Summary
Short description
A sole-use villa in the Phinda Game Reserve
In pictures
About
Recommended for:
Activity adventure | Natural world | Off the beaten track | Safari
Location
Offering the best big five safari in KwaZulu-Natal, Phinda is a large reserve spanning over 22,000 hectares and home two seven unique ecosystems. Located between the Mkuze Game Reserve and the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, it is home to unique wildlife, over 380 bird species and the marine diversity off the nearby coast is said to rival the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Zuka Lodge is situated amongst densely wooded hills, overlooking a private and popular waterhole. Phinda is approximately 1.5 hours from Richards Bay Airport, with SA Express offering daily scheduled flights from Johannesburg to Richards Bay.
Accommodation
A sole-use villa for groups of up to eight people, the lodge features four thatched Zululand bush cottages, featuring verandas and overlooking a busy waterhole. The lodge has its own pool and sun deck, however should privacy be required, each bush cottage has its own sitting area and en-suite bedroom, alongside a stone bath chamber and comfortable built-in sofa beds.
Dining
An a-la carte restaurant serves diners at the Phinda Zuka Lodge, with a variety of meals on offer. Lunch is served either on the terrace, patio or in the dining room, and dinner held under the stars in an open-air boma. Guests can request to dine in the wild, eating within the bush amongst scenic views and wildlife gazing on the open plain in the distance.
Facilities
Two daily game drives, commencing at dusk and dawn, provide ample opportunities for guests to spot the abundance of wildlife, including cheetah, lion, leopard, antelope and rhino. For those seeking something different to the game drives, specialist safaris including birding, photographic, rhino capture and research, tracking and family and private safaris can be arranged. A variety of adventures including Zulu village tours, Maputaland beach adventures, night turtle drives, scuba safaris, endangered wild cats projects, swimming with whale sharks and whale watching can be arranged, alongside river cruises and canoeing on the Mzinene River.
Meet our experts
Speak to a tailor-made specialist on
You might also like
A luxurious safari lodge in the Greater Kruger Park offering stylish suites, superb cuisine and excellent wildlife spotting opportunities.
Host to everything from Big-Five game drives to wellness treatments, Phinda Mountain Lodge owns a prime mountain-top location with breathtaking views of Phinda Private Game Reserve.
Set on a private game reserve home to the Big Five, Thanda Safari lodge offers an intimate bush experience with only nine secluded thatched-roof suites, ideal for special occasions and wildlife spotting.
Hidden in Rwanda’s remote Akagera National Park, Magashi Camp is a new eco-retreat on the wildlife-rich tip of the stunning Lake Rwanyakizinga. With just six stylish safari tents, the focus here is on conservation and back-to-nature safari experiences, alongside gourmet dining, wine cellar and pool.