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:
- $7,936 to $20,408 per person per day (MXN, 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
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.
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.
Email Helen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Made my dreams come true
We booked the four day Kruger and Private Reserve Tour with Danny, staying at Khaya Ndlovu Manor House. First of all, the accommodation and food was first class. The manor is beautifully decorated, with a deck area and infinity pool overlooking a water hole, where you can watch zebras and other wildlife come down to drink. The game drives were out of this world! Johnny our guide for Kruger was so knowledgeable and could spot all types of wildlife. We were extremely lucky and saw everything we could, and the trackers and guides at Khaya Ndlovu also went above and beyond to track cheetahs and lioness. Everything was perfectly organised by Danny, so we just had to sit back and soak up the whole experience.
Email David | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari Adventure
Danielle kept us informed before and during our Safari. Jeffery, our guide, had 16 years experience and an eagle eye for spotting wildlife and bringing it to our attention. The Panorama tour was fantastic...but make sure you go when the weather is nice. Our hotel had large rooms, a welcoming and kind staff, and air conditioning that worked. (For Americans that are only used to high end US hotels, you may want to spend more money and request fancier accommodations...though I did enjoy our stay at our hotel.)
Email Jody | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome
Communication was good, always answered my calls or emails
Service levels were more than I expected.
Living expectation was standard basic, but the food at the Lodge was outstanding & delicious, never disappointed with any meal & hosts were always very accommodating & obliging. Would definitely recommend them again
Safari tour was an exciting, amazing & pleasing experience all round.
Danny at Shinzelle was a fantastic host & really made our trip a Memorable experience.
Celebrated my Birthday during my trip, they made it an Awesome & exciting day for me by spoiling me all around, am truly humbled by their
hospitality & kindness. Will definitely recommend Shinzelle Safaris anytime
Email Thierry J. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari with a competent and very friendly crew
I booked with Shinzelle after my daughter traveled with them a couple of years ago: I was not disappointed. Not only they are very professional, but they also make you feel like you're part of their family. Their guides are very knowledgeable about the animals and the ecosystem. They are also very safety conscious and respectful of the fragile environment they bring you in. They listen to your wishes and will try to accommodate them as much as possible. Their trucks are in very good condition and they keep the number of guests per truck low for everyone to have ample room and take the perfect shot.
Highly recommended!
Energetic, accommodating and making it work.
We took the 4 day safari, and were pleased when we arrived to be upgraded to the Honeymoon Cabin. The room was large and comfortable, the bathroom modern and looked recently renovated. A hot tub was on the porch, as well as an outdoor shower. The camp was quiet, bordered by woods. All the members of the small staff were friendly and went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable. We took three safari tours in Kruger, as well as a tour of the beautiful Blyde Canyon area. Each guide on the safari was different, but we thought Jaden was definitely the best and was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and where to get the best sightings. The staff went out of the way to accommodate my vegan diet, however I would suggest that they offer all guests more locally produced fresh fruits and veggies. I was frustrated to see beautiful avocados and oranges being sold on the streets, but none being served. I would have much preferred having a nice fruit or avocado salad instead of "fake" meat. Also a fresh piece of fruit in every ones breakfast box (as other camps offered) would have been nice instead of a cake/muffin. Juice with a high sugar content can't replace fresh fruit.
Email Chris & Chuck | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly staff and great guides
The safari tours were great (we saw the Big 5 twice over!), the lodging was enjoyably remote and rustic, the staff was very friendly and accommodating, and the local food was really tasty. Very enjoyable trip - would highly recommend.