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:
- $7,894 to $20,300 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
BR
Email Rafael Alberto | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great people!
We did the 3 days safari, it was wonderful. They are so welcoming and good people. The safari was great, Brandon kpet the tour always with enthusiastic we had such a good experience, we loved it. Danielle has excellent cooking skills.
DE
Email Marlene & Jacob | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unique experience in Kruger National Park with Shinzelle Safaris
We are very happy about our choice and had an amazing experience with Shinzelle, Brandon and Danielle.
First of all:
A Safari is an expensive thing to do and there is a lots companies you have to choose between. Some will treat you as a mass tourist, traveling around in big groups, and others will make it a quite personal and therefore unique experience. We couldn't imagine a more personal experience than the two gave us - so if you are looking for that, you found it.
Safari and tours:
Brandon is a skilled, passionate and experienced guide for over 10 years now. He was as excited as we were watching the animals - except impalas, they are just everywhere :D.
we were two days out in kurger national park with him and it was just awesome.
brandon gave us tons of information about the flora and fauna and the landscape of the park. as you are out in nature, of course, there is no guaranty for animal spottings and good weather. we got really lucky and saw all of the big five and many other fascinating animals as well. but whatever might happen, brandon surely will make the best out of it :).
we also decided to do the panorama tour on day 2, which is as well recommendable and allows you to relax a bit, just ask them about it :).
accommodation and food:
accommodation will depend on availability. we stayed in a beautiful spacy hut on the brink of a creek build on stilts. you will be accompanied by the sound of birds and amphibia - therefore you will never lose touch with nature, which we enjoyed.
the food was amazing! or as they say in SA "lekker"! Danielle is a professional chef and everything she prepared for us was delicious. for the two of us it was way too much to eat so you most certainly won't have to be afraid to stay hungry. also, we were very happy to hear, that the leftovers will be given to charity!
All in all we fell in love with the place and this lovely couple and their efforts. we couldn't have chosen better and would totally recommend this tour with "Shinzelle Safaris" (which means honey badger in Englisch :).)
CN
Email Sarah | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beyond the value
It was excellent game safari with Shinzelle safaris. My friends and I did enjoy every moment of the journey. Brandon and Danielle works very very hard to make our holiday comfortable and pleasant. We felt the couple love this job and have all enthusiasm to make their guests happy. Well done!
Reply from Shinzelle Safaris
Posted on Nov 1, 2016Dear Sarah,
thank you for this lovely Review, it was our pleasure hosting you and enjoyed your company as well :)
If you ever need anything in the future we would be only too happy to help. Wishing you Jie and Xu all the best.
Warm Regards
Danielle & Brandon
DE
Email Sabine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Shinzelle Safaris is very individual. They are very heartful and friendly.
Brendan made unforgettable tours in Kruger National Parc with us. He was so friendly and knows vry much about Fauna and Flora. He showed us special places and w had lots of fun. It was a wonderful time. Danielle cooked for us the best meals and always was so agile and heartful and made all wishes come true. They both are high ambitioned to make their guests the best days they can have. If we could make another tour to Kruger Park we would always choose Shinzelle Safaris. We recommend them to everybody!
Reply from Shinzelle Safaris
Posted on Oct 24, 2016Dear Sabine,
thank you for this lovely Review, it was our pleasure hosting you and enjoyed your company as well :)
If you ever need anything in the future we would be only too happy to help. Wishing you and Michael all the best.
Warm Regards
Danielle & Brandon
ES
Email Juan Molina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tour guide Excellent. Administrative client attention very poor.
Jeffrey did an amazing job with full day Kruger Park, 5 stars. However client attention is not as it should be, they didn’t send any follow up messages for confirmation, I had to do the follow up even 9pm the day before the tour started.
Furthermore, Blyde River Canyon tour is super overrated, it should not cost more than full day at Kruger (€100 per person) since its only a drive to the places and payments of very cheap entrance fees.
We did couple of tours with other company, and client attention eclipsed this one, sorry guys, for that 4 stars maximum
Email Mark | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great trip, Shinzelle more challenging than expected.
