santharamhari

Hello!!!

During my recent trip to Phinda, i was able to sign up to do a drive with the guy in charge of the leopard research project, Treston. The trip costs ZAR 6oo per person. It is money well spent.

Treston noted that there could be around 20 leopards at Phinda, about 14 of which are collared. We spent 5 hours trying to locate a radio-collared leopardess (with the antenna). Yes, it was good fun. He was more frustrated than we were....because many times we knew she was right there, but, out of sight. Finally found her at 9PM and it was brutally cold that night.

Leopards at Phinda are awfully elusive due to the fact that there are some hunting farms in the near vicinity. Although, Phinda is fenced...leopards can easily leave their lands by digging thru holes made by warthogs etc etc.,and get out of the fences. Definitely try and sign up for this as an additional activity. Their regular game drives weren't my cup of tea!!!

I signed up twice for the Zulu cultural visit, but got cancelled on both times without an explanation.

Hari

PredatorBiologist

Hari: very glad you had the opportunity to do this. It gives you an idea of how hard studying large ranging animals is, even when you have them collared. Satellite technology is really changing this area of research but the wand antenna is a classic and remains in heavy use due to budget constraints.

That's a shame that you were unable to do the Zulu cultural trip and worse that they couldn't tell you why.

atravelynn

Were you with him all day then? Until 9 pm?

santharamhari

Yes Bill, i agree.

Lynn, with Treston....started at 3PM. It went on until 9PM as we located the leopard only then.....dinner was already being served by the time i got back. However, Treston only did the trip with us, as the regular guides were all busy. But, if you sign up well in advance you can request for him.

Hari

atravelynn

Thanks for the Treston tip!

mandelieu

During our early August stay at Phinda, we also did a leopard research drive with Treston. I agree that it was a great experience. We were lucky enough to locate a female leopard within the first hour of our drive, then we stayed with the leopard as she moved around the bush for the next few hours. It was a great to learn why the research is being done and to see the researchers in action. I'd say that the research and conservation aspects of the Phinda experience are the things that most stood out to us.

mancfi

Hi Hari!

Sounds like you've had a great time at various places. I know you've not been back long but am wondering if you're going to post a trip report on Phinda as you have on Exeter etc. I am kind of getting the feeling you were disappointed with Phinda, I am there in May 07 and would love to hear about your experience re: animals/game drives; service; rooms etc. thanks! loved your other reports and photos!

santharamhari

Mancfi,

Unfortunately, i wont hv a trip report on Phinda as it wasnt my cup of tea!!!

The only stand out of my 4 nights there was the leopard research project.

Phinda wasnt for me....i went there to learn about their conservation efforts, but, unfortunately they seem to go in the direction of promoting themselves as a big 5 game reserve. Consequently, their land cruisers are packed in and sightings are 10 mins at best....you do hv a wilderness feel there at all (fences), but, yes i knew that prior to going there......there is hardly any room in their land cruisers for any tripods etc etc., and no leg room at all for a tall person like myself.

Oh, and there isnt great guide/guest interaction. Although, the guides are good...i was constantly changing guides every day. Had 3 guides in a 4 night stay. Of the 3 guides, the only stand-out guide to me was Andrew (one of the younger, newer guides)- Good guiding is very very important to me.

The food and service is excellent, but, that's very low on my list of priorities. If i want gourmet coffee, baked goods and five star dining....i can get all that at home, dont need to travel to Africa for that.

The differnt eco-systems are very cool. The sand forest is very different from anything i've seen. Forest lodge is very nice and blends in very well.

You have any specific questions on Phinda, pl feel free to email me at [email protected]

Hari

santharamhari

Typo...i meant there is no wilderness feel to Phinda....

Just not my cup of tea....However, while i was at Kwando Lagoon later in the trip, i did meet a Dutch family and the kids really liked Phinda due to the diversity of activities.

Hari

mandelieu

Our experience at Phinda was a little bit different from the experience that Hari had. We had the same guide for the three days that we were there and we found him to be very knowledgeable and personable. Our biggest frustration was that, because we arrived immediately after the reserve set a series of planned fires, our vehicle could not get as close to many of the animals as we would have liked. The ranger explained that the burnt ground was too fragile and that any track marks would hinder regrowth of the bush. Even where the burnt ground was not an issue, we noticed that the policy at Phinda seemed different from what we experienced in the Sabi Sands. The jeeps keep more of a distance from the animals, which the ranger explained was based on a philosophy of less interference in their environment. We could appreciate their perspective and it seemed consistent with their focus on conservation and research, but sometimes we would have liked to get a little closer. We were a little disappointed that our family of 4 was grouped in the jeep with another family of 3. That meant that someone always had a middle seat. Like Hari, we found the different eco-systems (particularly the sand forest) to be very interesting and we also found the food, service and accomodations to be very good.

santharamhari

Hi! Mandelieu, i'm glad you enjoyed your stay at Phinda.

Did you stay at Forest Lodge?

Hari

mandelieu

Hari, We did stay at Forest Lodge. Our guide was Simon who spends part of each month doing black rhino research and part of the month doing guiding for the lodges. I agree with you that the leopard research experience was the most interesting drive that we did.

santharamhari

Ok, thanks

atravelynn

Mandelieu,

What time of year did you go?

Do you recall your major animal sightings?

Do you (or does anyone) know anything about the rhino tracking program?

Thanks!

mandelieu

Atravelynn, We were there in early August for 3 nights. We were 2 adults and our 2 kids (ages 14 and 11). We saw all the Big 5 except for buffalo which the ranger said had not been seen for about a week. The most prevelant animals are nyala, with lots of red duiker around, too. They roam the grounds of Forest Lodge, along with warthogs and impala, and the occasional elephant. We had a particularly good encounter with a cheetah and her 3 offspring and we saw cheetah again the next day. We saw leopards on our leopard research drive and lions several times. We also had a great sighting of a herd of elephants bathing in a mud pool near the Vlei Lodge. Probably our favorite "sighting" was an elephant that we followed onto the grounds of the Forest Lodge where he then spent 1/2 hour drinking from the swimming pool. He put on quite a show for the guests that assembled on the pool deck. Our daughter's favorite was the baby giraffe that the rangers found for her after she expressed her desire to see one. The rangers worked together on their radios to locate a mom and baby for her to see and she was thrilled! As far as rhino tracking, we wanted to do it but our daugher was too young (and too small) since some is done by foot. Our jeep mates did it with Simon (the black rhino researcher) and had good reports.

atravelynn

Thanks for the info mandelieu.