Vlei Lodge

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Vlei Lodge is located in the northern section of Phinda. The Lodge sits on a grassy plain where numerous animals can be seen grazing in the distance. There are six accommodations total – each an individual cabin featuring floor to ceiling glass panels. Again, this limits the number of guests to 12 and makes for a very intimate setting.

As at Rock Lodge, activities are scheduled around two key game drives. Each day begins with coffee and/or tea being offered in the main dining area along with a light snack (typically a "rusk" - a South African biscuit meant to be dunked in a hot beverage). At about 6:00AM guests walk across the "vlei" to a small parking area to meet their Tracker and Ranger/Guide for a game drive lasting up to three hours. The Tracker sits on a small seat on the left side of the four-wheel drive vehicle’s hood (or bonnet) and the Ranger/Guide drives the vehicle while both individuals look for game and/or tracks leading to game. During the drive, there's a nice break for coffee and/or tea and a chance to stretch your legs. After the drive, breakfast is served back at the Lodge. The balance of the morning/early afternoon is free until your chosen luncheon time (between the hours of 1:00P – 2:30P). At 4:00PM, tea and coffee and a sweet are offered and this is quickly followed by an afternoon/night game drive. Game viewing occurs while there’s still great afternoon light and as the light begins to dim, typically a cocktail in the bush is enjoyed at sunset (these are referred to as “Sundowners”). Afterwards the drive back to the Lodge continues. The Tracker uses a spotlight to search for the “glowing eyes” of nocturnal creatures. Once back at the Lodge, you're met by a security guard who illuminates the path with a torch (flashlight). Guests can then return to their cabin for a quick break or simply drop off cameras, gear, etc. A security guard escorts guest to/from the main lodge to their cabin as there is no walking about at night since the Lodge is not fenced and animals can roam about freely. A pre-dinner cocktail is offered before an 8:00PM dinner. Meals are served at private tables (seating is by group).

We enjoyed a wonderful stay and great game viewing at Vlei Lodge and highly recommend it to others. Then, the photographs below attest to the great viewings we enjoyed thanks to Dumi, our Ranger/Guide and Thuloni, our Tracker. During our four night stay at Vlei, we had the pleasure of seeing the “Big Five” in a single afternoon game drive; always a treat! The highlight of our game viewing at Vlei Lodge including watching a pride of lions – including eight cubs – devour a Buffalo killed by two female Lions. We were able to hear them tear the flesh and growl among themselves as they quickly consumed the Buffalo meat. Another highlight was tracking an elusive male Leopard following his footprints in the sandy soil and ultimately locating him lazily relaxing under a bush. Lastly, we had the thrill of having a large male lion pass through the forest and then walk directly in front of our vehicle. After he passed across the road, he “posed” for some great photographs. The photographs below will give you a glimpse into this wonderful adventure! If you're interested in having your own wonderful adventure, contact our &Beyond representative, Desray Rennison, at desray.rennison@andbeyond.com. Lastly, for more details of our trip, read the daily diary that follows our photographs.

BELOW ARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF A BUFFALO KILL BEING ENJOYED
BY A PRIDE OF LIONS FOLLOWED BY SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE
HUGE MALE LION WHO PASSED IMMEDIATELY BY OUR VEHICLE
WHILE OUR RANGER/GUIDE & TRACKER WERE SEARCHING FOR HIM ON FOOT

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	The South Pride enjoying a Buffalo kill. It's amazing that the two female Lions were able to take down such a large creature!
	Everyone comes in for a meal
	You can see how the Lions eat the interior flesh and organs first
	These cubs are eating and fighting with one another for the best bites
	One of those little guys above may turn into a huge male Lion like this guy who surprised us by walking directly in front of our vehicle
	When the Lion paused to look back at us, no one made a sound as our Dumi and Thulani were away searching for this guy (and Dumi's large rifle was with Dumi)!

[ T O P ]

BELOW ARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF SOME OF THE OTHER AMAZING
CREATURES WE SAW AT PHINDA PLUS A FEW FUN SHOTS

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	A beautiful female Lion
	Two massive Buffalo
	The two sub-adult males finally emerge from the grasses to lay on the termite mound
	This beautiful bird is a Southern Banded Snake Eagle
	"Sundowners" with Dumi (Ranger/Guide) on the right and Thulani (Tracker) on the left
	A magnificent Black Rhino
	A herd of Elephants at a waterhole
	This amazing creature is a Stick Insect; we never would have found it without the amazing eyes of Dumi & Thulani!
	A photograph of us with Kathryn, Manager at Vlei Lodge
	This is a Mountain Reedbuck, a very rare creature to be able to photograph in the Phinda Reserve
	A huge Giraffe
	These two six-month old Cheetah cubs are playing on a termite mound but those teeth still look menacing!
	A large White Rhino
	Don't we look natural.... Enjoying a wonderful experience at &Beyond's Phinda Reserve
	A female Cheetah relaxing in the shade
	The amazing Dung Beetle collects dung from large mammals. This species forms the dung into a ball & rolls it away; in transit, the male attracts a female who, in turn hatches eggs into the ball. The ball is then buried & the larvae hatch, feed & change into their adult form.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS ROCK LODGE

