Phinda

This 43,240 acre (17,500 hectares) private reserve is one of several located within the Maputaland region of northern KwaZulu-Natal, a South African province bordered by Mozambique and Swaziland to the north, the Drakensberg Mountains to the west, and the Indian Ocean to the east. The habitats present within the game reserve are extremely diverse, and includes acacia and broad-leafed savannah, riparian woodland, marshes, rocky hillsides, and sand-forest. The sand-forest is home to numerous rare mammals and birdlife, including suni, bushpig, nyala, African broadbill, Neergaard’s sunbird, and pink-throated twinspot.

Phinda’s wildlife as whole also includes white and black rhino, giraffe, elephant, hippo, zebra, buffalo, and especially cheetah (one of the best places to see them in Southern Africa). Other recorded bird species in the reserve include crested guineafowl, gorgeous bushshrike, pygmy kingfisher, lemon-breasted canary and eastern Nicator. Because of its proximity to the Indian Ocean, Phinda offers flights to explore the coastline: loggerhead turtles, bottlenose dolphins, whale sharks, and rays are commonly seen.