Phinda Forest Lodge: close encounters of the furry kind in South Africa's unique sand forest

I didn’t imagine I would be welling up watching a pair of hyena cubs relaxing by a den, tiny paws twitching, within an hour of arriving at Phinda Forest Lodge, but then nothing about our safari with andBeyond was within the realm of the expected. When our guide had asked us what we would like to see (baby animals and hyenas, which I adore), I assumed they meant that week, not that afternoon.

Any fears my first South Africa safari experience had peaked too soon were quickly assuaged, with each twice-daily game drive bringing more moving encounters with animals.

There was a truly wild afternoon where we found ourselves with four lionesses sleeping off a kill on one side of the car, while a mother rhino faced off against a frisky bull getting too close to her calf on the other.

When one of the lionesses stalked over to come and slouch in the shade by my end of the jeep, blinking her amber eyes at me, the part of me that spent her childhood mainlining wanted to punch the