Phinda Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa

The flagship property of the legendary safari company, CC Africa, Phinda is a shining example of the company mantra: "Care of the land, Care of the wildlife, Care of the people." To guests staying in one of the seven high-design lodges on-site, the 54,000-acre reserve'­s teeming wildlife—black rhinos, elephants, cheetahs, and over 380 species of birds—seems to have been there forever. But this biodiversity is the result of an intensive ecological restoration program that transformed scarred and misused farmland into one of southern Africa'­s most diverse game parks. In the process, CC Africa has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to the local community, which culminated in its recent decision to redistribute over 9,000 acres of the reserve to the Makhasa and Mnqobokazi people as restitution for the land they were dispossessed of during Apartheid.
KwaZulu-Natal; 888/882-3742; phinda.com; doubles from $842, including all meals and activities.