KayeN

Hi everyone,

Long time since I have had a question - but which of the Phinda camps do people recommend now? Have looked over the past years, but things are probably different to today so asking again now.

Many thanks,

Kaye

Tanya_South_Africa

Hi Kaye - I have often stayed at all of the Phinda lodges. It really depends on which type of lodge you enjoy. Mountain is the largest and therefore of course the busiest. Accommodation is beautiful, with each suite having its own plunge pool. Similar in price is Forest Lodge, which remains one of my favorites with its romantic setting in the endangered Sand Forest. Vlei Lodge is most people's favorite, with excellent accommodation. Main attraction is that you are often treated to very good game viewing from the comfort of your suite! We often have elephants drinking from our suite's private plunge pools. Rock Lodge is very different, though not in everyone's taste. Like Mountain, Rock offers great views of the surrounding hills.
As I said, all are excellent and it really depends on your requirements. For me, my favorites are Vlei and Forest!

Safari_Craig

Hi Kaye,

I have been to all four and my favorite is Vlei.

Craig Beal - owner - Travel Beyond

KayeN

OK thanks Tanya and Craig, will wait and see what is recommended by the ranger I hope to get there. I hope to be there end of March and into April 2012, so not sure if that is a busy time or not. Not overly keen on small camps as then feel the focus of too much attention! They all look nice on the website.

Kind regards

Kaye

cw

We stayed at Phinda Forest in 2006. I loved the glass houses in the sand forest, and the public area of the main lodge. Vlei is quite nearby, and seemed to be the lodge of choice for young couples, who would come over to Phinda to use the (slow) internet connection and look at the gift shop. Neither the shop nor the computers were in the main lodge building of Forest.

If I went back, I would probably stay at Forest again. It was a bit larger and we (and our vehicle mates) had the opportunity to have dinner with different people who were traveling alone.

I asked our guide, Thulani, what his favorite month was for guiding and he said April. (We were there in September.)

gatoratlarge

I stayed at Rock and Vlei---here's a little video of each:

Vlei (just ignore my running commentary---I didn't realize how annoying it was til I played it back lol):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSMjh4Uq84M

Rock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9XqgV178pU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQSijcpKW1U

I loved them both---we stayed two night in one and two in the other to get the feel for the entire reserve...

Some Black Rhino viewing at Phinda:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcAYvRwzyHc

gatoratlarge

Few more from Phinda:

Black rhinos at Phinda:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm_XHvg8-Xo

I'd recommend the Flight of the Fish Eagle which departs from Phinda...it's a great way to get a nice view of the surroundings which are stunning---they fly out over the Indian Ocean and we saw (albeit from pretty high up) numerous humpback whales and even a couple whale sharks...was a "different" perspective:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5sm6hPGVdQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWPwzbxCD4A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6BV7uoA84I

atravelynn

If you want do any rhino tracking, you must be at Vlei or Forest. I liked being able to walk around the unique sand forest the surrounded Forest Lodge and watch/photograph vervets, impala, nyala, birds. There was a lot to see through the glass walls in the cottage at Forest.

A few years ago Thulani's fav month was May. This may be yet another baramoter of changing weather.

You'll see a lot more nyala and likely cheetah at Phinda (wherever you stay) than Mala Mala!

KathBC

gatoratlarge - The Vlei video says it's private.

KayeN

Many thanks gatoratlarge for the videos, and I also could not see the first one as it said I had to log in. Loved seeing the Black Rhino and would absolutely love to see them at Phinda, saw the rear end of one at a camp in the Sabi Sands earlier this year. Also would certainly consider the Flight of the Fish Eagle, looks wonderful and as you say, a very different perspective than what we normally would seeing wildlife viewing!

Lynn, would love to see a lot of cheetah as well!

Waiting to hear if the ranger I am after is available for the time I wish to visit.

Don't really wish to do the Rhino tracking for a couple of reasons, one being if something happened and a rhino was shot I doubt I would ever forgive myself for putting them in harm's way to begin with!

Thanks again for everyone's assistance, I also liked the look of Forest but currently looking at Mountain due to the ranger's preference for my gameviewing day!

Kind regards

Kaye

gatoratlarge

Sorry about that---fixed it---have no idea why it was marked private---

Here's some cheetah footage from Phinda---we saw them near Rock Lodge and Vlei---the one near Rock Lodge is the cheetah and cubs (one has mange so it looks like a hyena cub or something but it's a cheetah!) The other, we a couple of brothers I believe...

Cheetah w cubs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-4Er4dDK7c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOp7DkSmnwk

Cheetah brothers, one on the hunt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFHq_gu_93M

KayeN

Thanks for those videos gatoratlarge, shocking how big those tummies were on the cheetah cubs.

