Phinda Zuka Lodge

For families or other groups on safari, you can’t do much better than CC Africa’s outpost in the Phinda Private Game Reserve, a four-hour drive from Johannesburg. There are just four thatched bush cottages, which must be rented all together. Each has a cowhide rug and a wide deck that overlooks an active water hole, with lush valleys and thickly wooded hills just beyond. Plan the day’s activities with your private ranger over breakfast, choosing from an eclectic menu, which includes canoeing on the Mzinene River, white-rhino tracking, rhino-darting, and game drives in your private 4 x 4 vehicle.