Phinda Zimanga with Matt Yardley

Zimanga aims to provide each guest with an un-rushed, un-crowded wildlife experience. With only 3 vehicles on the 7000 hectare reserve, Zimanga's guided game drives have no time limits on sightings.

Guests are comfortably seated with no more than 2 guests per row on the open Zimanga 4x4 vehicles.

Mkhombe is Zimanga's first birdbath or reflection hide and seats four photographers in comfortable office chairs. Mkhombe faces west and allows water-level images of the multitude of bird species that come and drink at the hide in the early morning. More than 80 species have already been recorded at this hide, and is the hide on Zimanga that offers the highest species diversity available. The reflection hides perform better in the drier months (April to October) as watersources dry up in the bush. Migrant birds that arrive from November and stay until February are usually in brilliant breeding plumages and use the hides during the summer months, but Zimanga falls within a summer rainfall area, meaning that other watersources are available to birds.

Bhejane is Zimanga's second reflection hide, and the site was carefully chosen to lure shy bird species that prefer thicker habitat. The main attraction at this hide is pink-throated twinspots; a rare endemic with a limited range in South Africa. The twinspots are shy, so no sighting is guaranteed but if the birds come down to drink unparalleled opportunities arise to photograph these tiny jewels of the forest. A variety of other species use the hide, which is placed for optimal afternoon light. The same size as Mkhombe, Bhejane also seats four photographers in comfortable chairs, with tripods, gimbals and lens plates provided.

The Lagoon hide was the first step in diversifying viewing and photographic opportunities on Zimanga. The ambitious project took more than a year to complete, and was constructed on a modified natural peninsula that juts into the large Hlambanyathi dam. This hide seats 4 photographers, with photographic opportunities morning or afternoon, whether you prefer shooting with the sun, or into it. Like the first hides, each seat is equipped with a top-quality tripod but is also set on wheeled dollies, so switching direction you photograph into is quick and easy as the heavy-duty dollies silently roll across the smooth floors.

The mostly shallow waters of the Lagoon draw in a variety of waterbirds, from tiny plovers and sandpipers, to large birds like herons, storks and fish eagles. In the summer months crocodiles are regular visitors, with large specimens basking on the shoreline and smaller growing crocs actively catching fish at night.

The hide itself is an engineering marvel, as 24 tonnes of water is displaced to keep the hide at the level it is without floating. The entire hide is built out of stainless steel to keep rust at bay and ensure a long lifespan for the Lagoon. All electricity needs are met with a nearby solar panel installation and battery bank, allowing the use of a fan in the hide, and power the water pump which circulates 9000 litres of water per hour through the lagoon, keeping the water cool and fresh.

The hide is placed off-centre in the Lagoon, meaning there is a long and shorter distance available for photography, allowing close-up as well as action opportunities.

The hide is accessed via a screened walkway, whereafter photographers enter a 30m long pipe with 1.5m (5ft) diameter, illuminated inside by a series of motion-sensing lights, but please be aware of this if you dislike confined spaces or suffer from claustrophobia.

Different seasons provide different levels of action and opportunities. The birdlife and photo opportunities are generally good year-round, but summer months (Nov-March) is usually the best for the larger variety of bird species present during this period. Summer is also the best time to photograph crocodiles at the lagoon.

Umgodi is an entirely unique hide concept pioneered on Zimanga, in which up to 4 photographers can be accommodated and sleep over in the air-conditioned hide, built into a waterhole with the large window opening up a few centimeters above water level. Animals that visit the waterhole drink only a few meters from your bed. The drinking edge is 4m from the photographers’ chairs, and to date a large variety of mammal and bird species have visited the water-source.

