Overview of Phinda Mountain Lodge

Enjoy a unique safari experience at Phinda Mountain Lodge, set in the beautiful mountains of the Phinda Private Game Reserve – a large protected wildlife area in South Africa’s kwaZulu-Natal. From your lofty mountain-top position, enjoy commanding views of the Lebombo Mountains and the dramatic surrounding landscape.

This Big 5 private reserve is famous for its excellent game viewing. Guided game drives and nature walks offer guests great animal sighting opportunities, and you can also go rhino tracking and enjoy some amazing bird watching. Other activities include Zulu village tours and night-time turtle nesting adventures (between November and January).

Highlights & Activities

What's on offer whilst on this itinerary?
  • Located in the superb Phinda Private Game Reserve
  • Stunning mountain-top location with great views over the reserve
  • Big 5 game including the elusive cheetah & black rhino
  • Enjoy starlit dinners & bush breakfasts
  • Beautifully designed & decorated suites - all with outdoor showers & plunge pools
  • Fantastic family lodge, children of all ages are welcome
  • See nesting leatherback & loggerhead turtles between November & January
Animal tracking experience

Animal tracking experience

Bird watching

Bird watching

Canoeing

Canoeing

Game drives

Game drives

Guided walking safaris

Guided walking safaris

Guided walks

Guided walks

Horse riding

Horse riding

River cruises

River cruises

Scenic flights

Scenic flights

Scuba diving

Scuba diving

Snorkelling

Snorkelling

Specialist guides

Specialist guides

Rooms at Phinda Mountain Lodge

Unwind and relax, in your own private luxury
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  • phinda-mountain-suite-pool
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  • phinda-mountain-suite-sitting-area1

    Suite

    Phinda Mountain Lodge has 20 spacious split-level suites, each a with a lounge and en suite bathroom opening onto a private deck and plunge pool. The air-conditioned suites offer beautiful views over the reserve and surrounding mountains. Paved pathways lead down the mountainside from the main lodge to the chalets.

    General Facilities

    Phinda Mountain Lodge offers a number of facilities to be enjoyed in its beautiful mountain setting.

    All guest areas, including the dining area, lounge, shaded terrace and bar lead out to cool verandas with spectacular views of the Lebombo Mountains.

    You can enjoy cooling off in the shaded swimming pool or view passing wildlife from the comfort of the lookout deck. Guests who need to work up an appetite might want to make use of the lodge’s well-equipped gym.

    Computer facilities

    Computer facilities

    Laundry service

    Laundry service

    Swimming pool

    Swimming pool

    Wi-Fi available

    Wi-Fi available

    Dining

    The à la carte restaurant at Phinda Mountain Lodge offers a variety of delicious meals for you to enjoy. Lunch is served either on the shaded terrace, on the patio or in the dining room.

    Dinner on the other hand is served under the stars in the open-air boma.

    You can also enjoy a bush breakfast or a candlelit dinner out in the wild – just ask the staff at the lodge and they’ll be happy to organise it for you.

    Expert Opinion

    We know because we go
    Tracy Payne

    Tracy Payne

    Head of Operations

    My fondest memory of visiting Phinda Mountain was the surprise bush dinner. There is nothing quite like having dinner under the stars in the middle of the African bush!

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    Traveller Reviews

    • VB

      Phinda was fantastic, I must stay. Staff were lovely, room was more than comfortable, game drives were spectacular with very good guides and trackers and the food was amazing. We managed to have some very special sightings on our drives, things that neither of us had seen before. A wonderful experience that I would definitely recommend.

      Vicki Briggs
    • JAP

      Beautiful surroundings. Our room was wonderful and the staff without exception were very engaging and professional.

      Joyce and Patrick Vink
    • GB

      So my trip was fantastic. Managed to dodge the bad weather more of the time. Beautiful camps, the food was fantastic, the people so accommodating. I was actually the only person at Ngala for 2 nights and was treated like a Queen. The Elephant Camp was beautiful. Hwange was a beautiful park. Perhaps next time to Africa I will spend more time in Zimbabwe.

      Gisele Bijok
    • MN

      Phinda was also good to go back to. The weather was extremely hot there, up to 40c two days, then down to 20c our last day which seemed cold by contrast. As well as the usual range of animals we also saw the elusive black rhino this time, a family with a calf. Awhite rhino was tagging along with them so our ranger was able to point out the differences between them to us. We saw two cheetah families, one with 3 month old cubs and another with 11 month old cubs so we could see the changes in them over the year. We saw the mature male lion with his family of lioness and 3 year old cubs. We saw buffalo, wildebeeste, zebra, giraffe, warthogs, mongoose, hippos in and out of the water, antelope of all kinds and many kinds of birds large and small. On the river trip we saw more birds and lots of crocodiles and had a bush breakfast on the landing stage when we got back. We had a bush dinner, a boma dinner and one night a private dinner on our own decking which was very romantic with a full moon and hurricane lamps.

