Shinde Footsteps: Our full report
Small and personal, Shinde Footsteps fringes a beautiful, hippo-filled lagoon in the north of Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
Formerly known as Footsteps across the Delta, the new Footsteps – with just four simple tented chalets – lies on the same site as its predecessor, in the shade of a serene forested area within the Shinde Concession. Surrounded by a mosaic of tree-lined islands and floodplains it offers great wildlife opportunities. Historically, the camp focused on walking safaris, with mokoro trips in season, but in its new guise, the camp also offers guided game drives.The new version of Footsteps remains a simple and rustic little camp, smaller than many other camps in the Delta, with a very personable feel.
There are just four tented chalets, one of which is a family tent with two separate rooms that can sleep up to five.
Steps lead up to each tented chalet, with smooth wooden decking under a canvas shade to the front, and a daybed with comfortable cushions. Fresh and functional, the tents are spacious and airy, with canvas walls and roofs stretched around rustic wooden poles.
Canvas zipped doors open in to a bedroom with wooden floors softened by rattan rugs, and a double or twin beds beneath a mosquito net. Wooden bedside tables hold solar lights, with charging points alongside, while metal chests at the end of the bed store additional blankets for cooler nights.
A small desk and chair are placed to one side of the tent, with an additional reading light, ample charging points and a standing fan. To the other, a canvas storage area separates the bedroom from the bathroom area. There is plenty of hanging space and shelves, slippers and dressing gowns are provided, and there are kikois and umbrellas for guests to use around camp. A yoga mat and small weights are provided for guests wishing to work out, and you’ll also find insect repellent, bug spray and an airhorn to attract attention in an emergency.
The en-suite bathroom has a large wooden vanity with twin sinks, a tall free-standing mirror, a toilet within a small cubicle behind a wooden door, and a more open inside shower, plus a door leading to a second, open-air, shower.
Of similar construction, the open-sided main area at Footsteps is split into sections, with steps up to each. Polished wooden floors are scattered with persian rugs in muted colours, overhead fans circulate during the hotter months. One side houses large wooden dining tables and comfortable chairs, with a tea and coffee station, a wine fridge and a small bar. A few steps across the sand lead you to the lounge area, where comfortable sofas and cushions add a splash of colour. A coffee table topped with some inspirational wildlife books, a small library corner and a couple of glass-doored cabinets holding a selection of locally crafted curios complete the picture.
Between the two, a sandy area has a firepit encircled with directors’ chairs, looking out to the lagoon and, at night, offering uninterrupted views to spectacularly starry skies.
One unusual feature is a photographic editing suite next to the lounge area, a canvas tented room with tables and chairs in the centre, lockers around the edges for personal equipment, plenty of charging points and a large TV screen to one side for viewing photos.
On our last visit in late April 2024, a pool was under construction to the side of the dining area, which we understand will be finished later in the season.
Historically, Shinde Footsteps focused almost exclusively on walking safaris. Led by a very experienced guide, and accompanied by an armed national parks' scout, each walk lasts for three to four hours. These are not route marches, but opportunities to explore the environment and wildlife with an expert guide, and to gain an authentic taste of the bush.
The recent changes to the camp mean that game drives are now often the main activity. This area of the Okavango Delta is notable for the diversity of wildlife, with lion, wild dog and hyena seen in the area along with a variety of plains game including kudu, tsessebe, zebra, red lechwe, giraffe and impala. Lone bull elephants are also found most of the year, whilst breeding herds migrate here towards the end of the dry season. On our last visit we were fortunate to have numerous lion sightings and a very special sighting of two tiny leopard cubs.
Depending on water levels, mokoro excursions are available, gliding through the channels in the near-silence of the early morning, and boat trips from Footsteps’ more sophisticated sister camp, Shinde, within the same concession, are an option.
Under the auspices of Footsteps' Young Explorers Club, families with children as young as seven years old can hire the whole Shinde Footsteps camp, including the services of an experienced guide who specialises in working with children.
Activities vary considerably from the standard safari options. During their stay, youngsters could find themselves engaged in activities as diverse as making bows and arrows, playing football with the camp staff, fishing, identifying tracks and learning to cook over a fire.