(OR READ THE DETAILED DIARY OF OUR TIME AT VLEI LODGE BELOW)

December 26 (PM Drive): We met our Ranger/Guide, Dumi and our Tracker, Thulani, and enjoyed a private afternoon game drive. It was actually cloudy and the perfect temperature. We enjoyed excellent game viewing. We came across numerous groups of White Rhino. Then, we also encountered Black Rhino. It’s great to see both of these species of Rhino thriving at Phinda. We also got to see a recently located male Lion (currently in a huge enclosure). He wasn’t happy about the latter and actually charged the vehicle. Although he couldn’t get out, it was still enough to get your pulse rate going! After enjoying views of Elephants, we enjoyed a nice “Sundowner” before returning to the Lodge. En route back, we did see an Eagle Owl but we weren’t able to photograph it.

December 27 (AM Drive): This morning it was overcast with a bit of drizzle. That being said, however, it didn’t dampen our drive. Again, we were quite lucky in that we were the only individuals on this drive. We came across a lone male Elephant and followed it for a bit. Then, Dumi realized that the Elephant wanted to join a small herd in the distance. So he moved the vehicle so that the Elephant could pass. We were then able to watch it be greeted and accepted into the group by a collared female. The matriarchal society among Elephants is one amazing attribute of their advanced interactions. Afterwards we had some great encounters with Cheetah. We came across two sub-adult males at a termite mound. Then we encountered a female Cheetah with two cubs – one female and one male – who Dumi estimated to be about six months old. Wow! En route back to the Lodge, we found Buffalo as well as a Southern Banded Eagle (one of the Star Birds of Phinda). Back at the Lodge, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast and then Chef Happiness offered her selections for lunch. In a day or two, she already knew what we would be enjoying – her vegetarian options!

December 27 (PM Drive): This afternoon we were joined by Ian, Andrew and Cathy – a great group! Again, we enjoyed excellent viewing. Our initial encounter was finding a huge Elephant herd; a nice treat! Then to our happiness, we found the female Cheetah with her six-month old cubs on a termite mound (a different one than where we spotted the two sub-adult males on the morning ride). We saw Nyala, Zebra, White Rhino and, a first for us, a Stick Insect. The latter was amazing too! As dusk approached, we all enjoyed a relaxing “Gin & Tonic” – the beverage of choice! When we returned back to the Lodge, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at our individual tables.

December 28 (AM Drive): It was a very pleasant morning with excellent game viewing once again. They day started off by having a Crested Hornbill stay perched on a tree so that everyone could get some excellent shots. We next came upon a lone Tortoise. Dumi and Thuloni as well as the other Vlei Lodge Guide, Sam, and his tracker, decided to try to locate a male Lion they knew was in the area based on his tracks. While they took off into the bush on foot (and Dumi with his rifle in hand), our group waited in the vehicle. As we’re chatting away, guess what….. the male Lion crosses directly in front of our vehicle! He then moves to the left side of the vehicle and seemingly strikes a pose! Simply amazing!! We all got some great shots and it’s good that we did because Dumi and Thulani might not have believed us otherwise (just kidding; they too were amazed!). After seeing the male Lion, we came across a female with three cubs. Dumi said they were part of the North Pride. As we ventured further, we once again found the female Cheetah with the two small cubs. It’s amazing the distances she travels to ensure the cubs are safe and well-fed. Our final encounter of the morning was seeing a Bull Elephant with only one and one-half tusks. Dumi estimated him to be about 40 years old. When we returned to the Lodge, Kathryn, the Manager, met us with a refreshing towel and listened to our descriptions of the great morning.

December 28 (PM Drive): It was an overcast afternoon but nevertheless very nice. Rob & Jill joined our group. Initially we spent a lot of time looking for a male Leopard. We eventually located him resting in some thick brush. Unfortunately, however, so thick that photographs were impossible. After leaving the Leopard in peace, we found a Black Rhino by our favorite Cheetah family. Next we saw but weren’t able to photograph a Buffalo herd. Then, as luck was upon us, we saw and tracked the same male Lion who had surprised us on our morning drive (again no photograph). So, we enjoyed a “Big Five” viewing in a single game drive! Wow, a wonderful treat! It was time for the celebration so Dumi and Thulani put together our wonderful “sundowners” to enjoy in the bush. We returned to the Lodge and enjoyed another delicious dinner (thanks to Chef Happiness and team). When we returned to our room we found it full of candles with a bubble bath drawn and a small pitcher of Amarula near the bath! What an unexpected and wonderful treat; thanks Kathryn!

