3-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner

Excellent service and Safari experience

We had an amazing trip and experience with Shinzelle Safaris, two of the three days it was just me and my friend making almost a private tour for us. He have been told that Shinzelle normally books small groups to make the experience better, our guide Jeffrey was excellent he provided a lot of information and helped us spot 4 of the big five (we just missed the rhino). Thanks also to Danielle to be in constant communication before and during the trip. Our accomodation: Gecko Logde was also good, specially the dinner meals which were exquisite.

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Awesome Trips with engaged Rangers

The Trips with our tour guide were awesome. Everyday new animals were spotted and the Rangers informed each other about interesting spots so you won't miss anything. Our Ranger Jeffery was able to give information and answers to all kinds of different things which lead to awesome three days.

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for this amazing feedback and we are so pleased you had a lovely time

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The agent to book a resort for guests

Stay at Tomo Safari Lodge with a three-day package. Overall, a 3-star experience with a 5-star cost. • The toilet in the room doesn’t flush well. • The bathroom light is white, which ruins the vibe. It should be yellow. • One waiter doesn’t smile while serving. He also spilled red wine on the table without noticing it himself and couldn’t remember the dishes for a group of four. He’s not familiar with the drink list at all. A young waiter on a working holiday, who’s only been here for a week, knows it better than him. • On a windy day, the waiters kept forgetting to close the door during dinner, even though two groups reminded them multiple times. This was awful and inconsiderate. • The guide skipped the coffee on the morning safari without explanation. His hospitality changes when there are more white guests on the safari car, raising concerns about racism. Such differentiated treatment is completely unacceptable. • The suggested tip is 450 ZAR for the guide and 450 ZAR for the villa staff per day, which guests are informed about upon arrival. This doesn’t feel right and isn’t a good practice for a luxury package. While tipping culture exists in the U.S. where employers often don’t pay a good base wage, when we’ve already spent tens of thousands of ZAR on a luxury package, the staff and guide should be paid well and shouldn’t expect tips. It’s quite disappointing to find so many flaws every day when you’ve booked a luxury package.

Response from the operator: Thank you for your feedback and for bringing your concerns to our attention. Even though your experience occurred at an affiliate property we partner with, we take your feedback seriously and will ensure it is passed on to the relevant parties for immediate action. At Shinzelle Safaris, we strive to ensure that every aspect of your safari experience meets the high standards we set for ourselves, regardless of the accommodations or service providers we collaborate with. It is unfortunate that this particular property did not meet your expectations. We will address all your concerns with the property in question. Please see our feedback to each of your concerns below. Room and Lighting Issues: It is regrettable that this did not meet your standards. We will share this feedback with the affiliate lodge so that they can address these specific issues. Service at the Lodge: We understand how important it is for staff to be both attentive and professional. We will ensure this feedback is relayed to the property’s management to ensure further training and attention to detail is provided. Safari Guide Conduct: The concerns about differentiated treatment during your safari are concerning to us. While the guide in question is employed by the affiliate lodge, we are committed to ensuring that every guest receives equal and respectful treatment. We will raise this issue with their management team for investigation. Tipping Policy: We understand your frustration regarding the tipping policy. While tipping guidelines are set by the property, tipping is considered a form of gratuity and is not compulsory. We will communicate this feedback to them and review how gratuity information is shared to ensure guests feel comfortable and informed. Please note that this experience does not reflect the standards of service we at Shinzelle Safaris aim to provide. We are committed to ensuring every guest has a flawless and memorable safari experience, the disappointment you encountered is regrettable. We encourage you in the future to bring any concerns to our attention in real-time, through the open lines of communication you had with us via WhatsApp or email. Alternatively, addressing these issues directly with the lodge management on site would have allowed all parties the chance to resolve them immediately and improve your experience during your stay. Thank you for sharing your feedback. We hope that despite the setbacks, you were still able to enjoy certain aspects of your package, such as the unforgettable safari sightings, the tranquil natural surroundings, the delicious meals, and the luxurious accommodations at the lodge. We also trust that the smooth communication and seamless logistics provided by our company contributed positively to your overall experience.

