Another early start to our final day at Phinda Private Game Reserve saw us heading out before sunrise, cold and dark as it was, we were never-the-less excited to see what our hosts had in store for us. Masters at the art of serving up a scrumptious meals in the middle of the bush, Phinda had thus far impressed on all fronts but especially on our stomachs! At the very peak of a mountain we stopped and followed a lantern lit path up the rock to find the most delicious coffee, tea and hot chocolate spread imaginable, complete with honey and freshly sliced lemons for tea and an assortment of tasty biscuits. But it was the view that really took the breath away. Standing at the top of the peak we could see the park stretching away into the misty distance and the sunrise was simply incredible.
Next we moved on to have a look around the luxurious exclusive use Phinda Zuka Lodge. With just four rooms, sleeping a maximum of 8 people, you can’t get more private than Zuka Lodge and the equally luxurious and exclusive Phinda Getty House . Zuka features a stunning position overlooking an oft frequented watering-hole where only the day before three lionesses had come to drink, chasing away the elephant herd that was already there! Such is the pecking order in the veld and when staying at Zuka Lodge you are definitely the lion. With a private safari vehicle with your own guide, personal butlers, chef, barmen and hostess you really are treated like the king of the jungle round here.
Getty House sits on top of a hill with probably one of the best views in the park. Grassy plains teeming with giraffe, assorted antelope and birds stretch out in front of the lodge. The story behind Getty House is that it belongs to the esteemed Getty family and is in effect their holiday home. So don’t be surprised when you find pictures of the family on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. With four rather palatial suites Getty House is as private and exclusive as Zuka Lodge and personally I would find it difficult to choose between the two, they both feature such amazing views!
We were meandering our way back to Phinda Mountain Lodge when Daryl our guide began to laugh, the reason for his mirth became obvious when he introduced us to the giraffe; Fabio. This interesting creature has the unfortunate problem of having a flowing snow white mane. The rare genetic anomaly gives him a very distinctive look and after our laughter died down we gave him a nickname of our own, which I won’t repeat here. Further along we were lucky enough to see a pride of lion, four youngsters, their mother and their very impressive father. While still in the same spot viewing the lion, some white rhino walked up behind us and the baby of the group began suckling from his mother, two of the Big 5 simply by turning our heads, a fitting end to an awesome stay at Phinda Private Game Reserve.
Many many thanks to our hosts: Phinda Private Game Reserve and CC Africa as well as to all those many people who made our stay such an amazing and enjoyable one!
If you haven’t done so already you can read about our first and second days at Phinda in my previous blog posts as well as our stay on the coast at Rocktail. Our consultants, especially those who went on this incredible journey will be happy to help you with planning an unforgettable journey to Phinda and Kwa-zulu Natal.
