The Phinda Lodges - World Class Luxury

Though the game drives were clearly the highlight of our time in Phinda, the two lodges in which we spent four nights were utterly spectacular. All food and drink is included, and the accommodation is fantastic. Our first destination was the Rock Lodge in the southern, mountainous area of Phinda. We had no Internet, no TV, no radio - it was liberating. When we entered the public area of the lodge, the first sight we beheld was a huge collection of liquors, available to the guests at their leisure. They also had a fridge stocked with white wines (South African, of course) and beer.

Our room overlooked what is referred in Phinda as a 'dam', but resembles a watering hold. Unfortunately, since we were deep in Phinda's dry season, all that was left was mud. Not much left to attract animals for a private viewing. The bed was comfy, and the mini-bar was likewise stocked with wines and snacks, all included.

Our first meal in Phinda was lunch. Served daily at 2pm, just before the departure of the late afternoon game drive, it is a smorgasborg of food. The chef and staff bring out a wide selection of goodies from which to choose; at first, I thought the food they brought out was for all the guests (a maximum of 12 guests can stay at the Rock Lodge at any one time in 6 rooms), and we were being given a choice; in fact, it was all for just the two of us! The other meals were the same - splendid, plentiful and delicious.

After two nights in the Rock Lodge, we made our way north to the Vlei Lodge, situated against the backdrop of a huge meadow in the forest, where we saw numerous animals make their way across.  We were greeted by Irene, Precious served our meals cooked by Happiness. I love the names! They were remarkable women who really cared about their guests and, especially Precious, could play the role of Mother Hen when necessary. After finishing our main course of dinner, we were ready to bail and head to bed. When we told Precious of our intentions, she balked by saying in one of those motherly voices emitting the guilt rays, "but Happiness already cooked desert." Really, what could we do (turns out dessert was fantastic - a chocolate souffle filled with orange goodness)?

In the morning, before the game drives, coffee is prepared, and freshly baked 'biscuits' (Queen's english for cookies) are served. Yummy!

I think a stay in both the north and the south are valuable, since the game drives mostly stay within one or the other based on the lodge from which the drive originates; however, we loved Vlei much more than Rock. There are two other lodges to choose from, both with more than 20 available accommodations; if we bring the kids next time, we'd choose those more family friendly lodges of Forest and Mountain.

The Phinda experience came to our attention by way of a feature on the Today show back in September highlighting Phinda as the editor's choice for best game reserve safari experience. I highly recommend Phinda to anyone looking to experience an Africa that isn't as wild as perhaps some options up in Kenya and Tanzania (where you camp - truly roughing it - as you track game throughout the huge national parks up there).

Game Drives - It's more than just animals

Safari game drives. Riding around, looking for animals of which the rangers/guides already know the location, right? A ride around a glorified zoo? A way to get close up photos of animals that will astound everyone?

Ok...the last bit is true. But the rest is just rubbish; my prejudices about safari game drives - especially on a reserve - were founded mostly on the fact that most folks who go on these adventures have great photos of wildlife. I figured how else could so much prolific photography be had?

Folks, these game drives are three hours at a pop. Three hours in a modified Toyota Landcruiser with the motherf***ing guts of a T-Rex that can (and does) take on any kind of terrain that it meets (more than a T-rex can with those little arms). I mentioned a few posts ago that I was 'uncomfortable' when driving down the initial dirt road to our first set of accomodations? That was a breeze compared with the bumpity-bump of the game drive. I swear that Disney based the Indiana Jones ride on a game drive experience.

Leslie with side by side Landcruisers

The Landcruiser has three rows of bench seats, setup riser style with the last row being both the highest and most uncomfortable due to the position over the rear axle. It also has a jumpseat on the bumper of the car, where the game tracker sits. I don't think he's (and I was told that all but two of the dozens of rangers/trackers are men) as experienced than the Ranger; I get the sense that it's the junior position, and one graduates to ranger as the next career step. The trackers I had didn't say much, and on an morning drive (which starts at 6am), Leslie caught our tracker  nodding off.  The Rangers, on the other hand, were ebullient, informative and extremely knowledgeable about Phinda's fauna and flora. I learned names such as Monkey Oranges trees, Sausage Trees and Buffalo Thorn trees (the latter being extremely important to Zulu culture - more on that on a future post). But these guys could do something even cooler, they could actually track animals. Sounds like something one would expect, but I thought these skills were left to movie characters; it was super cool watching them spot a leopard track, for example, stop the 4runner, and both tracker and ranger start walking around, looking for clues to the direction of the animal. Not only tracks were used, but in the case of elephants, dung and damage to the vegetation gave hints as to next steps to finding them.

