Phinda Private Game Reserve

What and Where

Phinda is a private reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal, in Zululand, between the Ubombo mountains and the Indian Ocean coast. It was created in 1991 on worn-out pineapple, cattle and sisal farms, and the company now called andBeyond has run it and restored it ever since. Phinda is part of the Munywana Conservancy, which covers close to 30,000 hectares. In 2007 part of the land was returned to the Makhasa and Mnqobokazi communities, who chose to keep it under conservation.

The reserve is small by Kruger standards but very varied. There are seven habitats, among them open savanna, wetlands, rocky hills and about 1,000 hectares of rare dry sand forest, where you can look for the tiny suni antelope and red duiker.

Wildlife and What You Do

• Morning and evening game drives in open vehicles, running into the dark with a spotlight
• Guided bush walks and black rhino tracking on foot
• Conservation activities such as rhino notching, booked at extra cost
• Boat or river cruises when water levels allow

All of the Big Five live here, and Phinda is one of the best places in South Africa to see cheetah at close range. Twelve cheetahs from Namibia were released in two groups in the early 1990s, before lions arrived, and the reserve now supplies cheetahs to other areas. In 2021 two males from Phinda were flown to Maputo Special Reserve in southern Mozambique. Phinda has also sent rhinos to Akagera National Park in Rwanda and Garamba National Park in the DRC.

The coast is the other draw. iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Indian Ocean are close by. Sodwana Bay, about two hours away, is the usual base for diving and snorkeling on its reefs. Ocean outings from the reserve can bring dolphins and, in season, humpback whales, and in summer leatherback and loggerhead turtles nest on the beaches around Sodwana.

Best Time to Go

Phinda works all year. Winter, from May to August, is dry and cooler, and animals are easier to find as the bush thins out. Summer, from September to April, is hot and humid, with short afternoon thunderstorms, green landscapes and migrant birds. More than 430 bird species have been recorded on the reserve. Turtle nesting on the nearby coast falls in the summer months. Phinda is in a low-risk malaria area, lower than the Kruger lowveld, but talk to a travel clinic before you go.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Phinda has its own airstrip. Scheduled light-aircraft flights land there, with routes that connect through Johannesburg, Nelspruit or Skukuza, and private charters can fly straight in. A cheaper option is a commercial flight to Richards Bay and a road transfer of about two hours. By road it is about three and a half hours from Durban and about seven hours from Johannesburg. Routes and schedules change, so we confirm them when we book.

We suggest three or four nights, which gives you six to eight game drives plus a walk or a rhino tracking morning. Add a night if you want a full day on the coast.

Where We Like to Stay in Phinda

andBeyond runs six lodges in the reserve. andBeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge sits on a crest with views toward the Ubombo mountains. With family cottages and the WILDchild program, it is the one we suggest for families and groups.

Couples after quiet should look at Rock Lodge, a small lodge on a cliff edge, or Forest Lodge, with glass-walled suites inside the sand forest. Vlei Lodge has six suites looking over a marsh. Zuka Lodge is a small lodge that can be booked for sole use, and the Homestead is a private villa with its own chef, good for a family or a group of friends.

Pairing Phinda with the Rest of Your Trip

Phinda shows you a different side of South Africa from the Kruger area, so the two pair well. Spend three or four nights in the Sabi Sand for leopards, or in the Greater Kruger private reserves for a quieter Big Five safari, then fly to Phinda for cheetah, rhino and the coast. Most trips also include Cape Town, reached through Johannesburg or Durban.

For a beach finish, Mozambique lies to the north, and light aircraft have linked Phinda with Vilanculos, the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago. Ask us which routes are flying for your dates.