Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa Plan a trip

The Phinda Private Game Reserve is known all over the world for its conservation efforts and sits right on the edge of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park.

It was set up over 15 years ago, on land that had been extensively farmed and damaged. The new owners of the park wanted to change this, so over time they helped the land grow and have begun to reintroduce indigenous species to the area. Now, Phinda is almost back to its original state. It spans 185 square kilometres and contains seven separate ecospheres, ranging from savannah to sand forest. This makes it completely different from South Africa’s other game-viewing areas.

It’s not only the animals that have benefited from the reserve, over 4,500 local people have been helped too. A new clinic and school have been set up, and it’s created lots of jobs for local people. Phinda Game Reserve is the epitome of area regeneration, and has to be seen to be believed.

This reserve is one of the best spots to see African wildlife in their natural habitat. In fact, if you fly directly to Phinda, you’ll probably see giraffes while you’re still on the plane! Once you land, you’ll have opportunities to see the big five: elephants, lions, rhino, leopards and buffalo. You’ll also see other game such as cheetah, antelope, zebra and more.

Phinda is a crucial place for conservation. It runs several research projects alongside the African Conservation Experience. Travellers can also volunteer to help with this research during their stay. It’ll mean you get cheaper lodgings and more hands-on experience with the animals.

We love Phinda Game Reserve as the entire team are just trying to help return this area to what it once was. Everyone that works here is truly passionate about conservation. They’ve even raised local awareness to the point where they helped put through an amendment to South Africa’s hunting laws.

Plan your trip to the Phinda Private Game Reserve today.