&Beyonds Phinda Homestead, Phinda Private Reserve, South Africa
I feel extremely lucky to have stayed here at Phinda Homestead. I believe I was one of the first people to stay and one of the first agents to see and experience it. I stayed here for two nights and was blown away at every moment.
The lodge can only be booked on a private basis and is located in the Phinda Private Reserve near Durban in South Africa. So, it is perfect for families or big groups travelling together. Everything you see in this post, would be exclusive use…WOW! I still can’t quite believe I had the pleasure of staying here for two nights. We also had own private chef and butler for the duration of our stay!
How I got there
I arrived at Johannesburg Airport that morning before boarding a plane straight to the reserve. You can also fly to Durban and get a road transfer to the lodge. On arrival at the reserve airstrip we were greeted by our guide and taken to the lodge to settle in. By this point I was tired but extremely excited to have a look around the lodge and head out on my first game drive here.
My Room
Wow…just wow! The style of this lodge is like dream. It is like they read my mind and designed a lodge based on my style. The colours, the decoration, the style overall was just beautiful. The rooms were huge, with the bed looking out onto the bush with a large open plan bathroom, huge bath and an outside shower - one of my favourite things to have!
The bed was super comfy and I could have stayed in it all day…if I wasn’t on safari! I did end up sitting out on the deck for a while just watching antelope stroll by.
The main area
Just look at the main area….again all for you and the people you are on holiday with! No strangers and no one to disturb you.
There is so much chill out space and places to relax in and reflect on your game drives. The outside area is very open so plenty of opportunity to spot wildlife in and around the lodge.
Yes…that is your own bar. The staff are phenomenal and cater to all your needs…even when you think you don’t need anything. They are so friendly and make the experience even more special.
The pool and fire pit area are life goals….this for me was just incredible! So i’ll say it again, this pool is just for you and your family and friends staying at Phinda Homestead…no one else! Apart from outside visitors such as elephants who like to drop by for a little drink :)
I love the fire pit and I spent two wonderful evenings here, before and after dinner chatting and drinking amarula. I just LOVE a fire pit and will spend hours and hours sitting around it!
As well as the main area, the four bedrooms, the bunk beds for the kids, there are also lots of other areas of the lodge to explore such as the reading rooms, study, treatment area and gym. All for you!!
The Food
Oh the food….amazing! I was full the whole time I was there and was constantly being brought new things to eat. My favourite though has to be the pancakes in the morning…yummy!! Everything was cooked to perfection and extremely delicious.
One of the evenings we ate out in the private boma area and had a braai. The food and atmostphere was incredible! I was joined by the camp manager and just sat and listened to all his stories about living in the bush. Amazing!
The Wildlife and activities
Staying at Phinda Homestead or any of the other &Beyond Phinda properties allows you to head out on the Phinda Private Reserve for your safari and activities. Only &Beyond properties are on the reserve and there is plenty of space to explore so chances are you won’t run into anyone else very often.
Phinda is a ‘Big 5’ reserve meaning that you are likely to have awesome game viewing experiences. Just look at some of my pictures below….
The guides were fabulous and extremely knowledgable and made sure that we made the most of our stay. We got to spend a lot of time with some incredible cats and were not rushed in anyway, so the whole experience felt very relaxed and personal. As part of your stay, you have access to Swarovski binoculars to ensure that you can see as much as possible!
&Beyond are very conservation driven and a lot of what they do, you can learn about and get involved in. If you want to, you can assist the conservation team with their rhino, elephant and pangolin research.
&Beyond is also very child friendly - so even more perfect if you are staying at Phinda Homestead. They have a wild child program that really involves the children and allows them to experience and learn everything about the bush.
As well as game drives, you can also go on walking safaris to explore the bush on foot and take time to appreciate the smaller things such as tracking and birds. If you are looking for something even more special, you can also visit the local communities nearby too! So basically, you need to spend six months here ;)
My thoughts
Overall Phinda Homestead and the Phinda reserve is really phenomenal. The staff, the accommodation, the game viewing, the conservation is just mind blowing. They couldn’t do more for us and ensured that we made the most of every second.
Phinda is a perfect place to end a South Africa itinerary on or combine it with another safari destination such as the Sabi Sands. After Phinda, I then went onto Sabi Sands and stayed at another &Beyond property - Tengile River Lodge before then going onto Mozambique. It was a great combo.
I would say Phinda is perfect if you are looking for more exclusivity and privacy without the 100s of other vehicles you might find somewhere else. Although the game viewing is great and you get more quality time with the wildlife, the concentration of game is not like it would be in somewhere like Kruger National Park for example. The one negative I would say is that a couple of times I saw fences, which isn’t a bad thing but it takes the wild factor away from it a little. Although in Sabi Sands/Kruger leopards basically fall out of trees and you can see the ‘Big 5’ within minutes of arriving, I would say I prefer Phinda as it just feels so much more special and personalised.
I think this place is super special and would recommend it to anyone who wants something a little different and unique.
Thank you to the whole team who made my stay extremely special and memorable.