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&Beyond Phinda Vlei Lodge is an intimate and romantic safari lodge, overlooking a unique vlei (wetland system) on the edge of &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve’s rare Sand Forest. Showcasing one of Africa’s finest Big Five game viewing experiences, the reserves displays a magnificent tapestry of seven unique landscapes across an impressive 29 866 ha (73 800 acres) of protected wildlife terrain. Set on the edge of the Sand Forest, and overlooking a vast grassy meadow, each of the lodge’s six thatched suites ensure exclusivity and incredible wildlife sightings. The air-conditioned suites each feature a beautiful, plantation-style bedroom, with a luxuriously spacious ensuite bathroom and dressing room that effortlessly blends a sense of old-world luxury with quirky, contemporary features. The suite’s interiors showcase a mix of curated antiques and collectables combined with bold fabrics.
Another consistently fabulous experience. This is the 3rd time we have been here and it never fails to deliver excellent service, great food and first staff. You will never be disappointed with Vlei. A shout out to Michael our butler, fabulous service without hassling all the time. Luke our game ranger, a great guy without any pretentions just honest down to earth bush craft at its best. Josiah the tracker with eyes as good as the hawks he finds in the sky and the animals on the ground. It was definitely baby sighting trip with cheetah and lion cubs. Buffalo babies and impala looking so cute you want to take them home
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Date of stay: December 2023
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.
Phinda Vlei is very exclusive and only caters for 12 guests (6 couples) at any time. The accommodations are faultless with big open glass walls looking out onto the forest. There is a rim flow swimming pool at each chalet which attracts colourful birds and thirsty antelope. The bed is huge and luxurious. Bathroom has all the facilities and more that are required even by the most spoiled guest. Food is top class prepared by Happiness and served by Jake and Michael. Early morning and evening game drives are most pleasurable especially if you are lucky enough to get Dumisani as your ranger as he knows the reserve like the back of his hand. Animals are in abundance and if you take the time, the tiny flowers are like little precious stones. Well worth a visit.
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Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:The facilities are so good. No tips required but remember it is a game reserve. Girls, leave the...
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.
Phinda Vlei lodge was the second safari lodge my husband and I visited on our trip to South Africa. Vlei lodge is beautiful, the area is just what I imagined Africa to be, and the atmosphere is very focused on the client’s comfort and enjoyment. Everyone from Cheyenne, the lodge manager, to Charles, our evening security escort, all were so friendly and kind yet professional and proud of the experience they have created. The game drives were really special here- our guide, Heather and our tracker Sipho were really knowledgeable and able to track down those special animals we wanted to see. Heather was very relaxed and put us at ease during the drives! We laughed a lot and she taught us so much. Again, Vlei is all about making your safari experience the absolute best! The food was very fresh, delicious and beautifully presented. So sorry I can’t remember the chef’s name but he was wonderful! Our butler Micheal was attentive and so kind! To summarize, my husband is really not a traveler but he says we will definitely return, until then, thank you so much Phinda Vlei!!
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Date of stay: July 2024
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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.
Beautiful lodge, the room was the best of any safari lodge I’ve visited, with private pool and terrace overlooking the bush.
The staff were great, nothing was too much trouble and we had dinner and lunch on our terrace a couple of times away from the main dining area.
It’s a really intimate setting with only a small number of rooms so felt really personal.
The safari drives were good, it’s quite thick bush around the lodge in the sand forest so you have to go south or north to get to more open plains but the drives were good.
If it is your first time at Phinda, and you have 4 or 5 nights, I would recommend staying at Mountain or Rock lodge and then Vlei lodge so you get the best out of the experience seeing all areas of Phinda.
Overall, a great stay!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:If 1st time at Phinda, and you have 4/5 nights, I would recommend staying at Mountain/Rock 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.
We worked with &Beyond (Jacqui) to book our honeymoon. We started out thinking we would do Kenya but after talking about our priorities and budget, Jacqui recommended South Africa (Phinda Vlei) and &Beyond Benguerra Island for our beach portion (reviewed separately). The itinerary was perfect, all of our travel was so seamless, and we wouldn’t have changed a thing. We spent four nights at Phinda Vlei and were able to do eight game drives. What an incredible experience!!! Our ranger, Dino, and tracker, Jabs, found us amazing sightings. We saw everything we wanted to and then some. Highlights being: cheetahs, numerous lions with cubs including one female vocalizing, hyenas, giraffes, zebra, a leopard and cubs feeding, a huge herd of elephants with babies, and more. Dino was so knowledgeable - even when we weren’t viewing something he was sharing interesting stories or facts - and he went above and beyond in taking us to different areas of the reserve and finding us animals that we wanted to see (we were on the hunt for the elephant herd with the babies for days). Being on the private game reserve was also an advantage as the &Beyond rangers would radio sightings to each other and have a process in place to make sure there aren’t too many people at each sighting. This was our first safari so I can’t speak to others but I imagine this contributed to our excellent experience. Every staff member made our stay so special; &Beyond truly takes hospitality to heart and it shows through its employees. Happiness, the Chef… she is so sweet and omg her food is amazing!! I wasn’t hungry the entire time we were there between all of the delicious multi-course meals and snacks. Michael was our butler and he checked in with us often, took good care of us, and made sure our stay was comfortable. Phinda Vlei itself is so beautiful. I loved the design of the main building and of our individual suite. Highly recommend!!!