Guests enter the hide in the afternoon and photograph through the backlit afternoon session, and after sunset make use of the LED floodlights installed at water level to beautifully illuminate subjects that approach the water’s edge. The hide’s main lights are installed on either side, and the high CRI rating of the lights ensures true-to-life colour and illumination of your subject. The following morning the sun rises behind the hide, bathing the drinking edge in golden light, adding a third dimension of lighting to an Umgodi hide session, and offering guests a variety of images to take home, all incorporating Zimanga’s trademark low angles, carefully selected backgrounds and quality natural lighting.

Another diversifying addition to Zimanga’s ever-expanding hide network is the hide placed on Scavenger’s Hill. The hide is elevated above the Doornhoek valley, and the sweeping view from the top serves as a backdrop to this vulture restaurant. To date, 5 species of vultures, together with other scavengers like marabou storks, woolly necked storks, tawny eagles, bateleurs plus several other species like kites, buzzards, jackal and hyena have been seen here. The hide seats 4 guests, and each station is supplied with a Manfrotto Tripod and Benro head.

Scavenger species are present year-round, but summer months offer the highest species variety when migrating birds such as kites, buzzards and falcons can join the fray, together with jackal denning nearby. Vultures breed in the area during the winter months, also resulting in high concentrations of these endangered birds.

A door seemingly freestanding in the middle of nowhere reveals a declining passageway leading underground and into the new Tamboti Overnight hide. Situated in close proximity to Main Lodge, this perfect spot for a hide was discovered on the confluence of two streams, with a natural clearing in a grove of Tamboti trees providing the exact space required to nestle an overnight hide within.

This hide is more spacious than Umgodi, but still only houses a maximum of 4 photographers per session. A redesigned layout makes much more efficient use of available space, allowing more freedom of movement for photographers sitting in wait at the one-way window. Bunk beds are equipped with headboards for storage space, whilst the significantly larger combination kitchen/dining area houses beautiful wooden furniture including a dinner table, alongside the usual amenities including a fridge/freezer, microwave oven and kettle for those steaming mugs of coffee whilst waiting for subjects to approach. As in Umgodi, this hide is also equipped with Wi-Fi and VoIP telephone for emergency calls. The air-conditioning is essential to control comfort levels, but more importantly humidity, within the hide. Toilet facilities are available in the hide.

The hide is East facing, meaning a session starts with the golden afternoon hours, followed by floodlight illuminated night photography with the early morning sun rising directly in front of you.

The fever tree forests surrounding the Hlambanyathi dam is home to a large variety of forest dwelling bird species, far more often heard than seen. Our latest hide was placed within the thick habitat on the forest floor, with an ambiance unlike any other hide as hundreds of bird calls echo through the forest whilst hide occupants sit in wait for birds to arrive in front of the hide. A variety of insect eating bird species visit the hide, and are attracted by grubs obtained from Zimanga Main Lodge’s recycling project. These grubs are used to quickly dispose of organic waste at the lodge, composting the waste five times faster than usual methods, and in return offer us highly nutritious grubs as well as rich compost to feed our vegetable gardens.

The action at the forest hide is not as hectic as as some other hides, but for good reason. Most forest species are shy and quickly disappear from view at the slightest hint of disturbance, hence good photographs of the species are hard to come by. Since first tests were conducted the forest hide already provided us with some of our best images yet of birds that can be really difficult to photograph due to their shy nature and the thick habitat they prefer.

In a radical departure from our low-level hides we took things up a notch and constructed an 8-meter tower hide within the fever tree forests of Zimanga. This hide was built specifically for the arboreal residents of the forest, and for hard-core birders amongst us, a patient session spent in the hide can result in spectacular bird photos. The hide is ideally built for 2 occupants, with a double-insulated walls and roof and a solar installation with fan. Nesting boxes consisting of natural tree stumps in front and manmade units on the hide were installed to provide safe nest sites to the species that nest in cavities.

Zimanga’s mobile bee-eater hide can seat 2-3 occupants and it can be interchanged for any other activity. Unlike our other hides and due to its mobile nature, seating is provided in camping chairs.