December 29 (AM Drive): This morning’s drive was very long – about 4.5 hours – during which we experienced drizzle, sunshine and then hard rain – the latter being much needed in the dry season. Our day began by trying to once again locate the male Leopard; unfortunately no luck. So Dumi decided it might be nice to visit a different area – “the mountain” to see what we could find there. His decision was an excellent one! We initially spotted some Hippo enjoying a small pond. Then we found a small herd of Mountain Reedbuck which we were told are very difficult to find. The icing on the cake, was finding the South Pride (comprised of two female Lions and their eight cubs) with a female Buffalo kill (interestingly, Ed and I had seen this pride in the South on our 25 December afternoon drive). We watched the Lions consume the Buffalo, a large kill for two female Lions. The noise of growling, tearing flesh and occasional skirmishes among the Lions made for a very exciting morning and it was well worth the long drive. We also had the pleasure of seeing lots of birds and, in particular, we enjoyed the Tawny Eagle with a lizard in its mouth!

December 29 (PM Drive): The weather cleared nicely during the day or our evening drive was lovely. We found the male Leopard with a Warthog kill. This Leopard is pretty smart as it once again positioned itself so that photography was impossible. Oh well, at least we got to enjoy a glimpse of this majestic creature! We then came across a herd of Buffalo. Our last stop was at a famous “Champagne Tree”! It’s a lovely send-off tradition at &Beyond and it was appreciated by everyone, especially the group of Andrew, Cathy & Ian who were leaving Phinda the following day. When we returned to the Lodge, the entire group of seven enjoyed a shared table and a lovely dinner.

December 30 (AM Drive): This was our final game drive at Vlei. It was another lovely morning. We had fun watching Elephants drink at a waterhole. Then we again encountered a Cheetah relaxing in the morning sun. In addition to seeing some beautiful birds, we found the evasive male Lion with two female Lions. Obviously they were up for some “nookie” – either one or both of the females and the male. Lastly, a first for us, we saw a Dung Beetle. We would have driven over it but the keen eyes of Thulani and Dumi made sure it was safe. It too is an amazing creature! After enjoying a lovely breakfast, Thulani transferred us back to Rock Lodge for our final four nights there.

	A Black Rhino that had been wallowing in the mud
	A lone Elephant
	When another Elephant arrives, the first guy isn't all alone
	"Sundowners" with Dumi (Ranger/Guide) on the right and Thulani (Tracker) on the left

	The large lone male Elephant
	The collared female Matriarch of the nearby herd of Elephants
	The lone male passes directly by us en route to join the group
	The Matriarch (left) acknowledges the larger male Elephant; they subsequently join the balance of the herd
	A White Rhino in the tall grass
	The female Cheetah with her two sub-adult males hidden in the grass
	A close-up view of the beautiful face of the female Cheetah
	The two sub-adult males finally emerge from the grasses to lay on the termite mound
	A pair of Wildebeest with a small calf
	This is the female Cheetah with her two six-month old cubs
	The female Cheetah stirs a bit and sits up; she is so majestic!
	Buffalo take a break from grazing to glance up for a photograph
	This beautiful bird is a Southern Banded Snake Eagle

	The large Elephant herd moving in the distance
	The female Cheetah with the two six-month old cubs
	A great shot of the female's lovely face
	The two six-month old cubs on the termite mound; they are playing but those teeth still look menacing!
	This amazing creature is a Stick Insect; we never would have found it without the amazing eyes of Dumi & Thulani!

	A lovely Crested Hornbill
	A lone Tortoise
	This is the large male Lion passing immediately in front of our vehicle
	This is when he stops nearby to pose and check us out
	This female Lion is part of the North Pride
	Isn't she beautiful?!
	It's time for a well-deserved stretch before taking a nap
	A group of White Rhino - a female and her calf are on the left while the male is on the right
	Another large male White Rhino
	A female Zebra with her calf
	The Cheetah family
	The mother Cheetah decides it's time for her to leave the cubs in order to go hunting
	This big Elephant is missing half of one of his tusks

	A magnificent Black Rhino
	How about a second Black Rhino spotting including the Cheetah family in the foreground
	The female Cheetah with one of her cubs
	The entire Cheetah family
	Elephants at a waterhole

	This lovely bird is an African Harrier Hawk
	Hippos peaking out of the water
	A view of the mountainous area including Impala in the foreground
	This is a Mountain Reedbuck, a very rare creature to be able to photograph in the Phinda Reserve
	This Tawny Eagle has a lizard in its talons
	The South Pride enjoying a Buffalo kill. It's amazing that the two female Lions were able to take down such a large creature!
	Everyone comes in for a meal
	You can see how the Lions eat the interior flesh and organs first
	These cubs are eating and fighting with one another for the best bites
	This large Giraffe was a nice way to end our game viewing

	Ed with a herd of Buffalo in the distance behind him
	The magical "Champagne Tree" complete with champagne on ice, toasting glasses and some very nice snacks

	A beautifully colored, aptly named "Gorgeous Bush Shrike"
	Elephants enjoying the water
	This Cheetah appears to be stalking a creature; we lost the Cheetah once it entered the thick bush
	A female White Rhino and her calf (plus some other critters on the horizon)
	This Cheetah is cooling off in the shade
	Wow, what a lovely face!
	One of the two female Lions with the male Lion
	The male Lion is relaxing in the shade
	The amazing Dung Beetle - pushing a dung ball about his size using his hind legs