A Leading Kruger Park Safari Specialist
Shinzelle Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $409 to $1,052 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
MX
Email Karen Volke | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful services, extreme kindness and flexibility!
I definitely recommend Shinzelle Safaris!!
In the first place, we wanted a custom 6-days tour for our family, which Danielle from Shinzelle arranged exactly as we wanted at a good price. Unfortunately, part of our group missed a flight connection and arrived 3 days later than expected with a complete uncertainty about their luck day by day. Danielle was amazingly helpful, trying to set everything "in real time" so that all the scheduled activities would be squeezed in the remaining days and the unlucky ones could enjoy them all, while the rest of us were enjoying nice game drives as planned.
In addition, the quality of all the provided services in the package was awesome. The lodge in which we were accommodated was just fantastic (African Rock Lodge), the guides and drivers (Jeffrey, Vincent, Sibu) were extremely nice, kind and helpful. Thanks to all of you guys, you made our experience great in spite of the mishap!
Email Isadora Brandao | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Even better than we expected
Danielle has literally made my dream come true.
I have always wanted to go on a Safari and we finally had money to do so I started looking online.
I came across Shinzelle here on SafariBookings and they had some great reviews so we went for it.
As this was my first time booking a holiday package online as well as my fist safari, a small part of me was really worried to be scammed. Luckily I was very very wrong! :)
Danielle was super responsive any time I had a question, she sent us an app which had the itinerary and a countdown to our holiday.
We were picked up on time from the airport to to taken to our lodge in Hoedspruit, our drive was very friendly and did a couple of stops on the way there.
The lodge we stay was simply fantastic! The staff was once again, so friendly, the room were beautiful, spacious and clean, the food served in the restaurant was of the best quality and the views from the hotel deck is just breathtaking!
All our meals, game drivers and other activities were all booked and delivered in time. Our guides and drivers had so much knowledge and love for the animals, they made the drivers in better. Let alone all the wild life we saw everywhere.
I was slightly concerned we wouldn't see much as we only did 4 days worth of game drivers, but first, just the fact I was there, in the open car, seeing the nature and the views were already worth the trip, but secondly, wild life is everywhere if you appreciate the smalls things. We saw so many different birds, antelopes, waterbuck, warthog as well as elephants, lions and lionesses, cheetas, white rhinos and giraffes.
I would totally recommend Shinzelle, our lodge Khaya Ndlovu and obviously South Africa as a destination. We honestly had the best time.
Email Shannon | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised and reliable, Shinzelle gave us a great safari!
The organisation and communication from Shinzelle prior to our trip was excellent. Our guide Jeffery was waiting for us at the airport as arranged. There followed three days of incredible wildlife sightings, thanks to Jeffery's wealth of experience and knowledge of Kruger. Highly recommend.
US
Email Fernanda | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service despite last minute lodge change. Kruger guide Edson was fantastic
Have had excellent experience with Danielle via email and whats app. Despite last minute change in lodge we have enjoyed Tshukudu lodge. Great service and sunrise sunset safari. Our guide Edson is amazing had a adventure packed Kruger day safari with a unique and unforgettable experience. Saw white lion mating. Dingo family. Leopard. Cheetah stalking. Elephant families with little ones. Zebras. Wilderbeast. Impala and so much more. Hipos and zebras. Lunch was in a great restaurant. Exceeded all our expectations.
US
Email David | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly, professional and reliable tour operator with an expert, knowledgeable driver/guide
Communication with Danielle from Shinzelle was friendly and professional. We completed the booking process in July for a 3-day December safari + 1-day Panorama excursion. Stayed at the Gecko Lodge about 15-20 minutes from Kruger's Phabeni gate. Jeffrey, our driver and guide was excellent, friendly and knew all the right places for sightings. His 16 years of experience showed as we enjoyed spectacular sightings on each day in Kruger. We were always first in line to enter the park and saw animals no matter the weather, even providing ponchos for the rain. Panorama tour was slightly affected by rainy, cloudy weather, but our guide Henroux made the most of it, doubling back to places we had already visited when the weather cleared. That was much appreciated. The lodge was comfortable and the hosts very friendly and accommodating. There are more expensive lodging options inside the park itself, but this tour fit our budget and our needs perfectly. Would highly recommend this tour operator, our safari driver/guide and the lodge.
