or you may saunter over to the spacious guest areas where some interesting people may be met. Browse through the Safari Shop or enjoy a cocktail while appreciating the views from the terrace.

Meals are a delicious al fresco feast on the tiered veranda, a delicious spread in the dining room or a surprise treat in a unexpected location.

With glamorous guest areas and spellbinding views, this bold and stylish lodge will truly make you feel on top of the world. Magnificent guest viewing decks and private verandas attached to each suite ensure that there’s no shortage of spectacular locations to drink in the natural luxury of the sensational setting.

A warm welcome awaits children at andBeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge, with two family suites providing interleading rooms with an optional additional bed in each to enhance the Nature experience for the younger ones!

A Day at Phinda Mountain Lodge

Morning Game Drive

At sunrise, a tap on your door will wake you to the adventures of a new day. Your ranger will discuss what you wish to see that day over fragrant tea or coffee and morning biscuits or rusks. &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve is renowned for its great sightings of the speedy cheetah and the rare black rhino, as well as the Big Five. It is also home a number of lion prides and rangers will try their best to provide you with an exceptional sighting of all of these animals.

Breakfast

Return from the bush drive for a delicious breakfast, with platters of fruit and cheese followed by a selection of hot breakfast dishes. Choose from eggs, oats, waffles or a number of other options.

Lunch

If you wish, you and your ranger may take a walk near your lodge, when you will be able to discuss his knowledge of the smaller animals and vegetation in the area, before returning in time for lunch.

Afternoon Tea

Cool off with a refreshing dip in the pool, indulge in an afternoon siesta or simply watch the wildlife from your private veranda. Over a late afternoon tea, your ranger will discuss what you hope to see during the afternoon game drive.

Evening Game Drive

This game drive starts in the late afternoon and continues until after dark, using spotlights for a glimpse into the nocturnal bush life. Listen to lions roar in the dark or admire the small nocturnal animals. Enjoy sun-downers in a scenic location as the sun slowly sinks beneath the horizon. If you prefer, you may be able to go on a boat cruise down the Mzinene River, watching the wildlife as they come down to drink.

Dinner

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

Wildlife at Phinda Mountain Lodge

&Beyond Phinda is home to an abundance of wildlife, from the large mammals to the smallest antelope.

The reintroduction cheetahs into the area after an absence of over 50 years, resulted in &Beyond Phinda quickly establishing a reputation as one of the best places to view and photograph these quick cats. With much of &Beyond 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.

Another success story at andBeyond Phinda is that of both the white and the black rhino. Brought back from the brink of extinction, both the grass eating white rhino and the shrub grazing black rhino are doing well at the reserve. While the white rhino favours water holes and wallows, the black rhino indulges its inquisitive nature in constant solitary rambles.

The elegant nyala antelope is a frequent sight at &Beyond 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 &Beyond 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.

Things to Do at Phinda Mountain Lodge

Mzinene River Boat Cruise

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 (no additional cost).

Maputaland Beach Adventure

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 at Phinda Mountain Lodge

Children are welcome at family-friendly Phinda Mountain Lodge, which boasts a Family Suite and a specialised children’s programme

The lodge offers an exclusive Family Suite that accommodates four additional children under the age of 16. The 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 private swimming pool is available for families to enjoy.

The lodge is also able to accommodate a limited number of triple rooms for families not staying in the Family Suite.

This means that, should parents wish to share a room with younger children, an additional bed will be set up in the parents’ room for children 16 years or younger.

When not staying in the Family Suite, 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.

Rates

Please contact us for our latest rates and availability.

Included

Accommodation
Three meals daily
Soft drinks
House wines
Local brand 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.

A single supplement of 50% applies from the first single room, throughout the year.

Children 6 to 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 is 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