PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Secluded and romantic; inspired by the elegant, turn of the century, plantation-style homestead.
- Day and night game drives, walking safaris.
- Twice-daily game drives, bush walks and walking safaris.
- Phinda Adventures available – Zulu village tours, Maputaland beach adventures, night turtle drives (seasonal), scuba safaris, an ocean safari, and black rhino tracking on foot.
- Specialist Safaris available -birding, photographic, rhino notching, tracking, walking, family or private safaris.
- Perfect for Couples, wildlife enthusiasts, keen birders.
- Situated between two habitats, the forest and the grasslands.
EXCLUSIVE LUXE VOYAGER VIP BENEFITS & BEST PRICE
We negotiate rates & benefits for our clients directly with the hotels’ senior management. Our rates match or in many cases are lower than the best online rate for the property. Our clients also enjoy a suite of extra VIP privileges and recognition while staying at a partner hotel.
- Complimentary room upgrade on arrival.
- Daily complimentary buffet breakfast for two.
- Up to $100 dining or spa credit per stay, and or in-house dining / spa discounts.
- Welcome amenities (wine/chocolates/fruit) and card from the GM.
- Complimentary private airport transfers.
- Complimentary roll-away bed if required.
- Early check-in and late check-out.
- Complimentary Wi-Fi.
- Enhanced recognition through VIP status at all touch points in the guest experience.
A complete or partial suite of VIP benefits will be offered, subject to the property T&C, including availability, category of room & length of stay.
ACTIVITIES:
Enjoy early morning and late afternoon game drives that continue after nightfall. andBeyond’s professionally trained guides will ask you about your favourite wildlife and will do their best to ensure that your preferences are met, whether it is tracking a particular species or spending more time enjoying each sighting and getting to know the habits of the animals. They will also tell you about the vegetation of the region and will explain the behaviour of the animals that you come across. In some cases, the guides will be able to identify individual animals and let you know about their history and habits. AndBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve is renowned for its exceptional sightings of the elusive 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 an exceptional sighting of all of these animals.
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.
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.
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.
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 andBeyond 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.
For those looking for an active thrill beyond the excitement of Big Five sightings on a game drive vehicle, andBeyond’s Luxury Walking Safaris offer an opportunity to connect with the African bush, interacting with all its inhabitants, from largest to smallest. Embark on an adventure where your feet tread in the tracks of zebra and buffalo, your nostrils fill with the scent of crushed wild grasses as you push through the bush and all six senses re-awaken as Africa touches you and you touch Africa.
Experience the thrill of tracking animals on foot, accompanied by an armed specialist ranger and tracker team. Engage all your sense as you discover a world where each sound, scent and bent blade of grass has a meaning.
Planned especially for you, this exclusive safari allows you to explore the bushveld with your very own dedicated ranger, tracker and vehicle. Game drives can be as long or as short as you wish. Meals can be enjoyed at the lodge, picnic-style outdoors or enjoyed under the shade of the trees. Your specific areas of interest can be covered, from the insect kingdom to great herds of buffalo or prides of lion.
Photographic enthusiasts, from beginners to advanced, can now capture the wondrous landscapes and magical creatures of andBeyond’s Phinda Private Game Reserves, by taking advantage of a fully-equipped photographic safari vehicle. The vehicle has been fitted with state-of-the-art camera mounts and cater for a maximum of four guests, ensuring exclusivity during your safari experience.
Designed for families with children who are wanting to experience the wonders of the African bush together, each safari is planned with the guide taking into account the children’s ages, their interests, the family’s preferences and fun seasonal activities available.
Accompanied by a specialist birding ranger, set out in search of nearly 415 bird species that inhabit Phinda’s seven diverse habitats. Leaving the lodge in the pre-dawn dusk, you will have the best chance of seeing as many of Phinda’s most well-known species, from the Rudd’s Apalis to Neergard’s Sunbird or Narina Trogon.
Spend the night sleeping directly beneath the stars in the heart of the bush on this thrilling overnight adventure. As the sun sets at the end of your afternoon game drive, you will arrive at a beautiful clearing in the midst of the bush, where com¬fortable beds with warm duvets and blankets, as well as billowing mosquito nets, are set up for you. Pull your chair up to the blazing campfire and toast the sunset as darkness deepens. Enjoy a delicious meal prepared on the open fire and fall asleep in utter tranquility, surrounded by Africa’s night sounds and kept safe by an armed guard.
With a dedicated game ranger and tracker, as well as a private game drive vehicle, guests have the luxury of tailor-making their own safari experience; choosing their own game drive times and spending as much time as they want at sightings.
