June
24
2010
By Greg Sacks
I've been known to turn my nose up at the big travel magazines here in North America, with all their Gold Lists, Hot Lists and Reader's Choice Awards.
Sorting through a who's who of safe and obvious lowest-common-denominator luxury, it often seems top marks are awarded to properties with impressive marketing budgets rather imagination or execution. And so it was that I wrote off Phinda Game Reserve for years—silly me.
On a recent trip to South Africa, I decided it was time to see for myself. After all, Phinda is perfectly suited to North Americans headed to Africa with more budget than they have time. Located three hours north of Durban in the province of Kwazulu Natal, the 57,000 acre Phinda Private Game Reserve offers an incredibly diverse range of bush environments, accommodation options and activities with one-stop-shop convenience. If you've a little more time on your hands, Phinda is within striking distance of Drakensburg Mountains, the Zulu battlefields and the pristine St. Lucia Wetlands.
Phinda is best suited to first time safari-goers who want a "soft" experience, families who want exclusive use of a bush home (check out Zuka & The Homestead), or safari veterans who can't get enough of South Africa. While I was most impressed by the staff and the conservation projects at work, I must admit that Phinda didn't have that remote and untamed feel that excites me most. This was once farmland after all, and chances are you will see the odd fence or communications tower. However, if you can get over this reality, you will find a playground that spans rocky hillsides, verdant wetland "vleis", perennial and seasonal rivers, marshland, pans and distinctive wooded sand forest. You can partake in game drives, interpretive walks, rhino tracking on foot, sunset boat trips, deep sea fishing and even scuba diving at nearby Sodwana Bay.
So my apologies to the magazines and to Phinda itself—I underestimated you. Another reminder of the value of research—no one wants to be the "ass" in assumption.
Greg Sacks is a serious off-the-beaten-path adventure seeker, but he knows a great luxury camp when he sees one. Ask Greg to design the perfect safari for you, and have a look at our trip planning site for some more photographic inspiration.