From Runway to Rhino: A Wild Welcome at Phinda

Our safari adventure began sooner than expected. Just five minutes after leaving the Phinda airstrip in an open jeep, we encountered a female giraffe standing regally in the road, lazily chewing leaves. She made us stop—and I didn’t mind at all.

A female giraffe blocks our way.

To our right, three male giraffes nibbled tender foliage from a thorn-studded tree. The moment felt so perfectly timed, I half-joked to myself that Phinda might have trained the wildlife to greet new arrivals. We were only a third of the way through the 15-minute drive to Phinda Mountain Lodge, and already I was enchanted.

These are two or the three males by the side of the road.

The giraffe eventually sauntered aside, allowing us to continue. Just two minutes later, three warthogs trotted by, tusks gleaming. They looked cute—until you imagined getting too close to those curved weapons. Once they disappeared into the bush, we startled a group of delicate African antelope (names I’ve yet to learn), who bounded gracefully into the trees.

Warthogs

Then, around the next bend—three black rhinos. Grazing peacefully right beside the road. Our guide, Steve, was clearly impressed. “That’s the closest I’ve ever seen them,” he said. Yet the rhinos didn’t glance our way, too absorbed in munching the rain-fresh greenery.

Black Rhinos. They are dehorned to prevent poachers from killing them for their horns. Rhino horns are used in traditional medicine in China and Vietnam. The keratin that makes up the horns is the same material in human fingernails. There is no shortage of human fingernail clippings, so perhaps clippings should be used instead.

As the lodge came into view, a majestic nyala stood silhouetted in the fading light. Crickets chirped. Songbirds filled the air with their evening chorus. After days at sea, I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed the soundtrack of the land.

Nyala (species of antelope)

Most of our day had been spent traveling—airports, planes, waiting rooms. I hadn’t expected much more. But before we’d even unpacked, Phinda delivered a welcome beyond anything I could have imagined. Our adventure had already begun.