We provide the same high-quality Manfrotto tripods and Benro gimbal heads for guest use as in all our other hides. The white-fronted bee-eaters add exciting photographic opportunities as they prefer to flock, resulting in much activity and interaction between individual birds.

A recent addition to activities is the custom-built Zimanga Photo Boat. This craft is always available for guests to use and is based at its permanent mooring on the large Hlambanyathi dam. No bookings are required for the boat, so please inform your ranger during your visit if you would like to use the boat and our rangers will keep their eyes peeled for activity around the main lake.

Due to many enquiries regarding Private Vehicle and Guide availability in recent times we decided to add a custom-built photography vehicle to our fleet of Safari Vehicles. For those seeking space, comfort and lower photography angles this vehicle is hard to beat.

The ultra-comfortable setup can seat up to 4 guests for standard safari drives, with more spacious seating, a padded bin between seats where all your additional equipment can be placed within easy reach, and adjustable padded armrests which slide up and down to double as camera support. The biggest drawcard of this vehicle though is for usage of a pair of photographers, where two opening ports offer significantly lower and immersive photography angles on subjects which simply cannot be approached on foot. A pair of removable mattresses are at hand if you choose to lie down in wait for the action to happen. The use of a beanbag is recommended which allows free movement of your lens through the ample space provided for low angle photography. Recommended lenses for this vehicle are longer lenses in the range of 200-400mm, with a wide-angle lens on standby in the bin between the seats.

This Private Vehicle and Guide can be booked at an additional cost at the Lodge on a per-vehicle basis, and per session as required. With the vehicle only hosting two photographers for low-level photography availability is therefore limited.

Vehicle safaris can extend into the evening, and subject lighting from multiple vehicles can be arranged at additional cost. Another after-hours activity is late night astro-and landscape photography which can be arranged with your guide. Please enquire with your ranger about this whilst you are here.

Enjoy early morning and late afternoon game drives that continue after nightfall. &Beyond’s professionally trained guides will ask you about your favourite wildlife and will do their best to ensure that your preferences are met, whether it is tracking a particular species or spending more time enjoying each sighting and getting to know the habits of the animals. They will also tell you about the vegetation of the region and will explain the behaviour of the animals that you come across. In some cases, the guides will be able to identify individual animals and let you know about their history and habits.

andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve is renowned for its exceptional sightings of the elusive cheetah and the rare black rhino, as well as the Big Five. There is also a number of resident lion prides and rangers will do their best to provide you with an exceptional sighting of all of these animals.

Accompanied by your ranger, enjoy an interpretive nature walk, around the lodge, where you learn more about the intricacies of the African bush, from discovering fascinating flora and reading animal tracks with your guide to meeting smaller wildlife up-close. Experience the thrill of tracking animals on foot, accompanied by an armed specialist ranger and tracker team. Engage all your sense as you discover a world where each sound, scent and bent blade of grass has a meaning.

Pangolins are the most poached mammal on the planet. They are animals in the shadowlands of extinction. Participate in our one-of-its-kind Pangolin conservation experience, and support us in this groundbreaking initiative to re-establish Temminck’s [ground] pangolin in a region where they have gone locally extinct. Intensive monitoring, using VHF and GSM/UHF tracking tags, is a core element of this project. Travel with our specialist conservation team as they locate the animal, replace the GSM/UHF tag, do general health checks, and gather crucial data.

Your Experience:
Participate in this privately guided pangolin research and monitoring experience at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, and you’ll be supporting the conservation of the world’s most trafficked mammal. In this interpretive and exclusive activity, guests will join a researcher as he (or she) locates one of the pangolins that has been reintroduced to the reserve. They will have the rare opportunity to observe the unique features and remarkable adaptations of these gentle creatures first hand as our researcher does a general health check, and downloads critical research data from the UHF tag attached to each pangolin.