Unable to get the ranger that I really wanted at Phinda, so now really not sure what I am going to do, very disappointing!

But thank-you for sharing those wonderful videos!

Kind regards

Kaye

cristeen

We just returned from Phinda Forest. We were there for 4 nights. We also spent some time in a couple of Sabi Sands Kamps. We loved them all for different reasons. We especially liked Phinda Forest. Our cabin was at the very end of camp. Very secluded, all glass. We loved seeing the Nyala, Suni, Guniea fowl and vervet monkeys on a daily basis as well walked to and from our cabin. We really liked our ranger and tracker, Barry & Chris. Even more so after we visited a couple other camps. They really tracked the animals. We saw everything-cheetah, rhinos, lion and kill, and many many of what people sometimes consider the lesser animals. We had most dinners with our group. Lunch and breakfast we usually had alone but could join others if we wished. Again, of all the lodges, we really like our Phinda group the most. It was a fun social experience as well as fabulous game viewing.
Good luck with your choosing. It is a tough one.

cristeen

Oh, I forgot to mention. Our ranger was very accomodating when it came to what we all were interested in seeing. It really was amazing. He took us, over the 5 days, to all the surrounds of the forest, grasslands, palm areas and also to the mountain areas. Each beautiful.

KayeN

Thanks Cristeen
How many were in your vehicle? The ranger is very important to my enjoyment of the camp, did he have any meals with you? It has been a fair while since I have been to And Beyond camps and wondering what has changed. Also did they have the red lights at night drives? And what were the length of gamedrives, am and pm? I also like the look of Forest and seeing Suni is very interesting to me as never seen them before. Also not seeing the big 5 on a daily basis would be of a relief to me, love seeing the lesser animals/reptiles and birds! Semi thinking of a private vehicle for maybe a week of our stay, if I go ahead, but really am unsure now with the ranger of my choice leaving at the end of the year.
Many thanks for your reply,

Kind regards

Kaye

cristeen

Kaye, This was our first safari. I don't have a whole lot to compare to, but we did go to 2 other andBeyond camps during the same 2 week visit.
Our vehicle had 3 rows of bench seats with 2 people in each row. Our Ranger at dinner with us 2 maybe 3 nights. He was very engaging and personable. I must say, I also really liked our ranger at our 3rd camp for his abilities but the dining arrangements were very different. The other thing that, especially looking back, when we left Phinda for the next camp, we flew a small charter flight from their airstrip. Our ranger drove us to the airstrip after our morning game drive. He walked us to the plane, then moved his vehicle beside the runway. As we were taking off, we could see him standing in his vehicle arms waving at us with a big smile on his face. We really felt like he cared about our experience at Phinda Forest and our next stop.
One of the couples in our vehicle had already been to another of the camps we were going to. They really liked both of them, but said that our little group of vehicle-riders was the best they had been with. Having now done the others, I have to agree. I think a big part of it is also the ranger and tracker. They were professional and fun.
He did have a red lens that he put over the spot light for certain animals. It sits right beside him in the front seat hanging from the dash. We were frequently the last vehicle to leave, though he was ready and at breakfast prompting each morning. We had a couple that, though very nice, were late for every single drive. We left just after 6am and returned around 9:30am. Afternoon drives started around 3:30 and we were back around 7:00pm.
The Suni are so cute! Phinda Forest is one of the very few places to find them. We have several photos we took of one guy in particular regularly on the way to our cabin.
Barry was very good at remembering if someone mentioned an animal or bird or plant they would like to see. I had a habit of saying, "I wouldn't mind seeing ______. We don't need to search it out, but please stop if you see one." I was amazaed at how often he stopped and pointed out something I had mentioned in passing a couple of days prior. Sometimes I had forgotten that I mentioned it. Example: we were on our way to find some big animal, I don't remember what, and he stopped and pointed out a tree by a water hole with ball like bird's nests dangling over the water. The yellow weaver's nest I had commented on. But no, that was not enough. He didn't stop. I was surprised. He drove a little further and instead of the 10 or so nests, there were about 100! Birds twittering and flying and nest building. It was so cool.
He stopped another time. We didn't know what they had seen. (not unusual for me He jumped out of the vehicle and pointed out 2 dung beetles rolling a huge dung ball down the road. Don't get me wrong. I love seeing the cheetah and cubs, rhinos and calf (my favorite) lions, zebra, giraffe. He and the tracker would often stop the vehicle, get out and walk quite a ways in the brush following tracks. He would let the tracker out and pick him up a while later on another road. They really took us tracking. Yes, they had radios and communicated with the others, but we really felft like we were part of tracking and working to find the animals instead of just checking in with a bunch of other rangers and camps at the beginning of each drive and all following to the same thing each day. Everyday was different. Everyday something exciting. Each night I made a list of what we saw. I ran out of page space every night.
Anyway, I'm rambling. It was just a great vacation. We kept patting ourselves on the back at the great choices we made in staying there. lol
I hope you have as good an experience as we did. I'll be happy to help with any other questions. I'll try to keep responses shorter.
Kind regards,
Cris

