Phinda Forest Lodge, Vlei Lodge and Phinda Walking Safaris Camp, Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Take a tour though Phinda Game Reserve in this extract from; ‘Exclusive Safari Lodges of South Africa’ with photographs by Gerald Hoberman and text by Carrie Hampton.

Lemonade spiked with ginger proffered with a warm smile is how guests are greeted at Phinda Forest Lodge. This air of affectionate friendliness characterizes a stay here in the rare, dry sand forests of KwaZulu-Natal.

The unique terrain – with trees like Zulu podberry, Africa’s only cactus species, Rhipsalis, and epiphytic orchids – and the nearby wetland system, make CC Africa’s Phinda Private Game Reserve very different from other game reserves. Activities are designed to showcase the best of the reserve’s diversity.

Game drives, interpretive bush walks, white rhino tracking on foot, canoe trips and sunset cruises on the Mzinene River all offer opportunities to get to know the environment more intimately.

The Phinda Game Reserve is close to the Indian Ocean and a fifteen-minute flight in a light aircraft can get you to the coast for scuba-diving along the reefs of Sodwana Bay, deep-sea fishing or horse riding along a soft, sandy beaches.

The sixteen stilted suites at Forest Lodge are a fusion of innovative architectural design and conservation ethics, resulting in eco-sensitive buildings that didn’t require a single tree to be felled during construction. Suites are encased in glass and minimally decorated with richly tactile fabrics and crimson Zulu artefacts.

The effect is worthy of the invention of a new decor term, ‘Zulu Zen’. Even the Wellington boots slipped onto specially placed pegs at the doorway are stylishly stored.

Vlei Lodge, on the edge of the wetland, is a more traditional African safari lodge. It comprises six thatched suites whose interiors reflect North and West African styles. Here warm oranges and assertive reds dominate.

In addition to these two lodges, the intimate Phinda Walking Safaris Camp is located in the reserve. With just four spacious tents, this really is Africa in the raw. Hot-water showers are bucket style and food is eaten at lantern-lit tables beside roaring fires.

Phinda Private Game Reserve has all the Big Five animals, including three resident lion prides. It also has a thriving cheetah population, often seen near Forest Lodge and Vlei Lodge.