5 days life changing experience
Reynolds Travel
5 Day Life Changing Experience & Beyond Phinda Privcate Game Reserve, Kwa-Zulu Natal
With its seven distinct habitats, Phinda Private Game Reserve is often described as ‘Seven Worlds of Wonder’, a magnificent tapestry of woodland, grassland, wetland and forest, interspersed with mountain ranges, rivers, marshes and pans. Showcasing one of the continent’s finest game viewing experiences, the reserve is home to Africa’s Big Five, as well as 436 bird species.
Set in a rare and beautiful sand forest, the glass walls of Phinda Forest Lodge’s suites offer a sweeping view of one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet. A dense canopy provides privacy, and floor to ceiling windows invite the forest in, with the wonderful opportunity to view wildlife roaming outside your glass “bubble”, fluttering birds nesting in the foliage and the gentle rustle of forest sounds.
With a range of exciting adventures like participative conservation experiences such rhino notching or pangolin tagging. Also, on offer outside of the reserve, within easy access of the reserve are Zulu village tours, Africa Foundation community visits or an incredible ocean safari that offers you a host of marine life sightings.
Package Includes:
- Five Nights' Accommodation for Two at &Beyond Phinda Forest Lodge in a Suite
- Three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, refreshments on game drives, laundry, safari activities, 1-hour nature walks accompanied by experienced armed trackers (subject to availability), emergency medical evacuation insurance, VAT, transfers to and from the lodge airstrip. The use of a complimentary pair of Swarovski Optik binoculars per room for use during your stay.
- Private Vehicle
- Zulu Village Tour
- Ocean Safari
- Conservation Fee
Optional extra conservation experiences available.
**Flights available on request
Zulu Village Tour
Visit a Zulu community just outside &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and interact with the friendly people of KwaZulu-Natal. A Bantu tribal group, the Zulu are the largest ethnic group in South Africa. A local &Beyond guide will escort you through the community and share interesting insights and narratives about Zulu culture and its fascinating customs, beliefs and traditions.
You will be invited into a traditional Zulu homestead and given the rare opportunity to witness the daily routines and lifestyle of an authentic, rural Zulu family where eons of tradition intersect with modern life. Learn about the family structures, patriarchal duties, and matriarchal responsibilities of the tribe, find out how local homes are constructed and why cattle are so valuable and highly revered.
Spend time with the respected local sangoma, a witch doctor and traditional healer, who will explain the significance of the ancestors in Zulu life, as well as the tribe’s spiritual beliefs and the importance of their sacred lands.
Next, stop at the Mduku Bakery, where you get to experience the impact of the Africa Foundation and its business development initiatives within the community. Enjoy a delicious local Zulu delicacy called Amagwinya (or vetkoek, in Afrikaans).
The adventure ends with a quick stop at the Mbhedula Craft Market, where the beautiful handiwork and art of 43 Zulu crafters is showcased.
It’s a great place to find that perfect souvenir of your time with the Zulu people. Funds generated contribute to our Star-in-Training internship programme, which provides on-site training and workplace experience for individuals from our neighbouring communities.
Ocean Safari
Whilst enjoying the exceptional Big Five &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, treat yourself to an Ocean Safari that offers a wonderful opportunity to encounter some of South Africa’s beautiful marine life. This exciting adventure, aboard an inflatable vessel and in the company of a certified dive master, offers the prospect of encountering and swimming with wild dolphins, snorkelling amidst flourishing reefs and the chance to view humpback and southern right whales (seasonal).
Conservation Experience – Optional Activities
Elephant Conservation Experience:
12 years and older; subject to availability of the wildlife veterinarian and helicopter pilot.
Subject to availability at the time of booking.
Be among four groups, of up to eight guests each, who will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve’s elephant conservation project. Here, you will have the opportunity to witness an elephant darting, and assist in the changing of the sleeping pachyderm’s radio collar. Four of the elephant collars utilized in Phinda’s research programme are in need of replacing and guests are being invited to participate in this extraordinary experience.
**Exact dates during your stay will be dependent on the availability of the veterinarian and helicopter pilot.
Duration: 4 hours
Rhino Conservation Experience:
12 years and older.
Subject to availability of the wildlife veterinarian and helicopter pilot.
Subject to availability at the time of booking.
Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with rhino at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve while assisting in the conservation of this endangered species. This adventure 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 4x4 safari vehicles. Once darted, the veterinary team will notch the sleeping animal’s ear for research and security monitoring, as well as insert a microchip into the horn, enabling researchers to correctly identify different rhino on the reserve.
Duration: 4 hours
Pangolin Conservation Experience:
March to November only. Subject to availability. Families with children of 16 years and older only.
It will take place in the afternoon or evening in winter, or at night in summer.
Participate in this privately guided pangolin research and monitoring experience at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, and you’ll be supporting the conservation of the world’s most trafficked mammal. In this interpretive and exclusive activity, guests will join a researcher as he (or she) locates one of the pangolins that has been reintroduced to the reserve. They will have the rare opportunity to observe the unique features and remarkable adaptations of these gentle creatures firsthand as our researcher does a general health check, and downloads critical research data from the UHF tag attached to each pangolin
Duration: 3 hours
Dates: 01 May 2023 – 31 December 2023
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
- Block out dates, bank holidays, and minimum stay requirements may apply.
- The above is based on current availability for the dates provided.
- Rates are valid for travel as per the dates mentioned
- No provisional bookings are in place
- All flights are excluded from the tentative itinerary
- All accommodation & activities are subject to availability and can only be confirmed once the booking is held
- Rates are based on our best-negotiated rates and are subject to change once the booking is confirmed
EXCLUSIONS:
- Additional meals and drinks
- All Personal Items: Gratuity Beverages, Room Service, Telephone Calls etc.
- Travel insurance
- All Flights
- Visas and Taxes
- Anything not mentioned as included
- Porterage
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