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Perched on a hilltop, with wraparound views of the lush Lebombo foothills, &Beyond Phinda Mountain Lodge is the ultimate family safari destination in &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve. Encompassing an impressive 29 866 ha (73 800 acres) of protected wildlife land in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, the reserve showcases one of the continent’s finest game viewing experiences and is home to Africa’s Big Five as well as 436 bird species. Phinda Mountain features three room types, with 16 suites, six cottages (that can be turned into three adjoining family cottages), and one family suite. Natural light streams through the expansive glass windows of the suites and cottages, while private decks provide breathtaking views of natural beauty. Each accommodation option features an outdoor shower, well-stocked personal bars, and private plunge pools.
We have just spent a fabulous four nights at Mountain Lodge. It was perfect in every way: the food was really delicious and there was an extraordinarily fresh and varied breakfast buffet; the room (number 9) was beautiful, with stunning views, an incredibly comfortable bed and huge care taken with every detail, from the body lotion to the generous provision of towels, wraps and countless small comforts. The staff could not have been more friendly, professional and attentive. In particular Ayanda, Rodwell, Jordan and Kira were incredibly kind, welcoming and helpful. On our last evening, when we came in from our safari drive, we found that the bath had been run in our room, candles lit and a small drink and two glasses were waiting for us in the bathroom. Amazing service in every way. Our safari guide, Kris Harrison, and the tracker, Senso, were an absolutely brilliant team. Apart from seeing all of the big five and many, many more, we saw lions mating, we tracked and found a leopard, we followed cheetahs and watched them eating a carcass. Phinda has an incredible variety of habitat and in just four days we saw the mountains, the sand forest and much, much more. Kris was extraordinarily knowledgeable and extraordinarily energetic and a natural communicator with a wonderful sense of humour. She is also a fantastic wild life photographer. We could not recommend Phinda Mountain Lodge more highly, it is an absolute treat.
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Date of stay: August 2023
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Not sure where to start...but this is an incredibly special place to stay. Yes, it's expensive but the stay from beginning to end was simply superb.
The view from our room across to the mountains was spectacular, the view from the main lodge incredible, you simply feel surrounded by the wonderful African bush and all the delights it contains.
We went on game drives morning and evening, some on a private basis and others with different guests - all thoroughly enjoyable and hugely successful. We saw six black rhino on one afternoon drive - one even ran alongside the jeep, almost close enough to touch which was breath-taking and incredible.
The whole team at Mountain deserve to be name checked but it's impossible, so simply put they were all remarkable. Rodwell greeted us when we arrived and set the tone for our stay - lots of laughter and warmth. We were well taken care of by Zinhle, who was an absolute joy, nothing was too much trouble and she was the most perfect host. We've been home a few of weeks and still miss her!
The food and drink was delicious at every meal - and there are plenty of opportunities to eat and drink!!! You will not go hungry or thirsty!
The room was large and kept spotlessly clean. The bed really comfortable and the shower and bath were great.
The pool area was good - the water was a tad cold to "enjoy" the swimming but it was winter whilst we were there!!! The plunge pool at the room however was great to cool off in and chill on a sun lounger between drives! The gym is well equipped - I never met anyone else there!
Would we go back? Without a doubt - in a heartbeat!
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Date of stay: May 2023
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I were in South Africa celebrating our 30th anniversary and experienced our first safari here at Phinda Mountain Lodge. It was fantastic! There honestly are not enough positive superlative adjectives to describe our visit.
From the planning stages with our And Beyond agent to the transportation from the airport to the warm welcome we received not only upon our first arrival but literally every time you return back to the lodge you are greeted with a smile, an enthusiastic inquiry into your day or evening’s experience and of course a delicious welcome home beverage!
