What’s better than bedding down in the wilds of one of South Africa’s leading game reserves? How about doing it at Phinda Homestead, your private safari lodge?
Fire. It can be a destructive force but in the bush, it also gives forth new life. So it is with one of Southern Africa’s most coveted private safari villas, andBeyond Phinda Homestead, which has risen from the ashes to reopen anew.
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Located at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province, the re-built sole-use lodge is wreathed by dappled forest and features Zulu-inspired architecture that seamlessly secrets it within this unique landscape.

The villa features four guest rooms (and a nanny’s room), expansive living spaces including covered open spaces and walkways (God forbid afternoon showers dilute your gin and tonic as you surveil your surrounds), sun decks, and a private swimming pool that will be a Godsend after a long hot morning on safari. The wildlife you’ve travelled here to see are kept at bay thanks to walls of rammed earth and recycled timber, ensuring you can make the most of your African home-away-from-home.
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Head inside to a space dressed in traditional Nguni hides, African objet d’art, and walls in burnt clay, aloe, and red. One-of-a-kind Zulu reed tassel curtains, sourced from local producers, take pride of place in the luxury ensuite bathrooms, while intricate hand-woven Zulu baskets produced by Khanyisele Crafts in the Nongoma community also make an appearance. Quirky design touches pay homage to the history of the land where the reserve is situated, which was once dilapidated cattle and pineapple farms before being reclaimed for conservation and transformed into a renowned Big Five game reserve.

Head out into the bush with a dedicated ranger and tracker team and capture the essence of Southern Africa on morning and evening game drives, before returning to the Homestead for dinner prepared by a private chef, with dishes laced with herbs sourced from the villa’s own gardens. Afterwards, work up a sweat in the gym, or opt for a muscle-melting massage in the spa suite.
After all, not every African experience has to be wild.
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