Phinda Mountain Lodge

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.

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

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.

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.

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 guide s are good and the facility is top notch, easy to get to.

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

"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."

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 a mazing.

"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 ."

"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."

"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..."

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.

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

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 improv ed 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.