Gareth and all of the staff, so friendly , so accommodating, so attentive, knowledgeable and informative. And fun too! They would talk and laugh with us. Our butler, Sihle was just awesome, taking care of us to the highest level. Our ranger, Kenny and tracker Sanse (I’m sure I’m spelling that wrong, my apologies) did an outstanding job of making our game drives successful! We found every thing we wanted to see with the exception of the darn elusive leopard! But we saw giraffes, zebras, lions, cheetahs, rhinos, hippos, buffalo, elephants, hyenas, and a host of other animals and birds! And I can’t forget the food! Everything was so delicious!!! From the amazing boma dinners to breakfast and lunch and high tea and sundowners, you will never be hungry! And they set up a special private dining room for us in celebration of our anniversaries (our uncle and aunt are also celebrating 30yrs this year!)
Oh and we also had the opportunity to visit the local Zulu village! Such a great experience! Guide and translator Phila was hilarious and so informative!
Simply put the entire 4 days was an experience I’ll treasure forever and hopefully someday have the opportunity to return!
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Place was absolutely amazing and the game drives the best we have ever been on. The rooms are lovely and the staff were great! The small touches made it very special.
The food and value for money however really lets the place down. For the money we paid the food was mediocre at best. It is a 5* price safari experience but really was badly let down by boring menus, mediocre tasting meals with poor options. We did reach out to the management who did apologise but did also say that food is subjective. This may be true but chicken, chicken and poor BBQ offerings left a bad taste in our mouths.
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Date of stay: July 2024
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Do all the game drives on offer. They are amazing.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The rooms at Mountain Lodge are amazing as are the facilities - however this is not one of the several lodges in Phinda you should experience if you want a quiet and true safari experience. I experienced Zuka Lodge a few years ago which was much quieter although I was also with a very small group. In terms of guiding, as a veteran of many safaris, this was very 'controlled', from the obligatory 'intro' you have (even if you've been there before) up to the upbeat summary of 'sights', no matter how remote that were seen on the game drive. Food was good, even too copious but the bush dinners and boma nights were very much designed for group travellers. Great if you're part of a group, otherwise another Phinda lodge might be more appropriate.
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Date of stay: November 2024
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Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from andBeyondTravel, WILDwatch and social media administrator at Andbeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge
Responded 11 Dec 2024
Dear Ms Deboo Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts about andBeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge. We truly value our guest's feedback, as it plays a crucial role in our ongoing efforts to improve and strive for excellence. Your insights inspire us to reach greater heights in providing memorable experiences. We look forward to welcoming you back to Phinda Private Game Reserve, soon. If I can assist you with anything further, please feel free to contact me directly at jay.netshineulu@andbeyond.com . Regards Jay
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My wife had long heard about the Phinda Private Game Reserve, but though we had traveled to South Africa 5 times previously on mission-associated trips, we had not visited Phinda until now. Phinda and the Phinda Mountain Lodge exceeded our expectations. We were pampered and treated to great service, food and facilities from the moment of our arrival. We also liked that a percentage of our fees went to the Africa Foundation, assisting local communities in the area, representatives of which we were able to meet while we were there. Our guide and tracker were not only knowledgeable and attentive to our needs and wishes, but they over-delivered on helping us experience the wildlife and their behavior at Phinda, from birds to rhino and elephants to cats “up close and personal,” including lions, leopards, cheetahs (and hyenas). We loved every minute, from hippo pool to cheetah cubs to lions mating and leopards prowling to sundowners with Amarula to the brais and private plunge pool to the last evening soaking in a freshly prepared bath by candlelight (with more Amarula of course). We made an extra donation to the Africa Foundation and will stay in touch with this special lodge and preserve.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Try to also engage with the local staff and communities to experience the beauty of Africa’s...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had such an amazing time in Mountain Lodge and we can’t wait to return. Firstly, the views are incredible everywhere you look, be it the dining areas, rooms or swimming pool they will blow you away. The food is excellent and you definitely won’t go hungry or thirsty. The bar has a great range of drinks too which are included in the stay. The lodge feels very high end in comparison to other similar priced lodges we have visited. Kris, our guide was absolutely amazing and made the trip for me. She was knowledgable, attentive and her love for animals really translated on the drives and made for an unforgettable trip. We visited 3 different areas during our trip and they were all so special in their own ways you must visit them all!