The coolest example of this came when another ranger made a broadcast radio call (every 4runner has a 6 band Motorola two-way radio installed that is used extensively) that he had spotted a leopard in such and such a place. When our ranger got that call, he announced the change of course, and raced down another dirt track to our destination. When we arrived, we drove and drove, with both guys looking for that next clue. Tracks were found, and followed; more circles we went in, drawing ever closer. Then our ranger that day (Martin, a native Zimbabwian) discovered tracks made on top of the tire tracks made just a few moments earlier!

Just then, a herd of nyala started making a cacophony of what sounded like a spitting noises; Martin told us (as any explanation was needed, judging from the urgency expressed from these vocalizations) that this was the herd's reaction to a clear and present danger to them. The Leopard was near! We raced around in the 4runner, trying to get a glimpse of the Leopard stalking its prey (we had previously seen a cheetah run off and, unfortunately out of our sight, take down a nyala for her and her cubs); however, we failed to find the elusive beast. That said, the whole experience was a thrill and a success - ultimately it didn't matter that we didn't find the Leopard; we felt the thrill of the hunt and the fear of the prey and the reaction of the environment (birds flew off, etc.). It was nature at its most real - it was not a zoo environment; we had to work to see these animals

Tracker in his jumpseat; Ranger at the wheel

Then there's the 70% of the time when we weren't actively viewing or tracking animals. I was forced to slow down and just chill. Soon enough, I was focused on the fresh air, on the ambient sounds of the wild (which could still be heard over the roar of the engine), on the changes in the ecosystems that transitioned seemingly over only a few hundred yards.

The wind in my hair.

The sun on my face.

I felt a part of something bigger; I felt as if mother Africa were embracing me with open arms, and it was wonderful.

A full 4Runner - Can you spot the tracker? They have to abandon their jumpseat and sit in the car in the vicinity of big cats (in this case, the cheetah and her cubs)

Phinda - What is a Game Reserve?

Honestly, I had no idea what a game reserve was beyond the obvious - a place where animals are kept safe from poachers. Turns out that, at least in the case of Phinda - in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal - the answer is more complex and, ultimately, more rewarding.

Sleeping Cubs (yes, cubs, believe it or not)

Phinda is a Zulu word meaning 'the return.' It signifies the importance of the state of the land and the animals. Before apartheid ended, the footprint of Phinda (87 square miles), was farmland, where the Big 5 (Rhino, Lion, Buffalo, Elephant & Leopard) and other species had long been hunted out. After apartheid, &Beyond - the conservation tourism company - bought Phinda from the farmers, then arranged for a 72 year lease of the land. The land was then fenced off, and native species reintroduced to the reserve (flora and fauna).

Female Nyala - Most Common Animal Seen in Phinda

Today, that original vision has led to the return of numbers equal to what would be expected if the land were wild and unmolested by farmers and poachers. There are seven distinct ecosystems present in the reserve, and it's truly amazing to see the dramatic change in the landscape in just a matter of minutes. From the mountainous region in the south with its rugged terrain and long views, to the sand forest, savannah and marshlands of the north, there is so much variety within the perimeter of Phinda.

Next, I'll talk about what it's like going out twice a day for three hours at a pop looking for game.

Cape Town to Phinda

Introduction

How do I even begin to describe our African experience in the bush? I took hundreds of photos, but those don’t even begin to capture the magic of the place, the spirit of this land and its people. The thrill and peacefulness of watching the game reserve rangers tracking animals was something I didn’t expect. The parallel socioeconomic structure of the Zulu people, which made me look at poverty differently than that seen in urban areas of the world.

Zulu boys helping out the family at a fortune telling ceremony

Travel is the great eye-opener; it gives the voyager the opportunity to see things that can never be summarized in a film documentary or a Wikipedia entry. You have to smell the scents on the breeze, feel the powdered red clay soil, and hear the alien sounds of animals vocalizing at night. Moreover, our interactions with the Zulu people changed us as well.  Our trip to Africa opened this door, and provided an experience that I’ll carry forever.

