Rock Lodge

Dramatically set into a cliff face overlooking spectacular Leopard Rock, &Beyond Phinda Rock Lodge is an architectural delight, combining Malian influences with pueblo panache. Its six suites are seemingly suspended over the deep valley below, providing breath-taking views. Each romantic suite, constructed from contoured stone and adobe, boasts an earthy, soft grey palette and solid wooden shutters and doors, which open onto a private plunge pool and viewing deck. Featuring spacious ensuite bathrooms, the suites also offer outdoor showers, providing some of the most scenic al fresco bathing on the African continent.

Decorated in hues of oatmeal, grey and stone, the lodge’s intimate and glamorous guest areas offer the perfect vantage point for viewing the reserve’s abundant birdlife in the surrounding trees, and the wildlife roaming the bush below. Immense French doors open onto an extended outdoor veranda, the perfect setting for al fresco meals, while a rooftop terrace provides a romantic venue for dining beneath the stars. Striking, fiery sunsets set the scene for bush banquets in bush clearings. Here, guests are treated like treasured family members and time is shared with fellow safari adventurers, who soon become friends.

Experience the awe of the spectacular views from the suite’s private viewing deck or feel as though floating on air with a dip in the personal plunge pool on the very edge of the breathtaking precipice. When the sense of freedom has one feeling giddy, retreat to the natural sanctuary of the bedroom or private sitting area, the roughly hewn walls and chunky textures giving one the feeling of sheltering within the mountain itself.

Freshening up after the morning game drive becomes an experience all in itself, with deep bathtubs encased in wide windows that open up onto a spectacular view of the valley. Three suites offer al fresco showers so deeply sheltered in the leafy growth that one feels like bathing in a private waterfall. The white face of Leopard Rock lies directly across from the lodge, while a watering hole draws wildlife from the deep hollows of the valley below.

As one’s sense of adventure reawakens, one quick leap through an open wooden shutter takes one to a rustic ladder leading to the roof, soon to be stopped in their tracks gazing on the unrivalled panorama. When night draws in, retreat to the warm refuge of an intimate gathering around a roaring fire in the guest area. Savour a meal served among friends, both old and new, in the cosy dining room or the haven of one’s suite.

*For a full list of available activities, the best time of the year to visit, and any other relevant enquiries, please contact a Sister Hippo Travel Consultant!