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Some rooms have quite a few steps to walk down to so if you have difficulty with mobility request...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Out of the 3 &Beyond properties we stayed at in South Africa, Mountain Lodge was our least favorite. It might be awesome for some, but for us it felt like a Marriot or Hilton experience.
Facilities: Mountain was just remodeled so it’s modern, huge and new. This would be a positive thing 99% of the time, but in this case (and after staying at Vlei), we felt that it was out-of-character for a safari experience. This lodge has the most people out of all the lodges, and felt like a factory at times.
Rooms: Best rooms of our trip - modern, clean, spacious. No bugs. Strong A/C
Service: Lots of staff. Feels like a factory. It felt like any other resort you may have been to in the past. For example, when we asked for hot chocolate, the staff would respond with “we don’t usually make that, but we can.” When you’re paying this much, the answer should just be “no problem.” In comparison to the other &Beyond properties, Service was a miss.
Food: Again, food was fine but not special. It’s mass produced for the guests.
Game Drives: Apparently, the new rangers are often assigned to Mountain. We heard this is also because the young rangers enjoy being around lots of other rangers, so they can socialize. We’ll, were assigned a ranger with 5 months experience and it showed. We had already been to Vlei and had an experienced ranger with 5 years of experience so the difference was obvious. We didn’t complain, but you should request an experienced ranger since they make all the difference in your experience. South Phinda is also mountainous (hence the name) which makes for spotting game harder. If this is your first safari experience, I would opt for Sabi Sabi first, thenNorth Phinda, before going South Phinda.
Overall: if you like big, modern places with lots of people, this place is for you. If you’re looking for a quiet safari experience with personalized service , look elsewhere.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Request an experienced Ranger as new rangers are often assigned to Mountain lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our stay at Phinda Mountain lodge was beyond amazing. Everything was taken care of beyond our wildest expectations. Our guide and tracker, Busani and Joel, were incredibly knowledgeable and we saw had spectacular sightings. Mondli, our butler, remembered all our orders and made our stay very comfortable. It felt like fairies cleaned the rooms as you never saw anyone and the rooms were spotless! Some very special touches were added like a champagne treat in the bush. I commend Mountain lodge on their vegetarian options, they were all delicious. Mountain lodge caters for people who have food intolerances such as providing gluten, sugar free or dairy free options. The COVID protocols are impeccable and not at all in your face.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I celebrated my honeymoon at &Beyond Phinda Mountain Lodge in February. I went in with very high expectations (based on reviews and their instagram), but they even beat my highest expectations. Safari alone is a once in a lifetime trip, but at &Beyond, they somehow make it even better. The food was delicious (you will never go hungry or thirsty), the game drives were life changing, and the service was incredible (White Lotus level).
From the second you arrive, you are greeted by lodge management, your butler (ours was Bongoni and he was so nice and attentive), your guide (Declan was so knowledgeable, friendly, and was always willing to take photos for us haha), and tracker (Menzi had an eye like a hawk! He could spot things that literally looked like a dot until you put your binoculars on). They take service to the next level. We are so grateful we were able to spend a few days at this resort and definitely want to come back some day!
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cape Town, South Africa269 contributions86 helpful votes
there were choices for lunch and dinner with three courses on offer. Food was fantastic and fresh. Every second night they do dinner in the Boma which is buffet style with tons of choice of incredible food! Breakfast was full continental and then hot breakfast options. We were so well-fed the entire time!
Hi Kim! Although I'm not a mom, I do know that they would be more than happy to take care and watch your child as you and your husband go out on game drives. I would completely trust the staff as they are all so kind and more than willing to go out of their way to make your trip special. Have fun!
There are more places to choose from in the Phinda Private Game Reserve area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
phinda mountain hotel phinda private game reserve
LOCATION
South AfricaKwaZulu-NatalPhinda Private Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
23
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