KwaZulu-Natal, a coastal South African province known for its beaches, mountains, and savannah populated by big game. The safari destination Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, in the northeast, is home to black and white rhinos, lions and giraffes. Durban is an Indian-influenced harbor city and a popular surfing spot. Cultural villages around the town of Eshowe showcase the traditions of the indigenous Zulu people.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Accessed from Durban and Johannesburg via road or flight
- Big Five Safari
- Exclusive use Villa
- Day and Night safaris
- Night eye experience with personal photographer and infra-red camera safari experience
- Bushwalking
- Black Rhino Tracking on foot
- A night under the skies – Sleepout
- Maputaland beach day experience – swimming, beach games, beach bbq picnic, snorkeling, beach walks
- Horse riding in iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- Turtle nesting adventure – from November
- Impact Experience on request– pioneering conservation, research and monitoring of endangered species
- Ocean adventures (ocean safaris, scuba diving nearby)
- Family-friendly for younger kids – special kids programmes include bark rubbing, bug collecting, frog safaris, ‘poo walks’, baking with the chef and more, special children’s menus available, childminding services available at additional cost
UNISSABLE EXPERIENCES:
- Variety of Ocean Adventures is offered like:
- Ocean Safari (snorkeling)
Set off on board a semi-rigid inflatable boat in the company of a certified Dive Master and enjoy the prospect of encountering and swimming with sleek, silvery dolphins Snorkeling amongst some of South Africa’s most magnificent coral reef, viewing a bevy of iridescent tropical fish. Marvel at the colossal forms of humpback and southern right whales. The temperate waters are awash with a plethora of diverse aquatic life, including the ancient walnut-hued leatherback and the white-bellied loggerhead turtles, the slow-moving, yellow-spotted whale shark, a variety of shy eels and hundreds of minute, kaleidoscopic fish that flit in and around the corals.
- Scuba Dive
Renowned as one of the top five diving destinations in the world, dives at Sodwana Bay reveal just a taste of the wide-ranging biodiversity found here. With the aquamarine water as the perfect canvas, watch in awe as a variety of rainbow-coloured fish dart in and around healthy coral reefs, creating a vivid visual masterpiece. Open Water 1 NAUI or PADI qualification required. Must have dived in the last 6 months
- Turtle nesting adventure
Each year, during the southern hemisphere summer, between November and January, enormous leatherback and loggerhead turtles emerge from the Indian Ocean at Sodwana Bay to lay their precious eggs in the sun-warmed sand, as they have done for hundreds of millions of years. Set out on a thrilling night-time adventure along a stretch of 16 kilometers of tranquil beach, set to the background of the harmonic sounds of foamy waves rushing in to shore. With only the beam of your flashlight, the cold light of the moon flitting between wispy clouds and the distant flash of the lighthouse to guide you, search for these gentle animals as they ride the waves to shore to dig their nests at one of Africa’s last key nesting sites. Dig your bare feet into the cool, velvet sand and hold your breath as you wait for a ritual as old as time to once again take place. Watch in wonder as two of the ocean’s largest turtles – the walnut-hued leatherback ringing in at 700 kilograms and the white-bellied loggerhead touching 160 kilograms – breach the quiet shore, leaving behind a deep trail in the soft sand. Marvel at the silent concentration of the mother as she squats above a deep hole in the sand, laying scores of smooth, oval eggs, which she carefully covers with warm, loose sand before disappearing back into the inky waves. Nesting season is Nov – Feb annually. Not available to book on 25 – 26 Dec & 31 Dec.*Activities to resume soon.
- Ocean Safari (snorkeling)
- Pangolin Conservation Experience at &Beyond Phinda
Participate in our one-of-its-kind Pangolin conservation experience and support us in this groundbreaking initiative to re-establish Temminck’s ground pangolin (the most trafficked mammal on earth) in a region where they have gone locally extinct. Intensive monitoring, using VHF and GSM/UHF tracking tags, is a core element of this project. Travel with our specialist conservation team as they locate the animal, replace the GSM/UHF tag, do general health checks, and gather crucial data. You’ll be with them as they locate the pangolin and set about the replacement of the tag. During this procedure, the team will also conduct a general health check, take body measurements and gather other research data: a precious opportunity for you to observe the unique features and adaptations of the pangolin at a close distance. The pangolin will then be released, and, provided it is relaxed with our presence, you’ll be able to follow it, and observe its behaviour and feeding. Your experience will take place in the afternoon or evening in winter, or at night in summer. - Rhino Conservation Experience
De-horning a rhino is a once-in-a-lifetime, rare opportunity to get up close and personal with rhino at a Private Game Reserve, while assisting. Phinda Private Game Reserve is committed to ensuring the survival of Africa’s giants of the bush and, as such, we implement best practice research and management practices. This thrilling experience allows guests to witness the capture and darting of either a black or a white rhino.A wildlife vet will locate and dart the rhino from the vantage point of a helicopter, while the guests and ground crew will follow in open 4×4 safari vehicles. Once darted, the veterinary team will remove both horns from the sleeping animal for research and security monitoring. These horns are safely removed by our conservation team and will be transported off the reserve to a safe storage site, at an undisclosed location. Cherish this memorable opportunity to assist in the conservation of rhinos at &Beyond Phinda, where all funds raised go directly towards the costs of running Phinda’s rhino conservation and management project.