Cape Town to Phinda

First, we had to get there. On Sunday, we checked out of the lovely Cape Grace hotel after three nights of blissful sightseeing and blurry eyed, at 7am, left for Johannesburg International Airport (JNB). As part of our Africa package, a flight on low cost carrier Mango Airlines was booked for us. The flight was full, but we were lucky to score emergency exit seats (it amazes me that most people don’t think to ask for the legroom packed row of seats).

We had to take a bus out to the tarmac in order to board, a practice of which I’m not really a fan. I hate how the airline smashes too many people in the big standing room only bus, then waits for more people to squash in there before heading to the plane.

The flight was uneventful…until it was. I was in the lavatory, having just finished my business and a heavy round of turbulence rocked the plane back and forth. I was literally tossed around the small bathroom, shoulder smashing into bulkhead, and then the door as the plane jerked the other way. First thought? This reminds me of the plane crash in Lost.

When I got back to my seat, Leslie was terrified. She was crying, and as is usual for her when turbulence reaches a certain point, she start repeating in rising volume some form of “we’re going to crash!” I hold her hand as she squeezes it of any excess circulation, and try to comfort her by telling her that the plane is designed for turbulence, and we were in no danger. It didn’t really help, but holding her hand did.

Eventually, we arrived in Durban, a major South African city on the Indian Ocean. We didn’t see much more than the airport, but I was amazed how new it was; it turns out that it was built to accommodate the visitors of the 2010 World Cup.

We were met after baggage claim, and loaded aboard a car for the 3 hour drive to the Phinda Game Reserve. The drive was precarious – a two lane highway with lots of big trucks driving slowly; this meant for lots of passing. Leslie was never comfortable with such maneuvers – especially when she’s not in the driver seat. The route was lined with farms of Eucalyptus trees, which are used to make paper when harvested. Also spotted were lots of sugar cane and pineapple fields. 

These observations and the pains of the day’s travel were soon forgotten as we arrived at Phinda.

Touring the Western Cape Wine Country

First off, Leslie and I both had way too much wine to drink last night. Not the brightest thing to do the night before heading out for wine tasting. Crazily enough, sipping wine samples happens to be the last thing we wanted to do. We ate at a great northern Italian restaurant called Kerrum 95, and ate a full three course meal - with each dish bigger than the last. No way we could eat all the food (I had a caprese salad, gnocchi with gorganzola, and osso buco), but we found a way to drink 2 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc (that doesn't include the 500ml bottle we raided from the mini-bar before we went out, nor does it include the drink we had at our hotel's bar afterwards...ugh).

Too Much wine last night!

 

After waking up twice in the night (damned jet lag), we finally awoke at sunrise - which is around 8am here at this time of the year). After a light breakfast, we met up with Tony, our tour guide from yesterday, and headed out under partly cloudy skies west across the Cape flats, past the airport, and into the mountains of wine country.

It's hard to describe the beauty of this area.  It's breathtaking, and my photos can't do it justice. To paraphrase Jodi Foster from the movie Contact, "they should have sent a poet." It's got the vineyards of Napa, the geography of the Canadian Rockies, the drama of Kauai's northshore and the flora/fauna of subtropical Mexico. It's lush. It's inviting. It's extremely large geographically.

Our first stop wasn't for wine tasting; rather it was just to admire the Dutch architecture of some National Heritage Site wine farm, the name of which escapes me.

Leslie and some Dutchness



Classic Dutch Architecture

Our second stop was the Dutch/Africaans city of Stellenbosch, the most popular and visited city in the wine country. Home to the largest Africaans university, it was also the location of the first winemaker we visited. Apparently, a famouse South African golfer named Ernie Els, but is better known by the moniker 'Big Easy,' started his own winemaking and restaurant in Stellenbosch. We stopped there and tried out a couple of Sauvignon Blancs, a Rose and a Pinot Grigio (we aren't much of red wine drinkers...I know that's blasphemy to some - my apologies).