Email Philip | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing experience!
Due to COVID we had been waiting 3 years to do this Safari and it didn't disappoint! Many thanks to Danielle, our guides and hosts who looked after us and ensured that we had an amazing experience. We had 2 safaris in the Pridelands conservancy and spent 2 full days in Kruger where we got incredibly close to the big 5 animals. We also had very rare and special encounters with wild dogs and cheetahs! Seeing wild dog pups and hyena cubs was like something from David Attenborough. We also did a 1 day tour of the Blyde River Canyon which showed us beautiful areas and taught us a lot about the local culture. African Rock Lodge where we stayed was extremely comfortable, with excellent food, staff and very friendly hosts. It also had lots of interesting wildlife wandering close by as it is inside the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate. All in all, an unforgettable trip!
AE
Email Roberto Rubio | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jeffrey, our Safari driver, was great; the rest of the logistic was below par.
The best part of the tour: Jeffrey, our safari driver, did what he could to show us some good sights. However, there are better months to see the big five at Kruger than September and October.
Good: Dinner at Gecko Lodge was good; the lunchbox they give you for taking early in the morning before your safari, not so much.
Below par: the rest of the logistics, poor communication, pick-up was late, lodge had some issues.
Overall: I would not repeat it, but it was a decent experience.
IT
Email Giulia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great organization and very good guides
We had a great experience with Shinzelle Safaris, awesome guides and small groups that allowed us to see all the animals in an exciting way
Email Mick R | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Good operator but can improve on comunication
A friend and I did the 5-Day Private Photographic Safari in the Kruger Park. After an initial hick-up with the transfer from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit (we did receive a refund at the end of the safari) and a change of camps from Satara to Letaba and Oliphants (which we were not advised of until meeting our guide) the trip was amazing. Our guide Nick was excellent. Not only was he good at spotting animals but was a great photography teacher as well. The end of the 5 days he had us both using the manual settings on our cameras. There was a lack of cat sightings with only 3 lazy lions seen in the 5 days but that was made up for with lots of hyenas and some great wild dog sightings close to Letaba Camp. Both camps were nice, with accommodations at both clean and tidy. Food at the camps was good but choice limited as it was the same restaurant chain at both camps.
Email Zdenka Rosecky | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent holiday
The operator of Shinzelle Danielle suggested that we change our original plan to spend all our time in Skukuza camp, and it was obvious that she knew well what we might like. This change provided a more diverse countryside and wildlife experience.
However, as Mark mentioned sometime close to the beginning of our holiday, our conversations with Danielle were not as smooth as before, occasionally making us uncomfortable. It was apparent that she had a primary job of communicating with customers herself. The main surprise was that we started in Pretoriuskop Rest Camp instead of Skukuza Camp. It turned out to be a perfect choice, perhaps even better, as it was closer to the airport and very comfortable. Nevertheless, we believe we should have been informed of this change beforehand.
During our 4-night stay in Kruger National Park, we switched between two camps with clean and comfortable accommodations. We spent two nights in Pretoriuskop Rest Camp in the south and two nights in Letaba Rest Camp in the north. Both were good, but we particularly loved the latter because it was situated on the bank of a river, allowing us to see a variety of animals wandering around the water.
For the last three days, we enjoyed private luxury accommodations and an excellent day trip to Blyde River Canyon. This package included three private safaris, which were very enjoyable. We saw a lot of animals, except for the elusive leopard.
Our guide, Rufus, accompanied us for five days from morning to evening, filling that time with his deep knowledge of wildlife and nature. He was always happy, smiling, patient and willing to answer any questions we had.
Would we choose Shinzelle again? Absolutely. Everything worked smoothly, and we loved every minute of our trip, including the food, accommodations, people, countryside, and wildlife. The entire 7-day experience was exceptionally well-organized, starting with our pickup from Nelspruit Airport and concluding in Hoedspruit.
