Reviews of Shinde Camp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
104 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Shinde Camp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Jul-2018, 25 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Shinde Camp.
Lion
75% success
Leopard
68% success
Cheetah
16% success
Wild dog
60% success
Elephant
100% success
Dr P & F
London
"Shinde Camp review"
2 nights Arrived 20 Nov 2009
"Our guide good but the speedboat drive was too fast and rushed"
See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location:
Good
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs C
Bristol
"Shinde Camp review"
3 nights Arrived 8 Nov 2009
"An excellent lodge and we spent 3 good days doing a range of activities on land and water.
The guide we had in the boats and mokoro, Bonolo, was very good: knowledgeable and personable with it." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana
The guide we had in the boats and mokoro, Bonolo, was very good: knowledgeable and personable with it." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs LB
Alderney
"More fun at Shinde"
3 nights Arrived 16 Jun 2009
"Adam, our guide/driver kept us laughing the whole time we were at Shinde, but he was also very knowledgable and we also learnt a lot about the animals and the countryside.
Julius and his staff were again very helpful and we very much enjoyed our meals in the fantastic dining room built into the trees.
We again went out on the makurus - it is just so peaceful gliding along the waterways. We also went fishing and caught some bream, which were cooked and served to us to share with other guests for dinner that evening." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
Julius and his staff were again very helpful and we very much enjoyed our meals in the fantastic dining room built into the trees.
We again went out on the makurus - it is just so peaceful gliding along the waterways. We also went fishing and caught some bream, which were cooked and served to us to share with other guests for dinner that evening." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr P & Ms A
Oxon
"Shinde Camp review"
1 night Arrived 28 May 2009
"Great hospitality - lovely room, lots of beautiful birds.
Wonderful mokoro trip and v good game drive." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana
Wonderful mokoro trip and v good game drive." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr K & Mrs T
Germany
"Shinde Camp review"
3 nights Arrived 26 May 2009
"Unfortunately we have very little positive to say about Shinde.
Our gamedrive guide, Mr Bee, was so unskilled, that we just can´t believe he has passed any necessary training to become guide. Against our clear wish he for example drove again to show us a wounded lion that was unable to move. He repetitevely steered the wehicle directly into the herds causing the animals to escape. Most of the animals he spotted we had spotted much before him. There were hardly any breaks unless we forced him to stop in order to listen to nature sounds. On other camps this was how the guides spotted animals that were not visible yet.
The „managing“ youngsters (Magda and Falie) appear to lack the necessary experience and natural born competence and have not gained the undestanding on how to run a camp. They master small talk and entertainment but from our perspective such suits better a cabaret. This is however not what we do expect on a camp in Botswana.
One guide being a low light could be acceptable as one just can't always get the best cards but we are confident the problem was not just our guide. Merely the root here is the camp management. They appear to be totally lost and as young, dynamic and career minded persons try to hide it behind all that „hahaha hohoho, you guys, see any big stuff -management“.
Just one of the countless occasions: On one meal one of the guests shot a picture of a dove sitting inside our salad bowl and holding a piece of olive in bill. Magda asked the guest not to upload such a picture into internet as they are not allowed to feed wild animals. The animals, various birds and squirrel were there always and nobody from the staff seemed to care. On other camps all the food was always covered when unattended or not being taken to the plates. This was not the case at Shinde.
Our stay at Shinde camp was waste of time and money!" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
Our gamedrive guide, Mr Bee, was so unskilled, that we just can´t believe he has passed any necessary training to become guide. Against our clear wish he for example drove again to show us a wounded lion that was unable to move. He repetitevely steered the wehicle directly into the herds causing the animals to escape. Most of the animals he spotted we had spotted much before him. There were hardly any breaks unless we forced him to stop in order to listen to nature sounds. On other camps this was how the guides spotted animals that were not visible yet.
The „managing“ youngsters (Magda and Falie) appear to lack the necessary experience and natural born competence and have not gained the undestanding on how to run a camp. They master small talk and entertainment but from our perspective such suits better a cabaret. This is however not what we do expect on a camp in Botswana.
One guide being a low light could be acceptable as one just can't always get the best cards but we are confident the problem was not just our guide. Merely the root here is the camp management. They appear to be totally lost and as young, dynamic and career minded persons try to hide it behind all that „hahaha hohoho, you guys, see any big stuff -management“.
Just one of the countless occasions: On one meal one of the guests shot a picture of a dove sitting inside our salad bowl and holding a piece of olive in bill. Magda asked the guest not to upload such a picture into internet as they are not allowed to feed wild animals. The animals, various birds and squirrel were there always and nobody from the staff seemed to care. On other camps all the food was always covered when unattended or not being taken to the plates. This was not the case at Shinde.
Our stay at Shinde camp was waste of time and money!" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Poor
Location:
Good
Service:
Poor
Activities:
Poor
Rooms:
Average
Food:
Average
Facilities:
Good
Feedback Response
Expert Africa and Shinde thanked these travellers for their feedback. All our traveller’s feedback is taken seriously, but especially so when improvements must be made to a camp or service. Shinde was happy to read that these travellers particularly enjoyed Footsteps – Shinde’s sister camp – as this is the kind of service that Ker & Downey Botswana aim for in all their camps and it gives them something to work towards at Shinde Camp.
