&Beyond
Phinda Vlei Lodge
Quiet safari escape nestled between forest shadows and open wetland
Featured in Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2025
OPENING 01 JULY 2026
Seven ecosystems. One unforgettable legacy.
&Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve is more than a Big Five safari. It’s a conservation success story decades in the making. Once a patchwork of farmland, this land was carefully restored into 29,866 hectares (73,800 acres) of thriving wilderness. Today, cheetah sprint across open grassland and black rhino browse dense Tamboti thicket. There is a quiet power in seeing a place return to its former glory.
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Made for the moments that speak straight to the soul.
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Where the forest hush meets the open wetland.
Held between rare sand forest and a wildlife-rich wetland, Phinda Vlei offers something few places still can: intimacy without intrusion. Generous in space and softened by natural textures, its quiet elegance invites you to pause. From timber screens to the shaded pool sala, every detail draws you gently back to the present.
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Privacy framed by the wild.
Crafted for quiet moments and deep rest, each of Phinda Vlei’s six suites balances refined comfort with uninterrupted views. Inside, woven textures and timber warmth create a grounding space. Outside, a private pool and open-air shower draw you closer to the rhythm of the reserve. From your deck, you might watch antelope grazing or a lone elephant slipping silently past.
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No two days are alike at Phinda.
One morning might bring black rhino tracking on foot; another, ocean air and nesting turtles. Between Big Five sightings and peaceful afternoons on your deck, there’s time to stretch, exhale and just be. Here, experience isn’t scheduled, it’s sensed.
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For those who’ve seen the world and still want to be moved by it.
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Journeys made just for you.
Your time at Phinda Private Game Reserve is only the beginning. Let our Travel Specialists craft a journey that’s entirely yours.
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