Linda Presented our Wines at Big Easy

Beautiful Leslie at the Big Easy

Mr. Double Chin at the Big Easy

At this point, the skies had completely opened up - it was sunny one moment then raining the next.  Jumped in the car and made our way towards the town of Franschhoek (I'm really sick of these Dutch names). First, however, we stopped at the Delaire Graff winery. Here we got a great story. At some point in the past, a huge swath of land was available for sale by a farmer who wasn't making money off the land any longer, but who also didn't realize the value of the land's magnificent vistas.

View from the Delaire Graff Winery

The founder of Graff diamonds bought the place up, and pumped $50mm USD into creating a world class restaurant, winery and visitor's center. The place was truly magnificent; a beautiful, modern mountai retreat. I guess the interesting thing is next to De Beers, Graff Diamonds is like pure evil in the diamond industry. Maybe I just made that up; I can't actually remember most of the details of the story (remember, I was hungover).

The wines, however, were just average. Apparently, that's the take on the restaurant as well. Opulent surroundings, but mediocre food. Not that we ate there, though.



Leslie and I at the Graff Winery

Ok, It's almost 7pm, and I'm still queasy from my hangover, and I'm getting too tired to write much longer. Leslie was getting car sick and we ended up cutting our trip short by an hour, missing out on the opportunity to tastes some bubbly. Long story short - great day out. I'll let my photos do the talking from here at. :)



Touring the Cape Peninsula

After a good night's sleep, and a wonderful breakfast of fruit, granola, smoked salmon, coffee and crepes, Leslie and I met our driver for a trip down the Cape Peninsula which stretches south of Cape Town for 30 miles. Enjoying our ride for the day in a Mercedes E class (very comfortable), and avoiding the tour bus crowd (which, after leading such tours for ten years, I have learned to avoid being a part of one at all costs), our English transplant tour guide Tony got us started on the topic of wind. Cape Town puts Chicago to shame in terms of the impact the wind has on the city. The winter brings drenching winds from South West and during the summer, wind dried by the mountains come speeding in from the South East. The trees tell the story; in some parts of the peninsula, they grown horizontally, long having give up fighting off the ferocious power of the southern wind.

Leslie & Tony our Tour Guide standing before our ride for the day

We spent the first hour of the day driving down the west coast from Cape Town, passing coastal towns every few minutes - each having their own residential pricing and attraction based on their proximity to the various seasonal winds. One area called Hout's Bay was especially beautiful, located on a scenic bay with lovely beaches and with a moutain range called The Twelve Disciples standing guard.



Hout's Bay and the Twelve Disciples

We learned the history of the area, starting with the first successful navigation around Southern Africa by De Gama, followed by the colonization of the Dutch (initially only to send farmers to grown fruits and vegatables for the ships that would pass through to prevent scurvy), the Boer War and into modern day politics. What a paradise this place must have been for the early settlers. Rich soils, moderate climate and right in the middle of the trading lanes of the time.

Tony then spent some time explaining the modern political history of South Africa which wouldn't be complete without explaining the impact Apartheid had on the country. He told us of townships, of blacks (Africans) vs. colored (Indians and Muslims), of the pecking order during apartheid, of the harsh penalties for breaking nonsense laws, and of the intolerable attitude that permeated the country from the codification of racism in the late 1940s to the return of majority rule in the early 90s. Of course, much that freeing the slaves only ushered in a different kind of racism, so is the separation of the races much in plain view today. He showed us a township that, when immigration was controlled (mainly because other Africans didn't want to be subject to apartheid), the black and colored townships were built of cinderblock and brick. Only since apartheid, and the rise of migration have the tin corrugated shantytowns started to expand out of the established townships.

Black Township south of Cape Town

Passing over the mountains, along a two lane highway literally burrowed into the rock at places (with 500 feet plunges to the sea in others), we worked our way along the eastern coast of the cape. Into view came False Bay (named by sailors who mistook the wide body of water to be the open Atlantic Ocean), an enormous bay (that struck me as being large enough to be called a Sound) with a huge range of mountains stretching across its eastern edge; I was reminded partly of Southeastern Alaska and part Puerto Montt in Chile.