In light of this feedback the General Manager and Managing Director of Ker & Downey Botswana have both been to Shinde Camp to investigate. They have discussed the various incidents with the managers to ensure that they don’t occur again. The General Manager will be staying at the camp for some days to monitor their performance. The guide, Bee, has been a member of the guiding team at Shinde for some years and has always garnered good reports from guests, even on Expert Africa's website – so it was particularly disappointing to hear of his recent conduct. The matter of Bee’s guiding methods has been taken very seriously and he has been suspended, pending an evaluation by management.
On a positive note Shinde consulted closely with the Botswana wildlife department and veterinary department regarding the wounded lion. They flew in a consultant who checked on the lion’s progress and we are happy to say that he has now been given a clean bill of health.
In light of this feedback the General Manager and Managing Director of Ker & Downey Botswana have both been to Shinde Camp to investigate. They have discussed the various incidents with the managers to ensure that they don’t occur again. The General Manager will be staying at the camp for some days to monitor their performance. The guide, Bee, has been a member of the guiding team at Shinde for some years and has always garnered good reports from guests, even on Expert Africa's website – so it was particularly disappointing to hear of his recent conduct. The matter of Bee’s guiding methods has been taken very seriously and he has been suspended, pending an evaluation by management.
On a positive note Shinde consulted closely with the Botswana wildlife department and veterinary department regarding the wounded lion. They flew in a consultant who checked on the lion’s progress and we are happy to say that he has now been given a clean bill of health.
Mr & Mrs H
Hants
"Shinde"
3 nights Arrived 3 May 2009
"Shinde was a different experience and although on the water the waterways are not as pretty as Kanana we had our best game viewing of all three camps including lion just a few feet from us.
It is quite something to hear the elephant and hippo crashing around the tent at night and we had a family of genet chasing around on the decking. Service was amazing with an incredible eye for detail including hot water bottles on game drives.
Wonderful, we just loved it." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana
It is quite something to hear the elephant and hippo crashing around the tent at night and we had a family of genet chasing around on the decking. Service was amazing with an incredible eye for detail including hot water bottles on game drives.
Wonderful, we just loved it." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr B
C London
"Shinde Camp review"
2 nights Arrived 8 Nov 2008
"Again, I rated this camp very highly. Though I found the Staff, not unfriendly, maybe a bit reserved.
Game viewing, for the time of year, extremely good." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana
Game viewing, for the time of year, extremely good." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Good
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs B
Lisbon
"Shinde Camp review"
3 nights Arrived 26 Sep 2008
"Not much game to see .(Or just bad luck)"
See all these reviews: 3n in Botswana; 3n in South Africa; 2n in Namibia; 1n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location:
Average
Service:
Average
Activities:
Average
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Average
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs P
Lisbon
"Good place to be, good people to be with."
3 nights Arrived 26 Sep 2008
"Maybe not the best location in Okawango. Very nice landscape, not so many animals as in Lynianti, very nice staff but somehow more stiff and formal. Outstanding member was the moroco padler whose name is Kaykay or just KK, nefew
of our guide Bee.Period of the year not the best for the location, but the staff did everything possible do proportionate a very good stay." See all these reviews: 3n in Namibia; 3n in Botswana; 3n in South Africa; 1n in Zambia
of our guide Bee.Period of the year not the best for the location, but the staff did everything possible do proportionate a very good stay." See all these reviews: 3n in Namibia; 3n in Botswana; 3n in South Africa; 1n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location:
Good
Service:
Good
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs P
York
"Larger camp but very welcoming"
1 night Arrived 9 Sep 2008
"We did not really do this camp justice by only staying one night. Larger than footsteps and I would not want to stay in a larger camp, but it was nevertheless very welcoming.
It provided the outstanding highlight of our trip whilst out walking when we saw two lionesses kill (One Eye and her daughter) at 50 feet. This was trully exhillerating, but nothing like as scary as hippos stampeding throught the camp in the middle of the night." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana
It provided the outstanding highlight of our trip whilst out walking when we saw two lionesses kill (One Eye and her daughter) at 50 feet. This was trully exhillerating, but nothing like as scary as hippos stampeding throught the camp in the middle of the night." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location:
Good
Service:
Good
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
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Other lodges in Okavango Delta Safari Reserves
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Kwara Camp
Kwara Camp's private reserve boasts land and water activities year round, with excellent game-viewing opportunities and access to permanent channels of the north-east Okavango Delta.
Little Vumbura
On a secluded island within a private reserve, Little Vumbura combines superb game viewing with a broad diversity of habitats in a truly picturesque setting.
Splash Camp
Set in the Kwara Reserve, offering superb wildlife viewing year-round, Splash offers both land and water activities led by guides with a particular knack for tracking big game.
Chitabe Lediba
Chitabe Lediba, in Botswana's southern Okavango Delta, is a small family friendly safari camp; it offers great dry-land safaris and in our experience consistently delivers good game sightings.