This exclusive experience is available at an additional cost and is subject to availability. It will take place in the afternoon or evening in winter, or at night in summer. Guests need to be 16 years or older to participate. If less than 6 guests, a private vehicle needs to be booked. Guests will unfortunately not be allowed to touch or handle the animals.

Enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with a rhino at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve while assisting in the conservation of this rare species. This adventure allows guests to witness the capture and darting of a rhino and assist the veterinary team in notching the sleeping animals ear for research and security monitoring. Ear notches, as well as microchips placed in the horn, enable researchers to correctly identify different rhino on the reserve. Groups of up to eight guests each (sharing the same vehicle) can participate in the entire process, from locating and darting the rhino by helicopter to the never to be repeated opportunity to touch the anaesthetised giant during the notching procedure. Guests will need to spend a minimum of three nights at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve.

Available at an additional cost (excluding accommodation), Guests need to be 12 years and older to participate and is subject to the availability of the wildlife veterinarian and helicopter pilot. If less than 6 guests, a private vehicle will need to be booked. Minimum stay of 3 nights' stay required in order to guarantee favourable conditions for darting.

Slip on a pair of walking shoes and spend the morning with an expert ranger and tracker to find the rare and endangered black rhino on foot. Follow rhino tracks, recognise rhino middens and scratching posts, and read the signs of the bush in search of your quarry.

Be among four groups, of up to eight guests each, who will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve’s elephant conservation project. Here, you will have the opportunity to witness an elephant darting, and assist in the changing of the sleeping pachyderm’s radio collar. Four of the elephant collars utilised in Phinda’s research programme are in need of replacing and guests are being invited to participate in this extraordinary experience. Guests will be required to spend a minimum of three nights at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and the exact dates during your stay will be dependent on the availability of the veterinarian and helicopter pilot.

Available at an additional cost (excluding accommodation), Guests need to be 12 years and older to participate and is subject to the availability of the wildlife veterinarian and helicopter pilot. If less than 6 guests, a private vehicle will need to be booked. Minimum stay of 3 nights' stay required in order to guarantee favourable conditions for darting.

For those looking for an active thrill beyond the excitement of Big Five sightings on a game drive vehicle, andBeyond’s Specialist Walking Safaris offer an opportunity to connect with the African bush, interacting with all its inhabitants, from largest to smallest. Embark on a full day adventure in your private vehicle where your feet tread in the tracks of zebra and buffalo, your nostrils fill with the scent of crushed wild grasses as you push through the bush and all six senses re-awaken as Africa touches you and you touch Africa.

Spend the night sleeping directly beneath the stars in the heart of the bush on this thrilling overnight adventure. As the sun sets at the end of your afternoon game drive, you will arrive at a beautiful clearing in the midst of the bush, where comfortable beds with warm duvets and blankets, as well

as billowing mosquito nets, are set up for you. Pull your chair up to the blazing campfire and toast the sunset as darkness deepens. Enjoy a delicious meal prepared on the open fire and fall asleep in utter tranquillity, surrounded by Africa’s night sounds and kept safe by an armed guard.

For four months during the southern hemisphere summer, the enormous leatherback and loggerhead turtles emerge from the Indian Ocean at Sodwana Bay to lay their precious eggs in the sand. As the moon rises over the ocean, excitement grows as you drive along the deserted coastline in search of fresh turtle tracks that emerge from the ocean and travel along the beach in search of a suitable nesting site. Watch as the female turtle digs her nest and lays her clutch of up to a hundred eggs.

SEASONAL: Available November to February.

Photographic enthusiasts, from beginners to advanced, can now capture the wondrous landscapes and magical creatures of andBeyond’s Phinda Private Game Reserves, by taking advantage of a fully-equipped photographic safari vehicle. The vehicle has been fitted with state-of-the-art camera mounts and cater for a maximum of four guests, ensuring exclusivity during your safari experience.

