Phinda and Benguerra (8 Days)

Day 1 – 3 (andBeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge /andBeyond Phinda Forest Lodge / andBeyond Phinda Zuka Lodge, South Africa)
Upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, you will be met by a Menzies Aviation representative and assisted through customs and immigration. You will then be assisted with check in procedures for your onward flight.

On arrival at the airstrip you will be met by an &Beyond team member and transferred to the lodge.

Rejuvenate during your 3 night stay at andBeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge / Forest Lodge / Zuka Lodge in a suite with ensuite bathroom. Your stay includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, scheduled safari activities, refreshments on game drives, a 1 hour nature walk, emergency medical evacuation insurance and laundry.

Included activities:

• Game Drives
• Interpretative nature walks

Recommended activities (at additional cost):

• Maputaland Beach Adventure
• Indian Ocean Scuba Safari
• Black Rhino Tracking On Foot
• Turtle Nesting Adventure
• Zulu Village Tour
• Luxury Walking Safari
• Tracking Adventure
• Private Safari
• Photographic Safari
• Specialist Birding Safari
• Family Safari
• A Night Under the Stars
• Ocean safari
• Rhino Notching – Black Rhino
• Scuba Dive Refresher

andBeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge
With wraparound views of the spectacular Ubombo mountain range and the surrounding Zululand bushveld, Mountain Lodge at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve is a dramatic safari destination. 25 split-level suites crest the mountain’s edge, offering breathtaking views of the Reserve below. This much-loved lodge has recently been rebuilt and refurbished, and each luxurious suite now boasts a romantic ensuite bathroom, private sitting area, and spacious veranda complete with private plunge pool and outdoor shower. The guest area is a magnificent u-shaped building with central al fresco courtyard, which provides seductive comfort between exciting game drives. The intimate sitting areas are filled with sunlight, and the dining area overlooks the Reserve with the Ubombo Mountains in the distance. Delicious Pan African meals can be enjoyed in the remarkable stone and reed boma, romantically illuminated by dozens of candles and lanterns, or savoured in a spectacular clearing in the bush under an umbrella of twinkling stars.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT ANDBEYOND PHINDA MOUNTAIN LODGE

• Sink into one of the inviting sofas on the deck and indulge in a creamy cappuccino while you watch the sunrise.
• Ask the chef for one of Phinda Mountain’s famous chelsea buns – sticky, sweet and delicious. The chef might even share the recipe!
• Track one of Africa’s rarest large mammals, the highly endangered black rhino, on foot.

Alternative: andBeyond Phinda Forest Lodge
Set deep in the heart of a rare and beautiful dry sand forest, the spectacular Forest Lodge at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve fuses architectural design and conservation. The creation of this award-winning safari lodge was an exemplary exercise in building eco-sensitive structures with a light footprint (not one tree was felled during construction). Inventively designed in Zulu Zen style, each handcrafted, glass-encased suite is a combination of glass, wood and minimalist design incorporating high-gloss wooden floors, richly tactile fabrics and crimson Zulu artefacts. These 16 private stilted suites each feature luxurious ensuite bathrooms and private viewing decks. Unwind in the lodge’s sparkling rim-flow swimming pool, or relax in the guest sitting areas with expansive viewing decks affording panoramic views of the game-filled plains. Visit the Safari Shop with its unique and colourful local Zulu artefacts. Dine in the traditional African boma, under a romantic canvas of stars, candles and lanterns.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT ANDBEYOND PHINDA FOREST LODGE

• Head chef, Sam Mnguni, has worked at Phinda for years and has a wealth of Phinda knowledge. Ask him to tell you some of the fascinating stories of Phinda’s early days.
• If you are travelling between November and February, then be sure to venture out to Sodwana Bay one evening to witness loggerhead and leatherback turtles laying their eggs on the beach.
• Enjoy a specialist walking safari with an expert ranger who will guide you through Phinda’s seven unique habitats.

Alternative: andBeyond Phinda Zuka Lodge
Bordered by lush green valleys and densely wooded hills, Zuka Lodge at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve sits in the Reserve’s western region. With just four thatched Zululand bush cottages, this intimate lodge is ideal for family gatherings and special occasion safaris. As an exclusive-use lodge, a private ranger/host, tracker, butler, chef, and sole use of an open 4×4 safari vehicle are all included, allowing guests to tailormake their safari. Characterised by hues of blue and stone, Zuka’s overall ambience is that of cool, coastal bush style – a sophistication of simplicity. The charming cottages are set 15 m apart, overlooking a busy waterhole. Each cottage boasts a luxurious ensuite bathroom, complete with a circular bath chamber, double shower and twin hand basins. Guest areas include an interactive café style kitchen, indoor sitting and dining areas, an intimate library with internet access, and a swimming pool with an extended wooden deck overlooking the surrounding African wilderness.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT ANDBEYOND PHINDA ZUKA LODGE

• Join the chef in the interactive kitchen one afternoon and bake the lodge’s famous cookies.
• Relax on your veranda with a glass of wine and watch the animals come down to the lodge waterhole for an afternoon drink.
• Be sure to taste the blue peg omelette for breakfast. Or create your own mouth-watering omelette creation from a selection of fillings and the chef will prepare it to perfection.

