Reviews

Average User Rating
4.9/5

Rating Breakdown
  • 5 star 58
  • 4 star 4
  • 3 star 1
  • 2 star 0
  • 1 star 0

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 1-10 of 63 Reviews
Roberto Rubio   –  
United Arab Emirates AE
Visited: September 2023 Reviewed: Oct 12, 2023

Email Roberto Rubio  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Roberto Rubio and not that of SafariBookings.
Jeffrey, our Safari driver, was great; the rest of the logistic was below par.
3/5

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.

Mark   –  
United States US
Visited: May 2023 Reviewed: Jul 26, 2023

Email Mark  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Great trip, Shinzelle more challenging than expected.
4/5

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
Reply from Shinzelle Safaris
Posted on Jul 26, 2023

Dear 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

Mary   –  
United States US
Visited: April 2019 Reviewed: May 27, 2019

Email Mary

Energetic, accommodating and making it work.
4/5

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.

Diego   –  
Spain ES
Visited: September 2018 Reviewed: Oct 11, 2018

Email Diego  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Great deal in terms of price vs. quality
4/5

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

rtuytyu   –  
India IN
Visited: May 2015 Reviewed: May 31, 2018

Email rtuytyu

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4/5

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Fernanda   –  
United States US
Visited: April 2024 Reviewed: Apr 1, 2024

Email Fernanda  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Excellent service despite last minute lodge change. Kruger guide Edson was fantastic
5/5

Have had excellent experience with Danielle via email and whats app. Despite last minute change in lodge we have enjoyed Tshukudu lodge. Great service and sunrise sunset safari. Our guide Edson is amazing had a adventure packed Kruger day safari with a unique and unforgettable experience. Saw white lion mating. Dingo family. Leopard. Cheetah stalking. Elephant families with little ones. Zebras. Wilderbeast. Impala and so much more. Hipos and zebras. Lunch was in a great restaurant. Exceeded all our expectations.

David   –  
United States US
Visited: December 2023 Reviewed: Dec 27, 2023

Email David  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Friendly, professional and reliable tour operator with an expert, knowledgeable driver/guide
5/5

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.

Philip   –  
Australia AU
Visited: September 2023 Reviewed: Oct 20, 2023

Email Philip  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

An amazing experience!
5/5

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!

Giulia   –  
Italy IT
Visited: August 2023 Reviewed: Sep 25, 2023

Email Giulia  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Great organization and very good guides
5/5

We had a great experience with Shinzelle Safaris, awesome guides and small groups that allowed us to see all the animals in an exciting way

Mick R   –  
Australia AU
Visited: August 2023 Reviewed: Sep 22, 2023

Email Mick R  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Good operator but can improve on comunication
5/5

A friend and I did the 5-Day Private Photographic Safari in the Kruger Park. After an initial hick-up with the transfer from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit (we did receive a refund at the end of the safari) and a change of camps from Satara to Letaba and Oliphants (which we were not advised of until meeting our guide) the trip was amazing. Our guide Nick was excellent. Not only was he good at spotting animals but was a great photography teacher as well. The end of the 5 days he had us both using the manual settings on our cameras. There was a lack of cat sightings with only 3 lazy lions seen in the 5 days but that was made up for with lots of hyenas and some great wild dog sightings close to Letaba Camp. Both camps were nice, with accommodations at both clean and tidy. Food at the camps was good but choice limited as it was the same restaurant chain at both camps.

Average User Rating
4.9/5
Rating Breakdown
  • 5 star 58
  • 4 star 4
  • 3 star 1
  • 2 star 0
  • 1 star 0
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