Young Explorers is available at Shinde Footsteps from March to November, for a minimum of three nights, with participating families getting sole use of the camp. It is also available at sister camps in Botswana, including Kanana Camp and Okuti Camp. By combining this option across two or more camps, the whole family can experience the diverse areas of the Delta, with the same exclusive guide throughout.
Our view
If you're keen to do some walking in Botswana, Shinde Footsteps should be firmly at the top of your wish list – but it’s also great for a mix of activities if you prefer. A remote little camp with a friendly atmosphere, it is a place to escape civilisation and get back to nature. We love the emphasis on appreciating all aspects of the bush, the staff are attentive, the guiding is good and the food is superb!
Botswana expert
Geographics
- Location
- Okavango Delta Safari Reserves, Botswana
- Ideal length of stay
- Two or three nights would be perfect, ideally combined with another camp in a different area in the Delta.
- Directions
- Guests at Shinde Footsteps arrive at Shinde Airstrip, which is about a 25-minute flight from Maun. From here, it is at least a 40-minute game drive to camp, although the journey can take up to an hour and a half when water levels are high, and it may involve a short transfer by mokoro. Alternatively, a helicopter transfer can whisk you to Footsteps from close to Shinde Airstrip, an exhilarating way to arrive in camp.
- Accessible by
- Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Full Board & Activities
- Food quality
- In its previous incarnation, Footsteps had one of the most fantastic chefs we've come across during our travels throughout Botswana and food was consistently superb. We were delighted on our most recent visits in December 2023 and April 2024 to find that the food is still superb, despite the changes to the camp.
Breakfast, laid out before the morning activity, is a selection of cereal, yoghurt and fruit, freshly baked pastries or pancakes, with eggs, bacon and sausages to order.
While we didn’t have time to stay for lunch (served after the morning activity) on our last trip, on a previous stay we were able to choose from the most delicious cold beef fillet, potato salad, chilli quesadillas, green salad and beetroot and carrot salad with a selection of oils and homemade salad dressing, and fresh homemade bread. Dessert was fruit salad.
Afternoon tea usually includes a savoury snack and a freshly baked cake, pie or biscuits. We enjoyed sticky toffee ginger cake, as well as iced tea and coffee, and cheese scones were also on offer.
After your second activity of the day, there is usually a little time to freshen up before dinner. We started with tomato and basil soup, followed by curried chicken thighs, spinach and lentil stew, sweet potato mash and garlic green beans. For dessert came a light chocolate and cranberry tart with yoghurt, with tea or coffee to finish off.
An impressive children's menu with lots of favourites is also available. - Dining style
- Group Meals
- Dining locations
- Indoor and Outdoor Dining
- Drinks included
- Bottled water, soft drinks, local beers, spirits and red and white wines are included. Premier champagne and premium imported brands will cost extra and must be requested in advance.
Filtered water from the borehole in camp is available for drinking. Each tent is provided with glasses and a flask of filtered drinking water that is replenished daily.
Special interests
- Family holidays
- Shinde Footsteps runs exclusive family safaris in Botswana (“Young Explorers”). Youngsters from seven years up can learn bush skills, from identifying animals and their tracks to cooking on a fire and fishing.
- See ideas for Family holidays in Botswana
- Photography holidays
- With the diversity of activities in camp, and varied wildlife and environments, plus a dedicated photo-editing suite, Shinde Footsteps is a brilliant option for a safari with a focus on photography in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
- See ideas for Photography holidays in Botswana
- Walking safaris
- Shinde Footsteps is a great place for walking safaris in Botswana. Led by excellent and experienced guides, walks are in a remote wilderness area, and focus on the small things: the plant life, the tracks left by animals, and the Delta's fascinating ecosystem.
- See ideas for Walking safaris in Botswana
Children
- Attitude towards children
- Families with children over 7 years are welcome at Shinde Footsteps. Families can also book the camp for exclusive use on the Young Explorers programme. We understand that the age limit will be reduced to 6 years in 2025.
- Property’s age restrictions
- Minimum age 7 years.