Guests can choose from the following two options:
1. Specialist Photographic Safari
• Have an expert photographic guide accompany you. Our expert guides will use their extensive experience in wildlife, birding and landscape photography to help you get the shot of a lifetime!
• A maximum of four guests.
2. Photographic Safari Vehicle
• Book the photographic safari vehicle only – maximum of four guests.
• Photographic enthusiasts will be driven and guided by an andBeyond safari guide.

Visit a Zulu community just outside andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and interact with the friendly Zulu people. An expert andBeyond guide will escort you through the community and share interesting insight into the Zulu culture and its fascinating customs, beliefs and traditions. You will be invited into a traditional homestead and given the rare opportunity to witness the daily routines and lifestyle of a rural Zulu family. Learn about the family structures, how the homes are built, why cattle are so highly revered, and much more. Later, you will spend time with the highly respected local sangoma (witch doctor/traditional healer) who will explain the wonders of Zulu ancestry and their spiritual beliefs. The adventure ends with a quick stop at the Mbhedula Craft Market, where the beautiful handiwork of 43 Zulu crafters is showcased. It’s a great place to find that perfect souvenir of your time spent with the Zulu people.

The vast sandy beaches of the Maputaland coastline provide a beautiful setting for this half-day beach outing to beautiful Sodwana Bay. There is ample time for you to soak up the warm African sun and splash in the clear, temperate waters of the Indian Ocean, bordered by miles and miles of sandy beaches. The diverse area is stippled with rugged foothills, flanked by dense dune vegetation and the azure hues of the tropical Indian Ocean. Marvel at the ever-changing forms of the golden sand dunes, constantly shifted by the winds and tides. Interspersed between the shimmering, gilded sands jut craggy mounds teeming with a dense accumulations of rich minerals and ruddy sediments. Relax with a good book, play fun filled beach games and take leisurely walks along the pristine shoreline, which blends effortlessly with the animated ocean, awash with the sound of the waves and the cries of various sea birds. At low tide you can snorkel alongside Jesser Point, a protected marine reserve, and marvel at an endless abundance of diverse and colourful marine life. Jesser Point features a rock-strewn point at the south corner of the bay, perfect for fishing off the rocks at low ride and from the safety of the bay at high tide.

Recognised as one of the top ten dive sites in the world, Sodwana Bay offers an abundance of fish and marine life throughout the year. The gullies, ledges and pinnacles of the coral reef are home to more than 1 200 fascinating fish species.

Whilst enjoying the exceptional Big Five andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, why not treat yourself to an Ocean Safari that offers a wonderful opportunity to encounter some of South Africa’s beautiful marine life. This exciting adventure, aboard an inflatable vessel and in the company of a certified dive master, offers the prospect of encountering and swimming with wild dolphins, snorkelling amidst flourishing reefs and the chance to view humpback and southern right whales (seasonal).

andBeyond’s WILDchild programme, designed especially for children visiting our safari lodges and camps in Africa, is filled with fun, interactive activities that offer opportunities to learn and discover new experiences and cultures. Deeply rooted in the love for the African bush, it not only creates a series of unforgettable moments for the whole family but forges strong bonds between our young guests, our planet and its people.

With a dedicated game ranger and tracker, as well as a private game drive vehicle, guests have the luxury of tailor-making their own safari experience; choosing their own game drive times and spending as much time as they want at sightings.

You are required to create a personal affirmation to reclaim an unconditional acceptance and love for yourself and reconnect with your soul to release all negative energy from deep within. A unique blend of
aromatherapy and plant oils chosen specifically by you, combining deep tissue massage techniques to bring relaxation to tired, aching muscles allowing the body and soul to return to perfect equilibrium. Choose from a blend of aromatherapy oils to either destress, hydrate, relax or detox.

Full body: 90 min
Back and Neck only: 30 min

African Shea Butter has been long hailed for its powerful healing and nourishing effects. Relaxing nourishing and energizing this full body massage targets specific areas or tension and muscular discomfort employing deep tissue techniques where pain is dramatically alleviated.

