7-Day Rhino & Community Conservation Safari
Where Rhino Conservation Began — Hluhluwe-iMfolozi and Phinda
Overview
This safari stays in Zululand, the corner of KwaZulu-Natal where rhino conservation as we know it began. In the 1950s and 60s the white rhino had been cut to a few dozen animals, almost all of them in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi; the campaign that saved them, run from this park, is the reason the species still exists and the reason rhino now walk reserves across southern Africa. You spend two nights in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi itself, then four on the Munyawana Conservancy at Phinda — rewilded former farmland where the Big Five were reintroduced and where a long-running rhino monitoring and notching programme keeps the current population safe. The whole area is malaria-free, which makes it one of the few Big Five safaris you can take with young children without a second thought. Park fees, conservancy levies, every game drive and every meal are arranged end to end, with a resident guide throughout.
What sets Zululand apart is that the conservation story is not a side visit — it is the ground you drive on. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi is a state park with a conservation legacy few places on earth can match; Phinda's Munyawana Conservancy is private land that was cattle and pineapple farms a generation ago and is now home to rhino, lion, cheetah and the rare suni and red duiker of the sand forest. Phinda's rhino are ear-notched and monitored so each animal can be tracked and protected, and the lodge group's community foundation funds schools, clinics and skills training in the villages along the conservancy boundary — work you can see for yourself on a visit. Three pricing tiers run from a comfortable game lodge to the exclusive forest and mountain lodges at Phinda, so the trip fits the budget you set.
Who It's For
Built for families who want a malaria-free Big Five safari with a conservation heart, for first-time safari travellers who want the story as well as the sightings, and for repeat visitors who know the Kruger and want the different habitats and lower volumes of Zululand.
Package Highlights
Where Rhino Were Saved
Two nights in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, the park that brought the white rhino back
Rewilded at Phinda
Four nights on the Munyawana Conservancy — old farmland, now Big Five country
Malaria-Free
A Big Five safari safe to take with young children, year-round
Rhino Monitoring Up Close
See how notching and tracking keep each animal accounted for
The Community Side
Visit the schools and projects the conservancy foundation funds
All Fees & Meals Settled
Every park fee, conservancy levy, drive and meal already in the price
Day-by-Day Itinerary
You land at King Shaka International near Durban, are met and driven north into Zululand — roughly three hours through the sugar-cane hills to the gates of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi. After settling into your lodge there is time for a first afternoon game drive into the park that saved the white rhino.
🏨 Accommodation: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game lodge (tier dependent)
🍽️ Meals: Dinner
Featured Lodges & Accommodation
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Lodge
📍 Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
A comfortable lodge on the edge of the park that saved the white rhino, with wide views over the hills of Hluhluwe. En-suite rooms, a pool and a boma for dinner under the stars, and a short drive to a park gate for early game drives into some of the best rhino country in South Africa.
From $320 per person per night
Phinda Forest & Mountain Lodges
📍 Munyawana Conservancy, Phinda, Zululand, South Africa
Two of Phinda's lodges on the private Munyawana Conservancy — the glass-walled Forest Lodge set in a rare dry sand forest, and the Mountain Lodge looking out over the plains and the wetlands. Both run twice-daily drives with a guide-and-tracker team, on rewilded land that now holds the Big Five, cheetah and the shy antelope of the forest.
From $560 per person per night
Pricing & Options
All prices per person sharing. Customize any tier to your preferences.
Mid-Range
(~$642/night)
A comfortable Hluhluwe game lodge and a Phinda conservancy lodge, all game drives, all meals and every park and conservancy fee included
Get QuoteLuxury
(~$983/night)
The exclusive Phinda Forest and Mountain lodges, private transfers, premium beverages and the light-aircraft hop to Johannesburg
Get QuoteExclusive
(~$1,417/night)
Phinda's top suites with a private vehicle and guide throughout, exclusive-use flexibility and all-inclusive beverages
Get QuoteWhat's Included & Excluded
✓ Included
- ✓ Six nights' accommodation — two in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, four at Phinda (chosen tier)
- ✓ All meals as shown — dinner on Day 1, then breakfast, lunch and dinner to Day 7
- ✓ Twice-daily game drives in an open 4x4 with a resident guide (and tracker at Phinda)
- ✓ All Hluhluwe-iMfolozi park fees and all Munyawana Conservancy levies
- ✓ Rhino monitoring experience at Phinda, where timing allows
- ✓ Community-project or school visit with the conservancy foundation
- ✓ Road transfers Durban–Zululand–Phinda and the return to Durban
- ✓ Bottled water and sundowner drinks on game drives
- ✓ 24/7 on-trip support from Beyond Africa Safaris
✗ Excluded
- ✗ International and domestic flights (the Phinda–Johannesburg hop is included on the Luxury tier)
- ✗ South African visa fees where applicable
- ✗ Travel and medical insurance (mandatory)
- ✗ Premium imported champagne, cellar wines and spirits on lower tiers
- ✗ Gratuities for guides, trackers and lodge staff (guidelines provided)
- ✗ Personal expenses and curios
- ✗ Optional extra community-project donations (entirely your choice)
- ✗ Cape Town or coastal extensions (gladly arranged on request)
Photo Gallery
Best Time to Travel
Zululand is a year-round malaria-free safari. The dry winter months of April to October are the strongest for game viewing, when the bush thins and the animals gather at water; the green summer months are hotter and wetter but bring newborn game and lower prices. Rhino viewing is reliable in every month.
Why Choose This Package
The Birthplace of Rhino Conservation
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi is the park that pulled the white rhino back from a few dozen animals. You see the story where it actually happened.
Rewilding You Can Walk On
Phinda's Munyawana Conservancy was farmland a generation ago and is now Big Five country across seven habitats — proof that land can come back.
Safe for the Whole Family
The whole route is malaria-free, so this is a Big Five safari you can take with young children without a second thought.
Wildlife and People Together
The rhino monitoring and the community-foundation schools sit in the same trip, because in Zululand the two have always gone together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Experience the 7-Day Rhino & Community Conservation Safari?
From $3,850 per person | 7 Days / 6 Nights
⚡ Limited availability for peak season 2026 — book early to secure your dates
