Reviews of Shinde Footsteps
Wildlife sightings and reviews
50 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Shinde Footsteps and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

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"Footsteps Review - Sqwangwa!"
The tents were very comfortable in camp, with hot water boiled on the fire if you want a bucket shower. Food at the camp was amazing, even forgetting the very basic equipment used to prepare it. The camp itself is superbly located on a lagoon with a lot of walk-in visitors (hippos, elephants, hyenas) to keep everybody company and Hope, in particular, busy chatting away ("What are you doing here?")!
We also had 2 very enjoyable games of football with the staff, one of the highlights of which was surely a surprising slide tackle by Sue on Nancy. And for the record, we still maintain we scored 7 goals in that first match, not 5 as the official stat sheet shows. We were very appreciative of the staff spending time with us on their own personal time, like the first night when they all joined us around the fire for a chat and the final night when they put on an excellent traditional dancing/singing display. Sadly, we never got to hear Congo's full story, though we were told that if you start in the panhandle, then head up a long way, keep walking and walking, then turn left and keep walking, and walking and walking, you would eventually arrive in his village, which only has 10 people, or actually 9, because Congo was with us! Boster (aka Dr Loorve), however, did manage to introduce a new word into human vocabulary, "Sqwangwa" (for those of you unfamiliar with the term, it refers to the metal plate upon which the burning coals of a fire are first placed), which even now makes me laugh when I think of it. And if Moses tries to convince you that his first girlfriend at the age of 12 was a girl from the US, don't believe him.
I cannot recommend this camp highly enough. If you are coming to the Okavango Delta, I highly recommend you spend at least some of your time here. I get the impression it is not that well known given its distance (1.5hrs) from the nearest (Shinde) airstrip. For us, those drives from/to the airstrip, where we saw wild dogs and a leopard, were another game viewing highlight.
A totally amazing 4 days. Didn't want to leave. Sqwangwa!" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
"Or all round favourite"
Everyday at siesta time in the camp, there was no siesta! We did tin can shooting which the teenagers loved and one afternoon had a 5 a side football game. Playing football in the heat (and dust) in Botswana, then stopping at half time to wait for a massive elephant to stride through the camp has got to be one of the best memories ever. We were treated to hot bucket showers in the open air before afternoon tea (fit for a king) and on for another game drive.
We especially loved this camp as the guides were such good fun. Nothing was too much trouble and they were very willing to go beyond the call of duty to show us everything to keep the interest. The exclusivity of the camp (just our family) made I feel like the staff were the friends we were on holiday with rather than the actual staff.
The food was fantastic here too. The chef cooks on open fire...how does he produce such wonderful food without an oven?!!" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
"Amazing experience of 'real' Africa"
I think we were extremely lucky to have Mbaki and Moses supervising the staff and guests - Mbaki was always smiling and joking with the boys and Moses was able to combine his enthusiasm and knowledge of the bush and animals in a very interesting and informative way. Whether it was explaining how the Delta was formed, giving us details of the termite mounds, playing football, or toasting marshmallows on the camp fire, I know the three boys found two new friends. Nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff and we found the standard of meals exceptional.
We found our accommodation to be all that we had expected and the facility of daily laundry was a tremendous help.
On our first morning the wild dogs went through camp but sadly, although we rushed out, we couldn't locate them ... only the remains of their impala kill outside Moses' tent! The second morning the exercise was repeated but this time we were much luckier. We have all seen the dogs before but never have we seen a pure golden alpha female - she was beautiful.
So, all in all, absolutely no criticisms, just 100% praise for such a wonderful three days. My three grandsons voted this camp Number One of the four places we stayed at this holiday which is a recommendation in itself! Thank you to all the staff at Footsteps across the Delta." See all these reviews: 3n in Namibia; 3n in Botswana
"Alone in Footsteps"
Our main purpose in coming to Footsteps was to engage in walking safaris, and we did two, led by Moses. Each lasted only about an hour, and while they were interesting and informative, I thick we would have liked them to be longer. I heard from a guide that we met at Muchenje who used to be based there, that the walks used to be 3-4 hours, which i think is what I expected when we decided to go there. However, the sundowner venue at the end of the first walk was wonderful!
We enjoyed a mokoro trip with Phiefo from Shinde and had some good sightings, including leopards, lions and an eagle owl.
The staff once again put on a show for us on our second and last night and we were then escorted up to the lookout post for a private candlelit dinner for two, with sparkling wine and personal service from Hope. Quite magical! We enjoyed a final tour of the kitchen before we left and marvelled at their ability to cook such lovely meals, launder our clothes and generally keep the camp in such excellent condition with only a gas-fired fridge and a wood fire to help them. Farewell singing as we left, with hits all round.
We loved this simple camp - even the bucket shower! - and were made to feel very welcome by all the staff. Although lacking the luxury of other camps, it was excellent of its type." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 3n in Zambia
"Footsteps across the Delta review"
Moses, our guide, went above and beyond to plan the perfect 3 day stay for us. It was a nice change from the game drives (and no exercise) at other camps to be able to walk and learn about the small details of the bush. We also slept right next to a water hole filled with hippos day and night - to the point where you would hear them walking by at night right outside your tent!
Overall, magical and authentic bush experience. Loved it!" See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana
"a great bush experience"
again, only disappointment was less game than expecting" See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 3n in Namibia
"Footsteps Across the Delta review"
"Footsteps Across the Delta review"
We really enjoyed waking up with an elephant munching close to our tent!
We were somewhat taken aback to discover that we were the only guests there, and that they usually only take one group at a time. It sometimes made it a bit awkward at meals, finding topics to discuss with the guide and manager who ate with us. It also made tipping a more major issue because we were the only people contributing to a fairly large staff. On the plus side, they could tailor things specifically for us and our tastes. And the staff and guides were excellent!" See all these reviews: 19n in Namibia; 4n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
"A once in a lifetime experience for our kids"
We could plan together with OP the amount of walking and vehicle drives.
I would recommend this camp to be the first in a trip. It would make it even more exciting." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Fun for a change"
The wildlife was very plentiful. If they heard of a popular animal, ie lion, wild dogs, etc, we would walk to a waiting car and they would drive us to it. It appeared the wildlife was more plentiful in the delta than the Linyanti areas with the early rains. I was a little disappointed that our guide commented on how Botswana had too many elephants and did not comment on the poaching crisis which is more prevalent in other countries. It was a missed opportunity to educated others on the illegal ivory trade.
The rooms were very comfortable. The bucket showers worked really well and were just the right temperature." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 2n in South Africa
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