Phinda stretches out over 22 000ha in a landscape of high, rocky hills and grassy or arborescent savannah through which the Mzinene River flows. The reserve is the only place in Zululand, along with Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, where you can see the Big Five, and also boasts cheetahs and some hippos. But Phinda's distinguishing feature is above all its exceptionally high-quality lodgings, among the country's most luxurious.