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Date of stay: July 2022
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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 experience at Phinda Vlei in late May was extraordinary. Our guide Clayton"s and our tracker Sebela"s knowledge of the wildlife of Phinda Reserve gave us the opportunity to learn and observe the movements and behaviors of the variety of animals living in the area. They carefully guided each of our drives to provide us with the best chances to closely view and photograph the animals in their environments. At Vlei, manager Cheyenne and butler Michael saw to all our needs from our lovely lodgings to our well-being and even to our drink preferences. The chef Sebela planned and prepared delectable meals with options for every taste. Working with Jomandie of &Beyond, every detail of travel and our stay was well planned so we anticipated a wonderful South African experience. The staff at Phinda Vlei and the magnificent creatures of Phinda Reserve far exceeded our expectations and we hope to return in the future. Thanks to all who made our experience so memorable.
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Date of stay: May 2024
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Trip 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.
We had such a lovely time at Andbeyond Phinda Vlei Lodge and we highly recommend this lodge to anyone looking to experience a luxury South African safari, especially any honeymooners. The lodge itself is beautiful, clean, and well maintained. When not on our game drives, we enjoyed lounging at the pool in our room and watching wildlife stroll by.
While the environment speaks for itself, the staff at this lodge is what truly made our experience unforgettable. They also went above and beyond to make the trip special for our honeymoon by adding little touches throughout our stay like a candlelit bath and a welcome card. Our guide, James, and our tracker, Thouks, worked so hard to ensure we saw all of the animals on our must see list. They kept us entertained with facts about the wildlife at the reserve and stories of their time working at Phinda Vlei. Our butler, Michael, made sure that we always had everything we needed/wanted. We loved getting to spend time with him at lunch each day to get to know him better. Chef Sabelo is truly talented at what he does. My husband and I both have different dietary restrictions, and he went out of his way for each meal to make sure we had plenty of options to eat, and everything was delicious. The rest of the staff was so warm and made us feel at home.
You don't want to miss this lodge! We can't wait to be back again soon!
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
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.
We stayed at Phinda Vlei Lodge for a special occasion and were disappointed with our experience.
While the lodge is beautiful there is no vlei as indicated on the brochure. The rooms are private and the plunge pool is a perfect place to cool off. The staff were friendly and made a lot of effort to ensure a memorable stay. The food was delicious, the red meat was particularly spectacular and all the fresh juices were a fun tasty treat.
However, we were thoroughly disappointed by the limited game sightings and have enjoyed far superior bush experiences elsewhere. We chose Phinda because they advertise “one of the continent’s finest game viewing experiences” and “known for close-up sightings of the elegant yet elusive cheetah, as well as the rare black rhino” neither of which we saw. We understand that animals are unpredictable, but the Phinda price tag and their bush experience advertised creates a level of expectation that just wasn’t met over our 6 game drives. Even the general game is sparse. When we mentioned our disappointment they advised us that this is consistently being raised as an issue and the lodge have escalated the feedback to park management.
Our scarce sightings made the following events more frustrating: We were standby 2 on a lion sighting and waited over 30 minutes for our turn (we question the effort to fairly share the sighting). The sighting required some bundu bashing, but by the time we got there everyone had left and directions on where to spot the lions weren’t effectively shared. We didn’t find them. The same happened when we raced to see hyena but just before we got there the only car on the sighting had left and we couldn’t find them.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip 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.
