andBeyond Phinda Vlei Lodge — Hotel in The Big Five False Bay Local Municipality

We worked with &Beyond (Jacqui) to book our honeymoon. We started out thinking we would do Kenya but after talking about our priorities and budget, Jacqui recommended South Africa (Phinda Vlei) and &Beyond Benguerra Island for our beach portion (reviewed separately). The itinerary was perfect, all of our travel was so seamless, and we wouldn’t have changed a thing. We spent four nights at Phinda Vlei and were able to do eight game drives. What an incredible experience!!! Our ranger, Dino, and tracker, Jabs, found us amazing sightings. We saw everything we wanted to and then some. Highlights being: cheetahs, numerous lions with cubs including one female vocalizing, hyenas, giraffes, zebra, a leopard and cubs feeding, a huge herd of elephants with babies, and more. Dino was so knowledgeable - even when we weren’t viewing something he was sharing interesting stories or facts - and he went above and beyond in taking us to different areas of the reserve and finding us animals that we wanted to see (we were on the hunt for the elephant herd with the babies for days). Being on the private game reserve was also an advantage as the &Beyond rangers would radio sightings to each other and have a process in place to make sure there aren’t too many people at each sighting. This was our first safari so I can’t speak to others but I imagine this contributed to our excellent experience. Every staff member made our stay so special; &Beyond truly takes hospitality to heart and it shows through its employees. Happiness, the Chef… she is so sweet and omg her food is amazing!! I wasn’t hungry the entire time we were there between all of the delicious multi-course meals and snacks. Michael was our butler and he checked in with us often, took good care of us, and made sure our stay was comfortable. Phinda Vlei itself is so beautiful. I loved the design of the main building and of our individual suite. Highly...

The whole experience with AndBeyond was really and beyond. Everything started with the booking more than a year prior the trip and already there the experience was great thanks to Seranne. She was very responsive, helping us plan, giving us advices and answering every tiny question we had and she even made a last minute adjustment for us without issues.||Then finally the South Africa trip started and from the moment we landed we were taken care of from the great team of AndBeyond. Every step we were accompanied and they made sure to help and bring us to the right place and time, always with a smile.||||In our trip we stayed at Kirkman Kamp at Sabi Sands and Vlei Lodge at Phinda (they were both superb).||Vlei Lodge has a jungle vibe and we really liked the big room (cottage) that had private plunge pool. The room was nicely decorated with a beautiful bathtub, with minibar and snacks all included and they offered daily laundry service. The food was good and the ambience of the common spaces was nice, from the fire pit to the veranda were we had all our meals.||We had 2 safaris everyday and the reserve was beautiful! There were different ecosystem (forest, pond, savana, mountains) and the season we went (dry season, August) was just perfect for animal sightings. We saw all the big 5 and much much more. At Phinda only 3 vehicles per sightings are allowed and that makes it exclusive and great for the animals.||What really made it special though was the staff: Julia (manger), Jess (ranger), Muzi (tracker), Lindo (butler) and the cook at Phinda were absolutely wonderful. Always with a smile, kind and funny and they made the experience really and beyond.||||I absolutely recommend this experience in South Africa and I absolutely recommend booking with AndBeyond as they will organize the perfect trip for you and their company also supports the animal conservation and the South African...

Wow! What an experience staying at Vlei lodge. We were greeted upon arrival by Cheyenne and Michael. Cheyenne was so lovely, very hospitable and warm, made our stay feel so comfortable and relaxed. Michael was so friendly and attentive, made our stay exceptional. The room was actually 'beyond', an elephant stopped by and drank from our pool right next to us. The actual room itself was lovely, so luxurious and could top up sparking wine as you pleased- heaven. Happiness, the chef, was amazing. Honestly filled you with joy with her beautiful personality and food. Every meal Happiness would go through the menu and then afterwards would check up- amazing service and care. Our tour guides for thr safari were so lovely. Zak was amazing- a fantastic tracker all the way and Victor , yoh, was really great, super funny, easy going and very informative the whole time. We had previously stayed two nights at Forest Lodge which was also exceptional. If you are looking for something a little more exclusive and cosy I would highly recommend Vlei lodge. Sitting by the fire having a drink with your guide and other guests was so lovely, and made the next drive all the more enjoyable. I can't wait to go back !!! Over four nights a Phina we saw the following- Cheetas Lions Elephants Giraffe Rhinos Hyenas Water buffalo Leopard Zebra Hippo Warthog (new fav so cute) Plus so much more. Best thing is to go with no expectation and hope for the best ! Overall, would highly...