Full Body and Scalp 75min
Back, Neck and Scalp 45min

Re-awaken your Soul with a combination of powerful African aromatherapy oils and botanical body balms combining traditional African Calabash and Bamboo tools with human touch and rhythmic movement in this indulgent ritual, the ultimate source of relaxation to bring balance to your mind, body and soul in the heart of Africa, the cradle of mankind, through touch and vibrational sound therapy using ancient sound tools and techniques.

Choose African Potato for its Ancient Healing powers, Marula Neroli for a Sensory Indulgence, Kalahari Melon for its Hydrating Properties, Mongongo Nut to Detox or Cinnamon and Orange to Firm and Tone

Full body and Scalp: 90min
Back and Scalp: 60min

Re-awaken your senses through gentle exfoliation and envelope your body with inspirational blends of natural African essential oils and botanicals. We start the treatment with a dry polish followed by a full body polish to alleviate tension and renew skin. We then do the wrap and an indulgent full body massage using our powerful collection of indigenous African oils and balms.

Choose African Potato for its Ancient Healing powers, Marula Neroli for a Sensory Indulgence, Kalahari Melon for its Hydrating Properties, Mongongo Nut to Detox or Cinnamon & Orange to Firm and Tone

90min

Melt away stress and rejuvenate your tired legs with this foot treatment which will leave your feet feeling hydrated, softened and silky smooth, ready to conquer the African bush. Your feet is soaked in an African Joy energizing salt soak, scrubbed with rejuvenating peppermint and eucalyptus scrub and embalmed in African Shea Butter. Relax as you receive a shoulder and scalp massage and finish the treatment with a cooling foot gel to put the final spring in your step

30min
60min

The ultimate hand ritual. Your hands are polished with a pure Peppermint & Aloe Vera polish and cuticles restored with indigenous healing oils. Your hands are then embalmed with African Shea Butter. Relax as you receive a shoulder and scalp massage and finish the treatment with a nourishing Pinotage hand oil massage, leaving your hands feeling soft and rejuvenated.

30min
60min

A WildChild needs pampering too

Soak those tired little feet in Healing Earth’s Lavender and Jasmine bubble bath, followed by a Mango Orange scrub, toe nail grooming and mini foot tickle and rub. To recharge your energy a 15min back, neck and shoulder massage with pure Aloe Vera Gel will guarantee to send our budding rangers off on their next adventure in the African Bush. Finish your treatment with an African Tribal Face Paint and if you choose to, leave with your own Beauties and Buddies Pamper Kit to remember your adventure in the wild and remind you of how important it is to Care for the Land, Wildlife and People of this world.

Treatment 30min
Beauties and Buddies Pamper Kit

Healing Earth has embodied the vibrant fusion of colourful beadwork preserving the Zulu culture of the past, present and future within the Shangaan Celebration Journey.

Our Journey starts with a Zulu Foot Ritual, where salt crystals infused with plant extracts are used to cleanse away outside elements, ensuring a positive and continual flow of energy within the client-therapist journey.

The journey continues with a beautiful body cleanse, using a refreshing Healing Earth Tanga-Orange Polish mixed with indigenous oil extracts to thoroughly cleanse the skin. A delightful, relaxation massage therapy follows with our Zulu Body Butter, enriched with African Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and a rich spice blend that leaves your body, mind and soul renewed and invigorated.
To end your Journey, we call on the Rain with our Ancient Zulu Thank You Celebration to signify the end of our signature therapy and as a symbol of the Zulu Culture where rain is symbolic as an essential life giving force of new beginnings, prosperity and rejuvenation.

Clients embrace the Zulu Culture and is gifted with a Jewel of Zulu beadwork which has been intuitively chosen thereby holding a lasting memory and deep-rooted connection with the African Soil and its people.

90min