Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
Shipungo Safari & Tours
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $360 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CH
Email Mia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
amazing and exhilarating
Our guide Voice was amazing. He picked us up at 6a.m and even brought us some blankets for the cold morning!
He was all the time very considerate and explaining everything to us. We saw a lot of animals and the whole day was just perfect! We would book this tour again anytime!
NO
Email Stephan Daus | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A surprisingly interesting trip with more animals than expected in a dry season
All the feedback can be summarized like this: Car, camp equipment, landscape/animals and guide named Voice are excellent. Food ok, shower not as promised but hygiene arrangements ok. Dry season makes it a bit harder to find animals there, but we still found plenty different species!
Detailed comments for the agency, and a few pieces of advice to other travellers:
Communications
- Guides are not always reminding us tourists of the obvious: Always bring warm clothes (sweater/jacket, thin gloves, pants, etc) for morning drives, it gets surprisingly cold in the backseat of a 4x4 at 80 km/h 06:30. Also, boat trips sometimes lack adequate shade, so always bring sunscreen and sunglasses. And of course, ALWAYS bring binoculars (~10x30).
- Dietary restrictions (lactose-free diet for one person) had not been communicated to the chef at the camp.
Activities
- Our guide Voice was excellent. He worked very hard driving us around (6+4 hrs on the second day!) trying to find us animals and birds to watch. It is dry season so we knew it would be difficult to find anything. We were happy to see more than we expected. Unfortunately, no big cats but that is not your fault. Voice (and Left) also knew a lot of bird species and animals which was very useful. For our entire stay in Botswana we observed (and got the names of) 35 land animals and 49 bird species. So we are very satisfied.
- We also enjoy talking to locals about culture, society, politics, and getting to know people. We felt on the first evening that the crew were a bit distant; not socializing much. The chef (Rap) and the camp manager (Left) had planned to eat by themselves. We heard that this is because some wealthy guests do not want to have to eat with the crew. However, in our European and East-Asian cultures this is very strange, so we invited them to join us. Still, they did not seem very talkative, nor felt comfortable talking about their families, society or even sports. The second evening they opened up much more and we felt more comfortable. It is okay if they are introvert and shy. And Voice might be tired after driving so much. But I really hope they have not received instructions from Shipungo to avoid talking with the guests. Experiencing Botswana is more than just the animals. Especially since many of the animals are shy, so it would be nice to have some “entertainment” in the evening, such as just learning about Botswana.
Accommodations and meals
- Camp is of very high quality, and we felt spoiled being treated well by three staff. Bush toilet was good, tent was good, beds were good.
- We were promised in writing and with pictures that there would be a simple shower, but there was not. Voice explained that it is very dry there so water access is limited. Although we understand the situation, and we actually feel it would have been unnecessary to bring 50 extra liters just for a couple of showers, we felt a bit misled given what we were promised. They did provide water basins with a few liters of water for cleaning ourselves, but we did not realized before we left that we could have taken the supplied smaller towels into the water to clean ourselves. For the future, it would be advisable to remind the guests of this opportunity. We just used the water for cleaning our hands… It should also be said that we did not get that sweaty – either we are int the shadow of the car, or at the camp during night. Minimal personal hygiene is more about the private parts, underarms, feet and hands. Having a better setup for this would have been nice.
- Meals were decent, but not very exciting. Zimbabwean and Botswanan tour operators should not underestimate local cuisine, as not all tourists want to eat European food when travelling to Africa. We got spaghetti, rice, pasta and salad as accessories to our meat. Pap would have been more natural. Some other kinds of vegetables and starches such as pap would have been more exciting. We got such local food in the Okavanga Delta camp (another trip) so it is possible.
- Also, we were promised according to the itinerary to have dessert on the second dinner as well, but we did not get it. Even if I could not eat some diary products, my wife could have eaten it. Though there was plenty of food in total.
- We also informed beforehand that we would prefer the vegetarian sausages but we only got meat.
Other experiences
- Garbage is a huge problem (everywhere in the world). It gets sad when seeing it right outside (and sometimes inside) the parks. Local and central government must step up and fix this.
- Considering how important tourism is for the company and guides such as Voice, the government should disallow tourists travelling by themselves into the parks, or charge them much more than cars travelling with a guide. Those tourists leave very little money in the country, except for a small entrance fee.
Transportation
- Pickup was delayed 30 min, without us being informed. 20 min past we were informed by the hotel that they would be delayed 20 min… In the future, consider providing WhatsApp-contact information between guests and the crew for these things. Similar thing happened with another trip we went to (different company). And after picking us up, they went to collect water tanks and fuel, making us wait even further (collecting the water in the village near the park makes sense to do on the way, we are just referring to the water tanks). These kinds of delays indicate poor planning and lack of respect of the guests’ time. It would look better to arrange such things beforehand.
- Car has good quality seats.
- Much longer trip to the park than expected, but nothing to do about that. Bring an audio book.
FR
Email Radu | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect blend of adventure and comfort, highly recommended!
Our safari experience with Shipungo was truly unforgettable.