- Special activities & services
- Under the auspices of the Young Explorers programme, specialist guides keep children as young as seven entertained, while parents relax, or participate with the children, or enjoy separate activities.
- Equipment
- There is a spacious family tent with two separate bedrooms that sleeps a family of five comfortably.
- Generally recommended for children
- Children from seven years tend to love spending time with the guides who run the Young Explorers' trips, but if you are not booking under this exclusive use scheme, we do not think that Footsteps is a place for younger children.
- Notes
- Footsteps is unfenced and dangerous wildlife can wander through the camp at any time. All children must be closely supervised by a parent or guardian.
Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Shinde Footsteps
Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Shinde Footsteps have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.
100% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
88% success
75% success
75% success
75% success
38% success
25% success
17% success
13% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
Communications
- Power supply notes
- The camp has a large solar plant, with a generator as back-up. International charging points are provided in the rooms, with USB charging ports by the beds.
- Communications
- There is no telephone signal at Shinde Footsteps, but there is limited WiFi in camp. The camp is in touch with guides on activities, and with the main Shinde Camp, by radio.
- TV & radio
- No.
- Water supply
- Borehole
- Water supply notes
- Bathrooms have flush toilets and plumbed showers, with hot water on tap.
Health & safety
- Malarial protection recommended
- Yes
- Medical care
- The camp's staff includes a first-aid trained member, with a full medical kit kept on site. Shinde Footsteps can arrange medical evacuation in an emergency. Please note that it is only possible to fly out of camp during daylight hours as the bush airstrips do not have any lighting at night.
- Dangerous animals
- High Risk
- Security measures
- Guests are escorted to and from their tents after dark. All walks are carried out with an armed guide.
- Fire safety
- There is a fire extinguisher in the kitchen area and outside each tent, plus others around the main areas. Fire safety signage and a sign showing the meeting point are displayed throughout.
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Boat trip
Fishing
Guided walking safari
Helicopter
Mokoro
Night drive
Extras
- Disabled access
- On Request
- Laundry facilities
- Shinde Footsteps has a full laundry service, with items handwashed, coal ironed (on request) and air dried.
- Money
- No money-exchange facilities are offered. A small electronic safe is located in each tent.
- Accepted payment on location
- Mastercard and Visa are accepted; Amex is not. Cash payments can be made in South African rand, US dollars and Botswana pula.
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.
Shinde Camp
With experienced staff and a wealth of activities, Shinde offers a traditional safari in an exceptionally varied and wildlife-rich environment.
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.
Kanana
In a beautiful part of the Delta, Kanana focuses on fantastic water activities and birding – including exclusive access to an impressive heronry.
Sandibe Safari Lodge
The luxurious Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge lies in a private concession in the heart of the Okavango Delta, beside Moremi Game Reserve, with superb big-game viewing.
Chitabe Camp
In the southern Okavango Delta, the excellent Chitabe Camp concentrates on dry-land safaris in an area that we've found particularly good for wild dog sightings.
Gomoti Plains
Overlooking a tributary of the Gomoti River, Gomoti Plains Camp is a classically designed camp with very comfortable tents in a good game-viewing area.
Nxabega Tented Camp
Nxabega offers a selection of both land- and water-based activities, plus very good guiding, food and service, but game viewing can be somewhat erratic.
Tubu Tree Camp
A traditional tented camp with a distinctive tree-house feel, Tubu Tree offers some of the best game viewing in the Jao Reserve.
Vumbura Plains
Indulgently stylish and luxurious, Vumbura Plains offers superb game viewing and birding on an exceptionally varied private reserve.
Jacana Camp
Jacana Camp is a small safari camp with an informal island feel; it is ideal for water-based activities in the Delta and offers excellent birdwatching.
Kwetsani Camp
Deep in the Delta, overlooking a floodplain, Kwetsani Camp is a small, high-end camp with good access to areas for land and water-based activities.
Duba Explorers Camp
Intimate and elegant, Duba Explorers Camp promises a firm safari focus in a remote corner of the Okavango, led by a team who value the highest guiding and hosting standards.
Mapula Lodge
For an affordable yet varied safari encompassing a range of eco-systems, the traditional Mapula Lodge takes a lot of beating.