We had a 2 night safari, organized by Shinzelle. The 4.5 hour van transport to and from Hoedspruit, used by multiple safari tour providers, was comfortable with pleasant driver. 2 nights at beautiful Khaya Ndlovu, a private game reserve, included an evening safari drive (reserve staff guided) on our arrival, a full day tour of southern Kruger Park with a very intelligent guide arranged by Shinzelle, and an early morning safari drive (reserve staff guided) on our day of departure. We loved the location, as well as the comfort and beauty of the accommodations. The guides were smart, kind, and funny - top notch. The lodge staff were lovely, and all of the food was seriously outstanding. We were in southern Africa for another 2 weeks of safaries in the national parks of 3 different countries. Still, we very highly recommend doing the private game reserve experience - completely different and absolutely worth the time and money.
Challenges with Shinzelle started prior to leaving for Africa and continued until 2 months after our return. We don't know but it seems to be a one-person business, because when Danielle had an illness or her young child had an illness or she was traveling, etc. she was often out of touch. When we shortened our planned stay from 3 nights to 2 nights, well in advance of the trip, we did not receive a 'confirmation' of booking changes, nor an accounting of the refund, nor the refund. All of that took 4 months, multiple outreaches to Danielle, and great persistance on our part.
Great safari vacation, will use a different tour operator next time.
Reply from Shinzelle Safaris
Posted on Jul 26, 2023Dear Mark,
I hope this message finds you well. I am Brandon Smith, the active managing director of Shinzelle Safaris. I wanted to personally respond to your review and address the concerns you raised.
Firstly, I want to clarify that we are not a one-man band as you seemed to imply in your review. We take pride in our dedicated team of travel consultants who work hard to ensure our clients receive dedicated personalised service, In turn giving them a memorable experience.
Regarding your comments about one of our employees, Danielle, I must express my disappointment with the tone of your review. Your backhanded compliments followed by a personal attack on a working mom have had a severe impact on her. It deeply troubles me that your words have caused her sever mental distress. We value our employees as individuals with personal lives, not just workers. It is essential for us to foster a company culture that supports their well-being.
The package you booked and enjoyed was personally designed by me, drawing from my 20 years of experience in the industry. Our suppliers, itineraries, and rates are carefully curated to offer our clients the best possible value for their money.
Regarding your concerns about your queries during a time when Danielle was sick or taking care of her sick child, our company policy is to ensure there is someone available for emergencies and essential reservations are facilitated while an employee is on leave. Unfortunately, some clients choose to ignore the automated responses notifying them of the employees absence and choose to contact our staff through personal channels, invading their personal lives, even during odd hours.
While Danielle was understandably unavailable during her recovery, we always made sure that all aspects of your tour were well taken care of. In case of any legitimate emergencies, they would have been promptly handled internally.
As for the change in your itinerary and the subsequent cancellation of a night's accommodation and activities, our terms and conditions state a 100% cancellation policy within 30 days of arrival. However, Danielle sought a meeting with me to discuss your situation, and I decided to authorise a refund based on special circumstances, despite our policy.
It is disheartening to see that after receiving your refund, in return for this gesture, you chose to write a damaging review that could affect Danielle's livelihood and that of her child's. Please understand that your published review will have repercussions. We will no longer be able to grant special refunds in the future due to public attacks like this. Also, our business may lose reservations as potential clients might be influenced by your review.
I urge you to consider the consequences of your actions on individuals and their families before publishing such reviews. Our employees work tirelessly to provide excellent service and go above and beyond for our clients. It is essential to show empathy and understanding, especially when dealing with personal matters and challenges that can arise unexpectedly.
I operate on an open door policy and would have appreciated it had you first taken this matter up with me personally in order to come to an amicable resolution.
I sincerely hope that you will reflect on the impact your review could have on the lives of our team members. We strive to make every client's experience exceptional and deeply regret that you felt the need to share your dissatisfaction in this manner. Especially considering you enjoyed our packaged experience and the issue on hand is the service level you received in refunding you, when we were not under any obligation to do so.
Wishing you all the best in your future travels and decisions.
