&Beyonds Phinda Homestead, South Africa

&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.

&Beyonds Tengile River Lodge, South Africa

&Beyonds Tengile River Lodge

Tengile River Lodge is one of &Beyonds newest and most luxurious lodges and it most definitely did not disappoint. The lodge is based in the Sabi Sands on the bend of the Sand River.

I was extremely lucky enough to spend two nights here and my first reaction was…’Oh wow!’. I was greeted by all the fantastic staff at the entrance with a cold towel and a refreshing drink. I was also fortunate enough to be one of the first people to stay at the lodge as it had recently just opened, meaning that I got to stay there whilst it was still relatively quiet. There are definitely some perks to working in the travel industry!

After an orientation and a tour of my wonderful room, it was lunch time at the main lodge whilst overlooking the river, keeping an eye out for elephants.

My Room

The rooms are like houses! I’ve stayed in some pretty luxurious places in Africa, but I think I have to say, this is the most luxurious. It was just breathtaking! The rooms are extremely large and spread apart from each other, giving you extreme privacy. All rooms over look the river, giving you panoramic views and optimal game viewing experience right from your bed, deck, shower or pool!

As you walk in the front door, you are greeted with the most tastefully decorated bar and lounge area that head straight out onto the outside seating area. As you walk to the right, the bedroom invites you in with gorgeous colours setting the feel to safari. Everything about the room entices you in and makes you never want to leave.

As everything is open plan, the bathroom is just a few steps away and is one of the most luxurious ones I have ever come across. The toilet is separate, however, the bathroom and shower is out in the open, so it is best to stay in the room with someone you are comfortable with. Luckily, I had the whole place to myself!!

The bathroom comes with some of my favourite toiletries from Healing Earth. The bath salts, the moisturiser, shampoo and conditioner is all to die for!!

The outside is on a whole new level of crazy luxury! The deck runs along the whole of room, giving lots of space to wander, relax and take in the views. Now, can you believe that this infinity pool is all for you?! It is completely private and is there for you to use to cool and wind down whilst you aren’t on safari. This is the largest private infinity pool I have ever come across in a room at a safari lodge!

You could spend a whole day in the room and still be finding new things and using all of the facilities. I made sure that I spent as much of my free time as possible in my room, I mean, when else will I have this room all to myself again!?! I even turned the loungers by the pool into my own office for a few hours. The surroundings definitely gave me some inspiration!

I also made sure I spent as much time in the pool as I possibly could. I just loved sitting there, watching the wildlife wander by and listening to the sounds of Africa - a real Armchair Safari.

The food

The food and drink was pretty spectacular! Everything was delicious and presented beautifully. We also ate in wonderful places, such as on the main deck overlooking the river and in the boma with entertainment. There was always so much food available and everything was home made.

The Spa

I love, love, love a spa! I just can’t get enough of massages and I think I might have a little addiction to them. Everywhere I go that offers spa treatments is such a weakness of mine, I am like a moth to a flame! The spa at Tengile is fantastic!

Away from the main lodge is a large swimming pool, a gym and that wonderful spa I was talking about. It is the perfect little wellness area in the bush and I love it - not that I had time to use the gym ;)

Of course I had a massage…and it was incredible! Not only was the actual massage amazing, the views were breathtaking. The treatment room over looks the river and whilst I was having a massage, a herd of elephants wandered by! Can it be anymore perfect?

Wildlife and activities

I have talked about the incredible lodge, which is obviously an important part of safari, especially when you are at Tengile, however, you go on safari for the wildlife! Tengile is based in the Sabi Sands in the surroundings of Kruger National Park in South Africa. The Kruger National Park is quite busy with vehicles and self drivers, however, the private reserve of Sabi Sands which although still busy, is a lot less crowded. You can also explore the Mala Mala Private Reserve as they have an agreements with their neighbours, giving you lots more landscape to explore. It is definitely one of the busiest places I have been on safari, but the wildlife made up for it.

The wildlife was incredible! Honestly, it was like Leopards were falling out of trees there were that many and I saw the ‘Big 5’ plus much more, just in the first game drive. You cannot fault the game viewing! I was also lucky enough to spot a couple of packs of Wild Dog, which are usually quite elusive.

Whilst at Tengile you can take part in game drives, go bush walks and visit the local communities.

The guides are fantastic and extremely knowledgeable! As well as a driver/guide, you also get your super cool tracker who sits at the front of the vehicle, and they track the wildlife using their knowledge of the area and by footprints. It is amazing how incredible their eyes are and what they can spot. They are also quite fearless…would you like to sit up front with a a leopard or a herd of buffalo?

How I got there

I arrived at Skukuza Airport by private plane…yes that is what I said. I was extremely lucky enough to travel in style and it was a pretty incredible experience. I flew in from the Phinda Private Game Reserve, however, you can fly from Johannesburg as it has great connections. It is also quite common to fly in from other lodges or travel by road. If you have any questions on how to get there, please let me know!

My thoughts

As you can probably guess already, I loved my stay here and cannot wait to return one day. It is perfect if you are looking for some luxury, relaxation and wildlife. It is a great place to stay for both first time safaris as you have all your luxuries around you, and for experienced safari goers as you can spend a little more time enjoying the luxury and taking safari nice and slowly, starting from the privacy of your room. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful and the facilities at the main lodge and in the rooms are faultless - I wanted for nothing. Even the bed was one of the comfiest beds I have ever slept in, which made it tough getting up for safari at 5am!

The wildlife is phenomenal, however, as I mentioned it can be quite busy with other vehicles so please just bear this in mind. It won’t be the most secluded place for wildlife spotting but the concentration of game is incredible. But, Tengile is a perfect place to go back to and wind down with a dip in your private plunge pool.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and I hope it has provided you with some inspiration! Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have ant questions.

Happy Travels.

Danielle x