      Marjorie Needham
    • LP

      The time in Durban was good and we loved the And Beyond camps at Phinda, would totally go there again. The game viewing there was good and they are conservationist and have a well planned management plan for game. I would send people there, the guides are good and the facility is top notch, easy to get to.

      Lisa People
    • TDD

      We just came back yesterday from South Africa, and we already miss those regions!!! We really enjoyed it.

      Thomas de Decker
    • TDD

      We just came back yesterday from South Africa, and we already miss those regions!!! We really enjoyed it.

      Thomas de Decker
    • KC

      Our guide there was really great. I think she really made the trip memorable with amazing sightings. She saved a baby zebra drowning in the mud. It was quite incredible. Plus we saw all the big 5 the 2 days we were there.

      Karen Chao
    • KC

      Our guide there was really great. I think she really made the trip memorable with amazing sightings. She saved a baby zebra drowning in the mud. It was quite incredible. Plus we saw all the big 5 the 2 days we were there.

      Karen Chao
    • NL

      It was such a magical experience at Phinda, I can’t thank you enough for encouraging me and setting up the details. Not a hitch anywhere. The time at Phinda was beyond expectations and the staff and safaris unimaginable! The food and their settings amazing.

      Nicole Lucido
    • NL

      It was such a magical experience at Phinda, I can’t thank you enough for encouraging me and setting up the details. Not a hitch anywhere. The time at Phinda was beyond expectations and the staff and safaris unimaginable! The food and their settings amazing.

      Nicole Lucido
    • RA

      Phinda was absolutely fabulous. I have nothing but praise for the reserve and all the wonderful staff . Each and everyone has a “can do” attitude .

      Robert Armstrong
    • RA

      Phinda was absolutely fabulous. I have nothing but praise for the reserve and all the wonderful staff . Each and everyone has a “can do” attitude .

      Robert Armstrong
    • KA

      Phinda is the best lodge we have ever visited. We saw many lions, elephants and others near. The accommodation was wide and clean and food was nice. And from Durban, it is easy access.

      Kenji Aoki
    • KA

      Phinda is the best lodge we have ever visited. We saw many lions, elephants and others near. The accommodation was wide and clean and food was nice. And from Durban, it is easy access.

      Kenji Aoki
    • PA

      I have had one of the most exciting vacations of my life! We really had a good time. Phinda Mountain Lodge was over the top. The games were excellent. We saw all of the Big 5, except the leopard. The personnel were amazing…

      Paulo Abreu
    • PA

      I have had one of the most exciting vacations of my life! We really had a good time. Phinda Mountain Lodge was over the top. The games were excellent. We saw all of the Big 5, except the leopard. The personnel were amazing…

      Paulo Abreu
    • SN

      Sheer luxury. Our arrival was awaited with hot towels and drinks. Our car taken to the car park and luggage to our Lodge. We were offered lunch but settled for a cup of tea by the fire. Again you must have had a word as we were put in the honeymoon suite. We checked out the other rooms and they were also excellent – the suite was just bigger. A lovely touch was coming back after dinner one evening with the bath filled with salts and the bathroom decorated with candles. Again nothing was too much trouble.

      Susan Neill
    • SN

      Sheer luxury. Our arrival was awaited with hot towels and drinks. Our car taken to the car park and luggage to our Lodge. We were offered lunch but settled for a cup of tea by the fire. Again you must have had a word as we were put in the honeymoon suite. We checked out the other rooms and they were also excellent – the suite was just bigger. A lovely touch was coming back after dinner one evening with the bath filled with salts and the bathroom decorated with candles. Again nothing was too much trouble.

      Susan Neill
    • DO

      All was great. Phinda in particular was a fantastic expeience.

      Derek O'Sullivan
    • DO

      All was great. Phinda in particular was a fantastic expeience.

      Derek O'Sullivan
    • LAT

      The game drives were amazing and our ranger and tracker were both dedicated and knowledgeable. We saw everything except leopard. The accommodation was first class. The food was good although we felt that the eating arrangements could have been improved by combining guests from two vehicles on a table hosted by a Zulu ranger and a white staff member. This did not detract from the visit.

      Linda and Tony Tomlinson
    • LAT

      The game drives were amazing and our ranger and tracker were both dedicated and knowledgeable. We saw everything except leopard. The accommodation was first class. The food was good although we felt that the eating arrangements could have been improved by combining guests from two vehicles on a table hosted by a Zulu ranger and a white staff member. This did not detract from the visit.

      Linda and Tony Tomlinson