Sincerely,
Brandon Smith
Managing Director, Shinzelle Safaris
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.
ES
Email Diego | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great deal in terms of price vs. quality
The overall experience was very good! We did the Safari and the Panoramic View.
Things to point out as positive:
- Knowledgeable guides (especially in the safari)
- Generally good communication
- Overall great service (they came to pick us up)
Things to point out as not so good:
- One day we had miscommunication
- First day there was quite a big delay in terms of entering the park that was weird because many people who arrived after us entered before us and we had to wait for quite a long time but it was not so bad
I want to leave clear that we would give a 4.5 stars but the system does not allow it. I would be great if Shinzelle Safaris could provide a small pdf with the planning of the day with some information and recommendations that one could print out.
Anyways, would repeat for sure! Highly recommended
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Email Jacqueline | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The agent to book a resort for guests
Overall, a 3-star experience with a 5-star cost.
• The toilet in the room doesn’t flush well.
• The bathroom light is white, which ruins the vibe. It should be yellow.
• One waiter doesn’t smile while serving. He also spilled red wine on the table without noticing it himself and couldn’t remember the dishes for a group of four. He’s not familiar with the drink list at all. A young waiter on a working holiday, who’s only been here for a week, knows it better than him.
• On a windy day, the waiters kept forgetting to close the door during dinner, even though two groups reminded them multiple times. This was awful and inconsiderate.
• The guide skipped the coffee on the morning safari without explanation. His hospitality changes when there are more white guests on the safari car, raising concerns about racism. Such differentiated treatment is completely unacceptable.
• The suggested tip is 450 ZAR for the guide and 450 ZAR for the villa staff per day, which guests are informed about upon arrival. This doesn’t feel right and isn’t a good practice for a luxury package. While tipping culture exists in the U.S. where employers often don’t pay a good base wage, when we’ve already spent tens of thousands of ZAR on a luxury package, the staff and guide should be paid well and shouldn’t expect tips.
It’s quite disappointing to find so many flaws every day when you’ve booked a luxury package.
Reply from Shinzelle Safaris
Posted on Sep 16, 2024Thank you for your feedback and for bringing your concerns to our attention. Even though your experience occurred at an affiliate property we partner with, we take your feedback seriously and will ensure it is passed on to the relevant parties for immediate action.
At Shinzelle Safaris, we strive to ensure that every aspect of your safari experience meets the high standards we set for ourselves, regardless of the accommodations or service providers we collaborate with. It is unfortunate that this particular property did not meet your expectations. We will address all your concerns with the property in question. Please see our feedback to each of your concerns below.
Room and Lighting Issues: It is regrettable that this did not meet your standards. We will share this feedback with the affiliate lodge so that they can address these specific issues.
Service at the Lodge: We understand how important it is for staff to be both attentive and professional. We will ensure this feedback is relayed to the property’s management to ensure further training and attention to detail is provided.
Safari Guide Conduct: The concerns about differentiated treatment during your safari are concerning to us. While the guide in question is employed by the affiliate lodge, we are committed to ensuring that every guest receives equal and respectful treatment. We will raise this issue with their management team for investigation.
Tipping Policy: We understand your frustration regarding the tipping policy. While tipping guidelines are set by the property, tipping is considered a form of gratuity and is not compulsory. We will communicate this feedback to them and review how gratuity information is shared to ensure guests feel comfortable and informed.
Please note that this experience does not reflect the standards of service we at Shinzelle Safaris aim to provide. We are committed to ensuring every guest has a flawless and memorable safari experience, the disappointment you encountered is regrettable.
We encourage you in the future to bring any concerns to our attention in real-time, through the open lines of communication you had with us via WhatsApp or email. Alternatively, addressing these issues directly with the lodge management on site would have allowed all parties the chance to resolve them immediately and improve your experience during your stay.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We hope that despite the setbacks, you were still able to enjoy certain aspects of your package, such as the unforgettable safari sightings, the tranquil natural surroundings, the delicious meals, and the luxurious accommodations at the lodge. We also trust that the smooth communication and seamless logistics provided by our company contributed positively to your overall experience.