BE STILL MY BEATING HEART
Words Philippa Selfe
Photography & Beyond, Philippa Selfe
It’s a cliché to be sure, but first impressions last. Being greeted like old friends by Phinda’s beaming gatekeeper was
a taste of things to come. The staff at &Beyond are known to be extraordinarily cheerful characters, but then who wouldn’t be happy knowing they hold the key to another world – a constellation of peace, romance and nature in perfect alignment. With directions to Forest Lodge and another warm smile, we’re waved through the gates of paradise.
There are six luxury lodges in Phinda Private Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal, each a unique interpretation of the immediate surrounds. Set in a rare sand forest in the northern part of the reserve, home for the night is the newly refurbished Forest Lodge, intimate and completely private. Our three days are divided between here and the majestic Mountain Lodge in the south, with its epic hilltop vistas.
Earthy, foresty smells overcome us on arrival and it soon becomes clear this is unlike any bush vegetation we have ever experienced. The ‘Zulu Zen’ chalets on stilts beneath the eaves are glass on three sides so we’re connected to the surrounds.
After a wonderful lunch on the veranda and a quick shower and snooze, the afternoon game viewing is upon us. Leaving the romantic spoils of the suite seems a big ask, but once we’re bundled up on our first game drive, our hearts expand proportionately as we adjust to the transition from crammed city living to this vast unpopulated space – it’s not a conscious choice, but
a natural shift only the bush can facilitate.
Phinda is described as ‘Seven Worlds of Wonder’ due to the seven distinct habitats within its 23 000 ha of land. Depending
on what game you’d like to see – the ranger does take requests – you’ll explore them all during your stay. And if cheetah are
on your wish list, Phinda is one of the best places to visit. Apart from big game, the tiny suni antelope is endemic to the area.
Rangers know the reserve like the back of their hand (and in the dark), which is endlessly mystifying to us city folk who are used to using road signs rather than anthills to find our way. At this hour there’s a lot of activity in the bush. The cats are on the move and it’s mud-bath time for an elephant herd – we sit and watch a beautiful backlit scene as the littlest one tries to hitch
a ride out of the water on the back of one of the elders, who is having none of it. Eventually they move on and so do we.
Next our tracker spies a female cheetah sitting regally in a clearing. She graciously performs a roly-poly or two for our benefit before slinking off into the long grass with her runway swagger. This is followed by a lion sighting, but the two males and their mother only briefly entertain our curiosity before disappearing into a thicket. Our ranger assures us we’ll find them first thing in
the morning so we are happy to cap the excitement for one day ... it’s dinner time.
Fooled into thinking we’re going home, we round a corner and dozens of lanterns appear in a clearing with banqueting tables, a full bar, graceful ladies to wash our hands and give us a citronella spritz, and even toilets – all in the middle of nowhere.
The effervescent chef, Sam, tells us he loves us and then introduces the evening’s menu, a hearty assortment of African-style meats, vegetables, starch and relishes. The brooding rain cloud that has been following us all evening finally decides to empty
its burden during our malva pudding. Not to worry; waterproof ponchos keep us dry on the short drive back to the lodge.
Our ranger’s sneaky request to meet half an hour earlier the next morning, so we could beat the other vehicles to the tree where the lions disappeared into the darkness the night before, was an excellent call – we have the whole scene to ourselves. By 8 am we’ve already clocked two hours of game viewing and caffeine is calling when a tea table and the full complement
of rusks and muffins appears. Coffee with a heavy-handed shot of Amarula Cream is recommended before breakfast, which
is appealing when you know you can just sleep it off afterwards. After a Champagne breakfast and the ‘magie vol, ogies toe’ syndrome is cured with a nap, we depart for our next destination.
It’s not that Forest Lodge was intended to be the opening act, but Mountain Lodge feels like the zenith of the reserve, perched as it is on the crest of a mountain. One level down from the main guest area are two more verandas featuring puffy couches where you can put your feet up and gaze out over acres of luscious land. It’s magnetic and we struggle to tear our eyes away.
Meals at Mountain Lodge have this view. More refined in approach than the bush dinners, lunch usually proceeds with a spread of cold fare – salads (the pumpkin, chilli and date salad is a winner), cheeses, breads, pâtés, quiches, fresh fruit – and a pair of smart sous chefs in toques ready to explain a dish if needed, followed by an à la carte main and dessert. A typical main would be a choice of kudu loin with juniper berry sauce, dorado marinated in mango, or a Zanzibar pumpkin and coconut curry, which is even tastier accompanied by an ice-cold artisanal beer from the Collective São Gabriel. Attention to detail at &Beyond lodges is legendary, and always authentic, from the bread brought to the table along with a pestle and mortar and various ingredients that we can pound into a condiment to our taste, to the Wellington boots and umbrellas at our suite, in case we didn’t come sufficiently prepared for forest sand-cum-mud.
Between long meals, our private backgammon tournament and the absolutely essential afternoon siesta, time runs away from us and before we know it we’re taking high tea in the lounge then heading off on the evening drive.
The temptation to sleep in on day three is almost thwarted by the knowledge that it will be an eventful drive, but by now we realise every drive is memorable, so we cancel our wake-up call and spend a leisurely morning at the main pool, exclusively ours for a few precious hours. We’ll see endangered black rhino tomorrow, we tell ourselves.
Soon it ceases to matter, which is probably what happens when you’re spoilt with sightings of cheetah, lion, leopard, elephant, hippo, white rhino, buffalo and giraffe. It becomes about an appreciation for the space and the luxury of this time alone together.
What remains with us are those moments trundling along on the back of a game vehicle. While everyone silently scans the bush for something exciting, we catch one another’s eye and share a secret ‘life is good’ smile.
When it’s time to pass back through the entrance gates, our cheerful friend can see we are rested souls. And then it dawns on us that it’s not letting us in that brings him such pleasure, it’s witnessing his guests emerge eternally altered.
ROMANTIC THINGS TO DO
♥ Request a private dinner in the suite. When you return after the evening game drive you’ll be welcomed by the glow of oil lanterns around the pool and in the trees. Slip into something more appropriate for a dinner date before your waiter arrives to offer you an aperitif before the meal.
♥ Go horse riding on the beach in Maputaland near the reserve.
♥ Book an in-room massage.
♥ Skip the morning game drive and have the lodge to yourselves.
♥ Snuggle under a blanket on game drives.
♥ Have a nightcap and a game of chess by the fire after the other guests go to bed.
GETTING THERE
Phinda is a three-hour drive from Durban or two hours from Richards Bay. Alternatively, a light aircraft shuttle service operates between Richards Bay
and Phinda.
WHEN TO GO
All year round is good. The landscape is lush and green in winter, though you’ll need to pack extra jackets for game drives. Summer mornings and evenings are very pleasant, but it gets incredibly hot around midday.
STAY
Phinda Private Game Reserve
+27 (0)11 809 4300, www.andbeyondafrica.com