Mma Dinare
Beautifully located in a private concession overlooking the Gomoti River, the traditional Mma Dinare is very well-priced for the Okavango Delta.
Duba Plains Camp
Duba Plains Camp is a traditional yet luxurious safari camp, best known for the thrilling lion behavior interaction that is often see during the day.
Pom Pom Camp
Amidst stunning Okavango Delta scenery, Pom Pom offers idyllic mokoro trips in season, great birdwatching, and increasingly good big-game sightings, especially leopards.
Baines' Camp
Baines' Camp is a well-run, intimate camp in a pretty part of the Okavango, offering a range of activities and the option to spend a morning walking with elephants.
Stanley's Camp
In a private concession south of Moremi Game Reserve, Stanley's Camp offers 4WD game drives, seasonal water activities and a superb elephant interaction.
Little Tubu
Little Tubu is a new, traditional camp with just three tented chalets and a distinctive tree-house feel. The areas around it can be explored by water and land-based activities year round.
Pelo Camp
In a pristine wilderness environment deep in the Okavango Delta, the seasonal Pelo Camp is tented yet comfortable, with activities focusing on excursions by mokoro.
4 Rivers
4 Rivers is a new camp in a previously in accessible area of the excellent Kwara concession.
Xaranna
Xaranna is a plush tented camp amongst the idyllic waterways and islands of the Delta. Each air-conditioned tent has a plunge pool. Water activities and pampering are the focus here.
Rra Dinare
Located in a private concession in the southern reaches of the Okavango Delta, overlooking the Gomoti River, Rra Dinare is a traditional-style, well-priced camp.
Jao Camp
In a beautiful area with fantastic water activities, Jao combines an idyllic location with high levels of luxury and service, and a top-end spa.
Seba Camp
Seba Camp is a luxury camp in a lovely location that offers the full range of water and land safari activities, depending on the time of year. This camp is particularly suitable for families.
Setari Camp
Setari Camp stands on an island dotted with palm trees, close to the base of the Okavango’s ‘Panhandle"
Okavango Explorers
The traditional, tented Okavango Explorers Camp offers a mix of walking, canoeing and game drives led by great guides in a wildlife-rich area.
Abu Camp
Abu Camp is an exclusive safari camp on the western side of the Botswana's Okavango Delta - offering superb elephant-back safaris and opportunities to walk with them too.
Kiri Camp
Kiri Camp is the latest Okavango offering from the excellent team behind Machaba. In an exciting new location in the heart of the Delta we cannot wait to visit this new camp.
Karangoma
New for 2024, Karangoma is a classic, tented camp offering walking, canoeing and game drives, in partnership with the local Bukakwe San clan.
Okavango Walking Safari
The Okavango Delta Walking Safari camps in a secluded Okavango Delta Reserve where there are few roads; the ideal location for a walking trail led by an expert guide.
Duke’s Camp
On a remote island within a vast private concession, the eclectic Duke’s Camp is nestled among mature trees overlooking wildlife-rich plains of the Okavango.
Sitatunga Island Camp
Tucked away in a pristine corner of the Okavango Delta, the exclusive Sitatunga Private Island is a water-based camp offering boating, mokoro trips and fishing.
Atzaro Okavango
With a high level of tasteful luxury promised at Atzaro, we think it will be best suited to travellers seeking a touch of pampering alongside their safari.
Mokolwane
Deep in the heart of the Okavango, Mokolwane promises adventure in a largely untouched area.
Eagle Island Lodge
Eagle Island Lodge is a luxurious camp with international-style facilities including air conditioning and intercom in each room; offering water based activities in the Okavango Delta.
North Island Okavango
Deep in quintessentially “Okavango” territory, between deep-water and dry-land habitats, North Island focuses on a luxury safari experience with very good wildlife viewing opportunities.
Mbamba
Deep within the northern Okavango, the classically styled Mbamba is set to open in a wildlife-rich private concession in April 2025.
Qorokwe Camp
Luxurious and contemporary, the relatively new Qorokwe Camp is a gem in the Okavango Delta, offering land- and occasionally water-based activities in a prime wildlife area.
