Jac’s Africa diary: 7th Sept - off to Phindar Private Game Reserve

We woke this morning to a chilly day of more mist and rain.  After breakfast it was time to say our goodbye’s to ‘Kings Grant’ and Sue and Gavin. 

We set out for Virginia Airport travelling through beautiful lush countryside and as we travelled the mist cleared and the weather perked up.

At the airport we loaded our luggage (now greatly reduced as we gave Gavin to donate to the community our building boots, hats and gloves, plus football kits for the children and stationery for the schools) into the 12 seater aircraft.

This was not your standard charter plane.  As I lowered my head to get in I could smell new leather…plush pale leather seats each with a beautifully packed lunch box placed waiting for us.

I sat, very comfortably at the back, next to the ice box full of water and soft drinks. 

The pilot (a Yorkshireman!) jumped on board, we all strapped up, the engine jumped into life and the front propeller spun.

We headed North, hugging the coastline.  Flying at only 1500 feet, the view was spectacular.  Forests, tree farms, water estuaries, wonderful houses right on the golden beaches.  After a while we headed inland and the bush and forests gave way to a dryer landscape. 

With a steep bank, we started our decent.  We glided onto the runway, little more than a dirt track and bumped our way to a stop.  The door was opened by the pilot and we all jumped out.  Just one hour from Durban and it was hot and dry.  

There was a Phinda welcome committee standing under a tree in front of a long table with crisp white cloths flapping in the breeze.  Surely the stuff of movies!

Some small children came to us singing and handing each of us brightly coloured beaded necklaces.

We had ice cold face towels and drank chilled water and munched on pineapple and mango kebabs before jumping into the 4×4’s and heading off to Phinda Mountain Lodge.

What a fabulous place!

Phinda is a Private Game Reserve in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal around 3 hours drive from Durban or 1 hour charter flight.  Mountain Lodge is one of Phinda’s 6 diverse and luxurious Lodges on the Reserve.

 

“Phinda, which means ‘the return’, is an apt name for a project with various resonances: not only is the bush being retuned to its pristine state, but it is also seeing the return of the value of the land to its people.
“Nikki Moore - Mail & Guardian - Aug 2001 (reproduced from CCAfrica)

See our separate report on Phinda Private Game Reserve & Rock Lodge 

We pulled up at reception and escorted up small paths to a conference room with a wonderful balcony and the most spectacular views.

After an iced tea, we were shown to our rooms to unpack. My room is fab with great views of the hills and bush.

Then a short walk to the pool area for a briefing ahead of our first, and my first ever, Safari, into the 4×4’s and we rumbled out into the bush with our Ranger and Tracker.

What an experience. As we drove , we saw elephants, hippos and giraffes, impala and buffalo.

As dusk was falling we pulled into a clearing where the staff had a bar and were cooking BBQ snacks.

We were teated to a fascinating ’snake experience’ and as night fell, flame torches were lit and we drank cocktails under the stars.

Then we continued our safari by night when we saw a Genet (or Janet as we called it!) . Its looks like a young cat with fab markings.

We were seaching for lion and the elusive cheetah. After an hour driving, I heard noises. The vehicles pulled up and we saw flaming torches lining a route into the bush.  Zulu Warriors danced and sang as we walked down the path into a clearing lit with 50 or more torches and where a large campfire was burning in the centre.

The Zulu Warriors’ dance was spectacular.  It’s traditionally performed to celebrate victory, or to prepare for battle. The movements depict modes of attack and boast of male prowess - simulating the dodging and attacking associated with facing an enemy. Their dress was impressive as were the high kicks and stamping down in a display of their manhood.

We all sat on long table for dinner. The food was just incredible - BBQ beef and guinea fowl. Afterwards, we drank and talked round the fire till the wee small hours.

 Tomorrow we’re off to Sodwana Bay and whale shark tagging……