First of all, when planning, Mark is responsive and will listen to your demands to build a tailored safari based on your wishes and budget.
Then, our guide's expertise in locating the famous Savuti Marsh Pride lions was remarkable. Kem worked seamlessly with other guides in the park to ensure we had the best sightings. We were thrilled to see a wide range of animals, including a majestic leopard.
The team took exceptional care of us throughout our stay. They set up very comfortable tents equipped with beds and a toilet, ensuring we had a pleasant and convenient camping experience. Chef Shine and Left prepared delicious meals that we enjoyed immensely after our morning and afternoon drives.
The entire safari was a perfect blend of adventure and comfort. Highly recommended!
IE
Email Lily Jim | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEST TRIP EVER! Highly recommend this tour
My husband and I did a 6 day 5 night tour with Shipungo from Maun > Moremi Game Reserve > Khwai Consession > Savuti > Chobe > Boat trip at Kasane
We made our plan very last minute and they were super accommodative and responsive that they customised our whole trip based on our needs and what’s best for us as someone who have never done Safari. The whole booking and planning process was seamless!
Voice was the most amazing tour guide ever! He has extensive knowledge about wild animals and safari routes. He truly
is passionate about the nature. We managed to capture 20 lions, 4 leopards, the Big Four and many other precious animals and scenery so easily, thanks to his incredible expertise knowledge on how and where to identify the animal tracks and habits. It was unbelievable. He was also very thoughtful the whole journey that he drove very safely, even though the game drive and road trips between campsites could be long and bumpy. We have learnt so much about the wildlife from him.
The camping crew Left and John were wonderful companions that they were very efficient with setting up our camps, cooking us the most delicious meals every day and providing us very comfortable campsite environments. The bonfire and dinners are the part that we really looked forward to every evening after the game drives. They would even make our beds in the tent and sweep the tent ground every day. They would take night shift to make sure we were safe from the wildlife at night. They were also very humorous and sociable that made our trip very enjoyable!
We had the best (honeymoon) trip ever! Highly recommend and will definitely travel with them again!
Email Steve Perrins | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience
Spent 3 & 1/2 days wild camping in Moremi with Voice as our guide, very well assisted by Jonah, Left and KG in camp. It was cold at times so dress warm in the winter months. We all really enjoyed our time and felt very safe and well looked after. The food back in camp was very good too. Highly recommended if you’re looking for something a little different to the usual lodge experience. It was full on and tiring, so feel free to request a siesta more often if required.
Exellent experience!
We had 2-days Safari in Mokotów. we are very satisfied! The entire team did a great job, they were helpful and caring and ensured safety. The guide Shadrach worked perfectly, he had a lot of knowledge about animals, he was able to spot them, I recomend Shadrach as a guide! And all staff was amazing! we will gladly recommend Shipungo!
FR
Email Antoine Gilson | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect
Awesome journey with Shipungo.
Very nice staff and professional. Well organised. We had a 10 days trip with.
I'will never forget it!
Many thanks to Kem, our guide. Thanks to him we saw a lot of animals and learnt many things.
Email Kathryn Jane Phelan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing staff who clearly love animals and their jobs and giving the client a fabuolous experience
From first communications with Mark we knew we were going to have a fantastic time. His willingness to adapt the Safari to start at Victoria falls and end in Maun made it so much easier for us. We cannot thank Kem, Shy, KG and Left enough. Kem's knowledge of the animals and the committment to ensure we saw and understood as much as possible was outstanding. We saw a different lion pride every day ( 42 in total), 5 leopards including two in the campsite which the guides made sure we were safe, a cheetah, hundreds of elephants, too many giraffes to count and hippos galore. We also saw hyena's and their puppies and wild dogs and their pups. Kem always seemed to have us in the right spot at the right time and knew when to stay for a bit extra to see some extraordinary sights. Shy's cooking was delicious. The camp setup was so much better than expected with proper beds and great bathrooms. Highly recommend this company for anyone wanting a mobile camping safari.
NZ
Email Sebastian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A wildly good time
Fantastic camping experience in the Okavango Delta. Great communications online, picked up on time, a very knowledgeable and clever wildlife guide/tracker (Matt), beautiful camp set-up, lovely support staff and great food. We enjoyed our trip immensely.
US
Email Michael Tolle | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic safari operator in Maun
We’ve lived and worked on and off in Africa for the last 20 years, now back in the US, former Botswana residents and familiar with safari offerings. In short, Shipungo is outstanding. Two adults and three kids, we had a couple days free in Maun and went back to back days with Shipungo on day safaris to Moremi NP and mokoro ride / hike in the Okavango Delta. The trips were wonderful. Our guide from Shipungo was extremely knowledgeable about Moremi and the sightings were outstanding. He went the extra mile, all day, to make it a great experience. The mokoro trip in the Okavango is probably the best one day trip my family has ever experienced, and we’re in Africa frequently. Again knowledgeable and friendly guides, and fabulous lunches, even took care of a gluten free issue for one of us, perfectly. Easy to deal with, great service. We’ll be back with Shipungo next time we’re in Botswana.
