Phinda Resource Reserve

Fast Facts

Location: In Kwazulu Natal in eastern South Africa
Attraction type: A nature reserve
Significance: A natural reserve covering seven natural habitats
Best time to visit: Throughout the year
How to reach: By road from Hluhluwe
Nearest Airport: Hluhluwe Airport

Phinda Resource Reserve is one game reserve in South Africa which boasts of seven distinct habitats rich in fauna and exotic flora. No where else in Africa would you get the opportunity of experiencing distinctive ecosystems each with its own characteristics. This private reserve in Zululand gives you incomparable scopes of visiting savannas or tropical grasslands, marshes, floodplains, broad foliaged woodlands, and even sand forests.

South Africa Phinda Resource Reserve nestled between Greater St. Lucia Wetland .park in the east and Mkhuze Game Reserve on the west extends to an area of roughly 200 square kilometers. With over 350 bird species and the big five mammals, viz., elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo, you never get a single monotonous moment while touring this enthralling resource reserve. Diverse vegetation spread over varied land formations makes Phinda Resource Reserve in South Africa one among the most desirable tourist destinations.

Phinda Resource Reserve Activities

Bird watching is perhaps most fascinating in Phinda. Special birds like African broadbill, Rudd’s Apalis, green twinspot, southern branded snake eagle, gorgeous bush shrike, Narina tragon, lemon breasted canary, cuckoo hawk, African fin-foot, and red winged pratincole are some of the outstanding varieties. Among the more rare species you would discover palm-nut vulture, black coucal, Pel’s fishing owl, dwarf bittern, and Natal nightjar.

In addition to big game viewing and bird watching, exploration of the diverse habitats would be an exhilarating adventure. Cruising down Mzinene River you watch overhanging foliage and reeds. The Inkwazi floodplains offer allow a thrilling drive or trek which becomes even more spectacular during rainy season. Trekking or driving trails take you around Ntabankosi Mountain allow you to discover mountain vegetation of sycamore fig and candelabra trees. The grasslands of course are the areas for big game viewing. The Ilala Palmveld or temperate grassland has an abundance of birds like flappet lark, black breasted snake eagle, black shouldered kite, and lesser black winged plovers.

Phinda Resource Reserve is the perfect place to go for an exploration of a sand forest. Discover little sparrow-hawks and African Goshawks among boer-beans trees, or crowned eagles atop massive torchwood branches. In the northern fringes of this reserve you would find Mziki Marsh characterized by water pans and inhabited by white backed duck, saddle billed stork, and pygmy geese.

Accommodation in Phinda Resource Reserve

You could choose among six elegant safari lodges for staying during you tour to Phinda. These are Phinda Mountain Lodge, Phinda Forest Lodge, Phinda Zuka Lodge, Phinda Rock Lodge, Phinda Getty House, and Phinda Vlei Lodge.