Leslie in all her beauty

Then we came upon the penguins. Leslie was really excited to see two things - penguins and Baboons Fortunately we saw both on the journey.  Located just south of an old British navy town called Simon's Town is a colony of African penguins (formally the breed was called the Jackass penguin due to the bray of their vocalizatons). Tony said that he remembers swimming with the penguins 20 years ago; today, the colony is under the auspices of a nature reserve, protecting the colony and controlling the potential commercialism of the place (of course, we're charged $10 to see them).

Lone Ranger

Three Amigos

Yours Truly

Colony Life

Afterwards, we had a light lunch of fish and chips (can that ever be considered light??) at a restaurant just down the road from the penguin colony. I think it's obvious they don't mind associating themselves with their penguin neighbors.

After passing the table top, wind swept tundra-like region of Table Mountain National Park, we came upon the Cape of Good Hope, the most South-Westerly point of the African continent (not to be confused with the actual most southerly point, which separates the Indian and Atlantic oceans, located some 100+ miles further east).  There, the skies opened up, and the rain began...but we also saw our first baboon!  Supposedly, they can get agressive (as many YouTube videos demonstrate), so if encountered while in a car, windows and doors are to remain shut and locked (they are smart creatures). We encountered one in the rain looking miserable and downright forlorn. I was able to get close enough to get a nice shot of him with the Cape of Good Hope in the background.

This guy I shot from the safety of our car. He also looked a little depressed having to sit in the rain.

We worked our way back to Cape Town in the rain, and Tony told us the story of Cecil Rhodes...yes, the same dude for whom the Rhodes Scholarship is named. Apparently, this guy was really smart, but kind of a shit. He made his fortune by being smart enough to follow the big winners of South Africa's first diamond rush, buy out their claims (who thought them worthless since the diamonds were literally picked right off of the ground), and they understanding geology, realized that where diamonds were found on the earth's surface, below must be 10x more. Indeed there was. He never married, hated women, died alone and left all his money to various good causes. His most notable legacy is the scholarship funded in his name. However, until British law prevented it, only men could receive the 40 scholarships given per year (and to this day, 20 must go to South African men and women). That changed (finally!) when the first female Rhodes Scholar was named in 1980.

Finally, in the pouring rain, we arrived at our hotel, bid Tony good evening, and are resting (well, I'm writing this blog post, and Leslie is napping) until our dinner tonight. Tomorrow, we rejoin Tony for a day of wine tasting through the region's wine country. Yummy! To end, here's  a bunch more photos.

Cape Town at Last!

After a grueling 13 hour flight from Hong Kong to Johannesburg (sure it was business class, but it really seemed much longer than our previous flight), which included a turbulent crossing of the equator over the Indian ocean. Leslie was scared out of her wits. She ended up needing some Xanax to get through it. As usual, it didn't bother me in the least. I get most scared from unusual movements while landing since there's no room for recovery. I didn't tell her, but the turbulence came from the same weather phenomenon that contributed to the Air France crash over the Atlantic three years ago.

After a final three hour layover in Jo'burg, we caught a South African Airways flight to Cape Town. Normally for this short domestic flight, the equivalent of SEA>SFO, a smaller 737 is used, but on this flight, we were seated in the business class section of a massive 340-600 aircraft (the longest commercial airliner in the world). Approaching Cape Town felt like descending into Las Vegas. Lots of very dry medium sized mountains.

Final leg to Cape Town

After transfering to the Hotel Cape Grace, we took a short walk around the marina area while our room was prepared (we upgraded to one of the Penthouse suites), and Leslie bought a winter jacket at Woolworth's (yes, believe it or not - it's a department store much like Macy's; not a five and dime). It's cold down here! Today was sunny and fresh, with a temperature in the sun hovering near 60 degrees, but once the sun goes down - brrr!

This hotel is fabulous! It's boutique, for sure, but with the elegance of a place much older and more established. Our suite has balconies overlooking the marina, with one leading from the living room (complete with hot tub), and two others opening from the bathroom and bedroom.

Though the day was glorious and cloud free, neither of us could go another hour without some real sleep after that grueling multi-day journey around the long side of the world.  We took a long nap, waking up at sunset (well, I did anyhow..Lester slept for another hour).

We just finished a room service meal with a bottle of local Sauvignon Blanc. It's time to try and get some sleep, get up early and do some sight seeing!

Penthouse Suite Living Room

Lovely Details

Beautiful bathroom