Tomsfries

Anybody been to Shinde Camp in Botswana?
I know itīs a neighbor camp to Kwara, so game viewing should be the same.
Thomas

PredatorBiologist

Thomas: I have not been to Shinde but I know a guide who worked there for years and thinks very highly of it. However, the guide really likes the variety it offers, with drives, walks, motorboat, and mokoro.

I would not assume that the gameviewing is the same as Kwara. Kwara is huge with a large variety of habitats. Shinde is in a small concession that is very wet and most similar to the wet, swampy southern area of Kwara, while I think some of the best game at Kwara is in the northern drier areas. Shinde does have some permanent dry area for drives and I believe it has been quite good for lion in the past and is a camp I would like to visit but I do not think it compares to Kwara for diverse gameviewing.

HariS

Thomas,

Have you spoken to Mothusi about it during any prior visit? He thinks Kwara is much superior. I had a long chat with him around New Year's time about the Kwara area, as I think he has argueably the most expertize of the area ........

Tomsfries

We once more had some booking problems , we were booked 4 nights Lebala, 3 Mapula and 3 Kwara. Some days later my TA said that the local agency in Botswana made a mistake and only blocked it for some hours while weīve been told it was blocked over the weekend.
So they offered us 3 nights Mapula, 4 nights Lebala and 3 nights Camp Okuti. I didnīt want to go to Okuti because it is in the Moremi National Park which means that the diversity of activities is limited (i.e. no offroad, no walks, in camp by 7, when the fun starts).
Alternatively they offered us 3 nights Chitabe. That would have been € 300,-- more expensive than Kwara PER NIGHT in November! I am not willed to pay those WSīs prices any more!
So we gave our TA other alternatives. But it is not easy to find camps in Bots which are not managed or run by WS.
It came out that only Shinde was available at the requested period. It is € 100,-- more expensive than Kwara, but I still can live with that. I hope that our experience at Shinde will be better than you 2 guys told me.
Nethertheless I still try to get on a waiting list for Kwara or Lagoon. My TAīs working on it. I donīt know if cancellation on Shinde will be possible.
I hope that this Wilderness Safari price bubble explodes in the near future. Otherwise I will have to find other safari destinations than Botswana.
Thomas

HariS

Hi Thomas,

I am only talking about what I heard from people who have guided at Kwara since almost 7 or more years ..... I have not been to Shinde and certainly won't even entertain the thought of booking a stay there! Botswana camps and lodges cost a lot of money to indulge in experimentation.

Cheers
Hari

PS: I just had 5 fantastic nights in the Mara - no crowds- almost all sightings to myself. Turned down several Lion sightings ..... Had superb Cheetah sightings too!

mpkp

we stayed at Shinde in 2000 and thoroughly enjoyed it. That was a while ago so it is not helpful but I found this sight with reviews of shinde for you and it has very good reviews still. Hope this helps.

http://www.expertafrica.com/lodge/Sh.../review?page=1

jjmb

I stayed at Shinde in June 2002. It was 1 of 6 stops on our first safari, so everything seemed wonderful and exciting. The camp staff was very accomodating (although I know the managers have since moved on). The guiding was good (if Amos is still there, he is a delight). The wildlife was varied and ample - had my one and only sighting of a caracal with a bird in its mouth and Pel's fishing owl on the same drive; lots of lions, leopards, lechwe, etc. We enjoyed it a lot, but then again, we have enjoyed every safari we have done and we're pretty easy to please.

We also stayed at Kwara in 2006. The 2002 version of Shinde would not be as upscale as Kwara is now, but it was very acceptable (we don't need super luxury). But who knows, maybe they have upgraded it further since then, if you are looking for luxury.