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Day 4 – 7 (andBeyond Benguerra Island, Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique)
After a mouth-watering breakfast, you will be driven to the airstrip for your flight to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, where you will board a flight to Vilanculos International Airport.

An andBeyond representative will meet you at Vilanculos Airport and assist you, and fellow guests, onto your helicopter flight to Benguerra Island. As the second largest island of the Bazaruto Archipelago, Benguerra offers exceptional opportunities to witness a slice of the very best of Mozambique’s exceptional marine life. (Approximately 10 minutes)

Put your feet up at andBeyond Benguerra Island for your 4 night stay in a casinha with ensuite bathroom and outdoor shower. Your stay includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, laundry, emergency medical evacuation insurance, transfers to and from the lodge airstrip. Activities – One per day: Scuba diving (max 2 dives per day tide dependent – full PADI certification required), horse riding, sea kayaking, sunset dhow cruise and a scheduled snorkelling trip. One per stay: castaway picnic, island expedition and local village tour.

Included activities:

• Scuba Diving Scuba Diving – max 2 dives per day (tide-dependent) – full PADI certification required
• Snorkelling
• Castaway Picnic
• Dhow Cruise
• Island Drives
• Horse Riding Safaris

Recommended activities (at additional cost):

• Fishing
• Helicopter Sightseeing

A tropical paradise tucked into a lush indigenous forest and looking out onto a picturesque crescent of sandy beach, andBeyond Benguerra Island has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment to become the quintessential luxury island retreat. Boasting a fresh island feel, the lodge’s welcoming guest areas offer views of the lush tropical garden and the ocean beyond. Set deep in cleverly created patches of shade, comfortable loungers beckon guests to relax around the rim flow swimming pool while drinking in the ocean views. Closer to the water’s edge, the lodge’s colourful beach bar is the perfect setting to relax or enjoy open air meals right on the sand. Ten casinhas and two cabanas peep out directly onto ocean vistas, while a spacious Casa Familia ensures privacy and exclusivity.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT ANDBEYOND BENGUERRA ISLAND

• Request one of their amazing castaway picnics, set in the beautiful sand dunes.
• Sail away into the sunset on a romantic dhow cruise.
• Ask your hosts when the rare and mysterious dugong were last spotted – who knows, you might get lucky!

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Day 8
After a mouth-watering breakfast, we wave a fond farewell as you board a helicopter for your flight back to Vilanculos International Airport, where you will catch a scheduled flight to O.R Tambo International Airport.

What’s included:

• Welcome and assistance at O.R Tambo International Airport and Vilanculos International Airport
• Scheduled flights:
  O.R Tambo International Airport to Phinda airstrip
  Phinda airstrip to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport
  Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to Vilanculos International Airport
  Vilanculos International Airport to O.R Tambo International Airport
• Helicopter flights: Vilanculos International Airport / &Beyond Benguerra Island / Vilanculos International Airport
• Accommodation as specified above
• Meals and beverages as specified above
• Park fees:
  Munyawana Conservancy fee
  Benguerra Island Conservancy fee
• Emergency medical evacuation insurance
• Administration fee

Notes:

• Rates are quoted on a per person sharing basis.
• A single supplement of 50% applies from the first single room throughout the year.
• The operator may reroute the itinerary or accommodate in similar lodges in case of non-availability.
• Single traveller supplement and child rates will be quoted on request.
• Flight rates are subject to change
• Minimum of 2 guests.
• &Beyond Benguerra Island is closed from 25 February to 17 March 2018
• Package excludes the Family Cottages and Family Suite at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and Casa Familia at &Beyond Benguerra Island.
• Fly me Offer option excludes the Cottages at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and Cabanas at &Beyond Benguerra Island.
• Honeymoon Offer:
  o May not be combined with any other offers or long stay rates.
  o Only valid for travel within 6 months of date of marriage – marriage certificate to be supplied.
• Validity periods are as specified above; should a booking fall over two rate periods the rate will change and we reserve the right to re-quote.
• The rates quoted are subject to change without warning if there are any increases in bed levies, park fees, fuel, sales tax or VAT, third-party services, the rand / dollar exchange rate or any other circumstances beyond our control in South Africa or Mozambique.
• Rates are subject to currency fluctuations
• &Beyond trading terms apply.

Rates will be determined once we have secured the relevant lodge accommodations for you.