Whilst enjoying the exceptional Big Five &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, why not treat yourself to an Ocean Safari that offers a wonderful opportunity to encounter some of South Africa’s beautiful marine life. This exciting adventure, aboard an inflatable vessel and in the company of a certified dive master, offers the prospect of encountering and swimming with wild dolphins, snorkelling amidst flourishing reefs and the chance to view humpback and southern right whales (seasonal).
Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with rhino at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve while assisting in the conservation of this endangered species. This adventure allows guests to witness the capture and darting of either a black or a white rhino. A wildlife vet will locate and dart the rhino from the vantage point of a helicopter, while the guests and ground crew will follow in open 4×4 safari vehicles. Once darted, the veterinary team will notch the sleeping animal’s ear for research and security monitoring, as well as insert a microchip into the horn, enabling researchers to correctly identify different rhino on the reserve. Groups of up to eight guests can participate in this conservation initiative and have the never-to-be-repeated opportunity of touching the anaesthetised giant during the notching procedure. Guests will need to spend a minimum of three nights at Phinda.
A refresher course is necessary for fully certified divers who have not participated in diving for 6 months or more.
Max 8 guests, cost is per person
Accompanied by your ranger, enjoy an interpretive nature walk, around the lodge, where you learn more about the intricacies of the African bush, from discovering fascinating flora and reading animal tracks with your guide to meeting smaller wildlife up-close.
With a dedicated game ranger and tracker, as well as a private game drive vehicle, guests have the luxury of tailor-making their own safari experience; choosing their own game drive times and spending as much time as they want at sightings.
Chat with one of our expert travel designers today to begin planning your perfect vacation
Call: +852 9465 4577
Email: travel@theluxevoyager.com
Phinda Vlei Lodge is an intimate romantic, private safari destination. Overlooking the Reserve’s unique vlei (wetland) system on the edge of the sand forest, its location offers ever-changing game viewing from the comfort of your bed, your shower or your private plunge pool. Fringing the reserve’s wildlife-rich wetland system, along the edge of a rare sand forest, the vibrant and intimate &Beyond Phinda Vlei Lodge offers a tranquil oasis in the middle of flourishing wilderness. This charming lodge, which has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment, features just six thatched suites to ensure exclusivity. Phinda Vlei’s fresh new look is inspired by the elegant, turn of the century, plantation-style homesteads of KwaZulu-Natal’s sugarcane and pineapple barons.
Each air conditioned suite features a spacious room, luxurious ensuite bathroom, and dressing room. The ensuite bathroom provides a sense of old world luxury, while the suite’s interiors showcase a mix of curated antiques and collectibles. Guests can also take advantage of a private lap pool and game viewing deck that overlooks a grassy meadow, where they can observe antelope grazing nearby, as well as a variety of birdlife.
Phinda Vlei Lodge offers six spacious air-conditioned suites with an en-suite bathroom featuring inviting free standing tubs, private plunge pool which brings welcome respite from the heat of the African sun and outdoor deck, ideal for bird and game watching.
Suite
Stilted glass and thatch suites set on the edge of the rare Sand Forest. Each air conditioned suite features a spacious room, luxurious ensuite bathroom, and dressing room. The ensuite bathroom provides a sense of old world luxury, while the suite’s interiors showcase a mix of curated antiques and collectibles. Take advantage of a private lap pool and game viewing deck that overlooks a grassy meadow, where you can observe antelope grazing nearby, as well as a variety of birdlife.
Villa
The inviting guest area has been subtly reconfigured to improve the guest flow and the tranquil dining veranda has been extended to allow for covered al fresco meals with a sweeping view of the adjoining wetland. There’s also a fire pit for those festive pre-dinner fireside gatherings under the stars.
Restaurant
The à la carte restaurant at Phinda Vlei Lodge offers delicious Pan-African cuisine to be enjoyed in the stylish dining area overlooking the wetlands. For meals with a difference, bush breakfasts and alfresco dinners under the night sky can also be arranged.
Facilities at the Phinda Vlei Lodge include a private bar and plunge pool in each suite. The lodge offers expansive viewing decks and a comfortable sitting area. The lodge also offers in room massages.
Spa
You are required to create a personal affirmation to reclaim an unconditional acceptance and love for yourself and reconnect with your soul to release all negative energy from deep within. A unique blend of aromatherapy and plant oils chosen specifically by you, combining deep tissue massage techniques to bring relaxation to tired, aching muscles allowing the body and soul to return to perfect equilibrium. Choose from a blend of aromatherapy oils to either destress, hydrate, relax or detox.
Full body: 90 min
Back and Neck only: 30 min
Pool
Area & Location
Area, Country
Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
Nearest Airport
Durban International Airport, Durban
Local Currency
South African Rand (ZAR)
Time Change
GMT +2:00
Language
Afrikaans, English
Best time to go
Best visited between September through May.
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