If you want to be woken up by birdsongs and live in the midst of an expansive forest during your vacation, the ideal IT destination would be the Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa. Located within KwaZulu-Natal, Phinda spans an area of 23,000 hectares and has six amazing lodges – Mountain Lodge, Phinda Homestead, Forest Lodge, Rock Lodge, Vlei Lodge and Zuka Lodge.

For now, we’d recommend the exclusive Mountain Lodge, which offers sweeping views of the Ubombo mountain range and the Zululand bush. The horseshoe shaped lodge has split level suites with an open-air courtyard. The main accommodation offers 25 luxurious air-conditioned suites, three triple suites and a family suite (with four bedrooms), private plunge pools, open-air showers, lodge pool and open-air dining. Make time for the delicious food and bush banquets; Phinda is noted for its outdoor dining sessions under a canopy of stars.  

The protected reserve takes conservation seriously and has a limited number of vehicles. It runs special programs for children and is therefore a great destination for family vacations. At Phinda, you can enjoy birding, trekking, photography expeditions, bush walks and river cruises along with great game viewing. Expect sightings of the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – as well as the cheetah and nyala (native antelope). The reserve is not too far from the beach and offers exciting opportunities for adventures like private scuba safaris and night turtle drives.

Getting there: You can also hire private charters to Phinda’s airstrip. Take the scheduled charter flights from Johannesburg to &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve or from Johannesburg to Richard’s Bay (90-minute drive from the reserve).

Book it: Book with &Beyond for experiential holidays and personalized luxury safaris at the Phinda Game Reserve. For details, visit: www.andbeyond.com

Smitha Sadanandan