Response from andBeyond Travel, Owner at Andbeyond Phinda Vlei Lodge
Responded 01 Apr 2021
Dear Greg D2364, Thank you so much for taking the time to post your review on your recent stay at &Beyond Phinda Vlei Lodge. And, thank you too for emailing your Agent directly and giving us the opportunity of writing to you directly. As mentioned in my email to you, we are most grateful to all our guests for their feedback. While we are pleased that you had a memorable experience and enjoyed the lodge setting, our lodge team, the food and so on, it would be remiss of us if we did not mention that we are sorry that you were disappointed with the game experience. As you mention, seeing animals is unpredictable and while the much-needed, unusually heavy rains have been a blessing, it has made the game viewing much tougher. The bush is at its thickest for this time of the year and because of the heavy rains many of the roads were not drivable. Again, thank you for your comments - I do believe that what you experienced with your game experience was an exception to the norm and hope that we will be given the opportunity of welcoming you back some time in the future. Kevin Pretorius Regional Director, South Africa
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed at Vlei as a part of a 3 lodge safari (Mountain and Kirkman’s). We stayed at Vlei first and we’re glad we did!
Facilities: By starting at Vlei, we were immediately immersed into the Safari vibe. Since it’s such a tiny lodge, you feel like you are walking into your own living room. Shannon, the manager, is welcoming. There is always someone in the lodge to take care of you.
Food: Happiness is their chef who has been there 15+ years. The food she makes is made with love and care. She even customized things for us based off of random conversations. One morning she made soup for my in-laws, just because she overheard them saying they liked soups. I would describe her food as “awesome home cooking” - it’s not restaurant fancy, but you will feel happy just eating it!
Game Drives: We saw the Big 5, including the elusive Black Rhino. Nuff said. I think North Phinda is easy better than South Phinda. In comparison to Sabi Sabi, we didn’t see huge herds of animals on a daily basis, but in Phinda you can see Cheetah and Black Rhino, whereas those are rare in Sabi. Our ranger was awesome with our two young boys and even took us fishing one afternoon (no cost).
Rooms: The rooms are luxurious, but this is one area where they could improve. They are showing their age. It’s not a dealbreaker - especially if you are immersed in the feeling of being in the middle nowhere. But you can tell the difference from some of their other lodges that have been remodeled recently.
Service: Top notch. It’s the smallest Phinda Lodge and they treat you like family.
Overall: Vlei is a special place. It’s private, luxurious. The staff go above and beyond. Highly recommmend.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip 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.
It’s a beautiful lodge that speaks of understated luxury, impeccable service and amazing food. Shannon is the lodge manager who manages everything like clockwork. The chef ‘happiness’ is what she serves through her meals; pure happiness. I stayed there for 2 nights and had an amazing time. My first game drive with my ranger Chris and tracker Dan was delightful. We say lions, cape buffaloes, elephants and a leopard within a few minutes! The rhino eluded us (but I say about 12 at the other lodge) . Back at camp I met some amazing people from the usa who were very kind to me and invited me over to have dinner with them. John, Madeline, Chris and Shannon (there were 2 chris’ and 2 Shannons !) were wonderful guests and made me feel like I was family. Later Ewan, Jessica and Marilyn welcomed me during our game drives and I had a fabulous time with them all. I can’t praise the whole experience enough! The forests are not like the savannah grasslands and some drives were underwhelming but the experience was memorable nevertheless. Thank you Phinda Vlei! The cheetahs that I saw on day 2 were the piece de resistance 🥰🥰🥰
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip 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.
Hi Susan F,
Either option is available. Cash is generally preferred and it can be given directly to the individual but you can also add gratuities to your bill when checking out.
Kind regards,
andBeyond
Hi Cataroundtheworld
Many of our guests choose to combine Phinda with the greater Kruger region (Timbavati/Kruger/Sabi Sands), and we believe it's a good idea to combine the two - both for the first time safari goer as well as seasoned safari travellers. There is quite some diversity between the regions which makes for a god combination.
Phinda is straightforward to get to - either flights directly into the reserve's airstrip, or flights into Durban or Richard's Bay with a road transfer to the reserve.
Hi
Unfortunately not - andBeyond Phinda is a private reserve, so you would need to stay in the lodge.
If you are looking for a self-drive option the National Parks of Hluhluwe and Mkuzi are close by - although we believe our professional guides add enormous value to your experience.
Unfortunately andBeyond Phinda Vlei Lodge is not wheelchair friendly, all the pathways are sand and makes it very difficult to push a wheelchair. Phinda Vlei Lodge does have a number of steps and there are no railings in the bathrooms. Guests would require assistance to get between the main lodge and the rooms.
Unfortunately the elephants did not visit during our 4 day stay. We were told that they were there a few days before. Consider it a bonus if they visit but I wouldn't expect it. We did see a Cheetah from our deck! The animal viewing is fantastic.
There are more places to choose from in the Phinda Private Game Reserve area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
phinda vlei hotel phinda private game reserve
LOCATION
South AfricaKwaZulu-NatalPhinda Private Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
6
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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