Fortunately, the airline tracked him down before his ship sailed. Set deep in the sand forest, Phinda is different in every way. Other forest inhabitants are all around and we had brief sightings of the rare suni antelope and red duiker. Accommodation is stunning, with the forest being an integral part of every suite. Taking a bath or shower and watching the wildlife in the forest is a unique experience.
Game drives traverse from the forest to open plains and on to a river system.
We had superb cheetah sightings on the plains before heading back to the lodge for our evening meal. Surprise - our vehicle didn't go back to the lodge, but headed into the bush where dinner was laid out around a huge umbrella thorn festooned with lights. The next morning Phinda sprung another surprise. A huge bush breakfast was cooked for us as we meandered down the river on the Phinda barge. A very civilised way to eat as we absorbed the river life, the abundant waterbirds totally unfazed as we slowly drifted by.