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Excellent experience safari and lodge

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.

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Avoid!!

What a sham of a company. Indecent and money hungry. The first day our driver seemed disgruntled and went out of the way to be unhelpful. He never even introduced himself or asked our names. Before we took off, I made sure to tell him my knee was giving me issues. However, whenever we made a stop, he went out of his way to park as far away as he could to watch me struggle to get in and out of the vehicle and walk an unnecessary distance when he could have parked closer. I believe any courteous man, especially a guide, would've at least offered to help. He didn't speak to us until we had to sign papers before entering the park. While on the safari, water was supposed to be included, instead, the driver took a bottle out of the case for himself and not even once offered us any. I have not received such poor service on a tour and I've been to over 40 countries. Also just having met this man, we had done nothing to him, but this was how he decided to treat paying customers. I've completed other safaris in Africa, including the Serengeti and never received such offensive service from a company. I did not travel this far to South Africa, especially for my birthday to deal with a boorish and disgruntled driver. After mentioning our concerns to the company, the lady who coordinated the trip's first response was: "I am incredibly shocked and disappointed to hear the feedback from today and we do certainly value our guest experience above all! This is very unlike Jeffery and there are a few points that I have seriously addressed with him. I am sincerely disappointed that this was your first impression and certainly trust that we can redeem ourselves for the rest of your trip. I did give Jeffery your names and so I suppose as he knew them he did not ask - but again this is not who he is and certainly have never received this kind of feedback about him before". What a complete joke of a response! This is the feedback we have given and clearly how we were treated. I don't have the creativity or time to make this nonsense up, they have implied. Seems she cared more to defend the driver than accept our feedback. She also wanted us to take the same driver for the rest of our tour. Clearly showing they didn't care about our feedback. However, we refused, and they found us a new driver who was the opposite of the first. He was polite, cared about what my friend wanted to see, informative, and come to find out, was from a different company. Making me believe all their drivers are rude or the first driver is known to be disgruntled and gets the last minute customers, as we booked our tour a day or so before. The company then offered a bottle of wine as a "nice" gesture. However, it seemed disingenuous and not acceptable considering the driver ruined our day and experience. Additionally, the coordinator was told I was not feeling well and the lodge never gave us the bottle. After falling ill I was unable to participate in the final two safaris. I reached out to the coordinator for a refund for those days, and was told no, because everything was a package, and the company didn't offer refunds. I then asked for at least a refund for the entrance fees to Kruger and that became an issue as well. The coordinator then proceeded to go back and forth with me and say that she had done so much to accommodate us. I don't think people deserve sympathy or rewards for doing their jobs. Additionally, she kept mentioning how she accommodated us, by finding a new driver, something that would not have been an issue if the first one hadn't been inconsiderate. I then spoke to the manager who was also arrogant and unaware of what customer service is. I asked for a refund for the driver the first day as his attitude and demeanor was unacceptable. His response was that refund of any sort wasn't necessary as the driver provided a service. Again, clearly diminishing and invalidating our concerns, and defending a useless driver. Even after asking if it's ok to provide poor service, he said his driver still deserved to get paid! I did not ask him for any other reimbursement, outside of the refund for the driver and the entrance fees for the park that clearly were not used, as I did not participate in the other safaris. He declined to reimburse for the driver and said he would reach out to the other company to see if they would reimburse. Also, in the beginning of our conversation said if the other company said no, they would reimburse. That sentiment changed towards the end of the conversation. I guess after not backing down that the whole company has poor customer service and was unbelievable.As of today, I still have not heard back from this deceitful company. I guess the company isn't doing well as they choose to hold onto every dollar they receive at the expense of customers, even in the presence of poor service. I have never had to write a poor review for a tour company, but for this company, it is more than deserved. Please find another company!!

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