KayeN

Hi Cris

OK this is far from my first but if I do go to Phinda, that will be my first visit. Would be happy with 6 not any more and from past posts sometimes you do get more and as I have more camera equipment than many, it would be very squashed to say the least with three in a row. Most rangers are good, but not all have a great sense of humor make the vehicle a good place to be, regardless of what you are seeing. I have had many guests in the vehicle over the years and some have been great, some ok and some downright revolting, but I always think I can get on with anyone for a few nights as that seems to be what most people stay. The rangers at And Beyond also don't have all their meals with you, and I am used to rangers eating with you and that way you get to know them better as well and when you return to the same camp two times a year, year after year, then you do form a good ranger bond. I am looking for that at Phinda, but hard to take that first step of trying someone new, as the older I get I think I am getter more difficult to please and things that would not have worried me 10 years ago, annoy me now. Gamedrives are 3.5 hrs and I think that is standard for And Beyond, I would not want it to be less as gameviewing is my only real priority - I want a nice room and food to eat as I pay for that, but I am really paying for my gameviewing and massive amounts of spare time are very disappointing to me. I absolutely love seeing the lesser things that I haven't seen before, so that is great when rangers go out of their way to show you these as after seeing the big 5, I don't know how many times, that aspect wears very thin as there are way more than 5 animals in any African country!

Never mind about the rambling I do it as well mainly because I am so passionate about my gameviewing and all animals but African in particular.

I will be doing what I imagine hard work with animals for 22 nights prior to go to a reserve for 11 nights so will need to find somewhere that I hope to be very happy at. These holidays are very expensive, and if I come home and have had a great time and fairly happy with my photos, then I know I have had a great trip, but if I come home and all I can think about is the money I spent, then I know I haven't really had a great trip, and sadly that has happened twice.

Hard to recommend rangers, as it really does depend on personalities so any ranger I get initially I think it will be hard on them as over the years I have had some really great rangers and they have set a fairly high standard in which I measure any new ranger, so quite tricky I know.

Thanks very much for your comments, greatly appreciated! Would really love to see those Suni antelope, one of the numerous animals that I have yet to see!

Kind regards

Kaye

Femi

Sounds like you are looking for the same experiences I am (as well as lots of other Fodorites, I'm sure). Can you give examples of those that have disappointed you so that I don't make the same mistakes?

I am also looking for a reserve and ranger combo that I feel would be worth the cost of going solo in a vehicle and repeated visits, but haven't found one yet.

I did very much enjoy Phinda Forest lodge overall, but I'm beginning to doubt the absolute perfect safari experience exists.

KayeN

Hi Femi

It is not easy and I am finding it really difficult now. Sometimes rangers can be very good rangers, but not so great a personality and for a few days I could live with that but when I am there 4-5 weeks, then no, I need something else as well. The problem has come about that the ranger I have had for a while is leaving the lodge and I have changed what I want to do when I am in Sth Africa so have decided to change where I go and find a new person, not quite that straightforward as a bit more complicated but I am not going into any other details. If I had stayed where I was going then I am sure I would have found another ranger, because you are watching and listening to the other rangers when at sightings so you have an idea who is a good ranger and you you think you would get on with as well. Was heading to Phinda as I know a few of the rangers there from previous reserves but now it seems they will all be gone by the end of the year and am reluctant to try someone new for a sole vehicle use right off the bat!

My main problem is the big 5 - when in a vehicle with other guests, and they are there for 2-4 nights and I am there for 4 to 5 weeks, then how many times I am racing around looking for the big 5 when I don't want to be doing that is more than I care to think about, but very little I can do about that other than sole vehicle, which I find a bit over the top, especially when there for 5 weeks, but now I am not gameviewing for the 5 weeks I will be there, so am reconsidering, maybe.

Next time I had a dreadful ranger which thankfully hasn't happened all that often, I would change then and there, which I did not do on that occasion as I thought it would be rude, but I don't think I will let that worry me again.

I am thinking I need to find a reserve I love and that I think management etc all do a good job and the right thing by everyone, and then find the ranger and because I am not sure of the reserve then I think I am finding it really hard to do both at the same time.

Hoping it will not take too long!

Kind regards

Kaye

atravelynn

Don't know what ranger you were trying for, but Thulani was wonderful and it is who I would try to get again.