&Beyond rebuilds South African lodge and expands in Kenya

The conservation-focused tour operator owns and manages 29 lodges and camps across three continents, and has announced plans to rebuild its Phinda Forest Lodge in the &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The new-look lodge will be ready to welcome guests this December. 

The lodge was built in the early 1990s and will be “reborn” with a partnership with interior designers Fox Browne Creative, who have previously worked on the refurbishments of the other five lodges on the reserve. New interiors will be introduced throughout the rooms and main guest areas, and additions will include a family suite, a library, a lounge, a walkway with central fire pit, a newly reshaped and tiered pool and upgrades to the main dining and bar areas.

&Beyond will also expand its footprint in Kenya when it opens the &Beyond Suyian Lodge in 2025, in the Suyian Conservancy in north-western Laikipia. The area spans 44,000 acres of wilderness, and &Beyond will have a multi-decade long-term lease to build and develop what it hopes will be “the finest lodge, tented camp, sky beds and mobile camping experience in Kenya on this pristine and private wildlife conservancy”.

The initiative is in partnership with global conservation charity Space for Giants, which aims to reduce conflict between people and elephants and protect Africa’s natural eco-systems. 

Alongside safari experiences, guests visiting Suyian will be able to join walking safaris, camel safaris and horse-riding safaris on a neighbouring conservancy. They can discover the diverse range of flora on botany walks, and admire cave paintings and artefacts from the Stone Age. Guests will also be able to interact with local pastoral tribes such as the Samburu and Pokot, and participate in conservation and research activities.

The operator’s chief executive and executive chairman Joss Kent said: “Our expansion into Laikipia is the culmination of a long-held desire to increase our impact and lodge operating footprint in Kenya. Laikipia is a prime wilderness area that is home to a greater population of wildlife than anywhere else in Kenya outside of the Maasai Mara. This includes a large number of globally threatened mammals that make it particularly important from a conservation perspective.”