Shindzela Tented Safari Camp

Shindzela (named after the Honey badger in the African Shangaan language) is an authentic tented bush camp made from wood and canvas, set within the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, part of the greater Kruger National Park, South Africa. It is from here that Shindzela brings you an affordable wildlife safari, where you can explore the African wilderness on game drives in open safari vehicles and on foot during bush walks. Safari activities are conducted by professional and knowledgeable safari guides. The camp has an informal, relaxed atmosphere, and is alive with warm African hospitality.

Shindzela (named after the Honey badger in the African Shangaan language) is an authentic tented bush camp made from wood and canvas, set within the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, part of the greater Kruger National Park, South Africa. It is from here that Shindzela brings you an affordable wildlife safari, where you can explore the African wilderness on game drives in open safari vehicles and on foot during bush walks. Safari activities are conducted by professional and knowledgeable safari guides. The camp has an informal, relaxed atmosphere, and is alive with warm African hospitality.

Shindzela offers guests a greater Kruger wildlife safari, in an unfenced wilderness environment. We have no power, instead we use solar power, gas and candles. We are undisturbed by modern conveniences such as television and cell phones, preferring to immerse ourselves in the African wilderness. The camp accommodates just 12 guests, and offers walking safaris, and game drives in open vehicles.

Shindzela offers both game drives and bush walks. Each nature encounter places an emphasis on understanding the wild environment, and tracking and viewing animals in their natural surroundings. As we are a small camp, we are able to accommodate a guest’s preference of activity, be it a walking safari or game drive safari.

The Timbavati Reserve, South Africa, is home to a myriad of mammal species, including Africa’s Big Five animals - lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant. Other species of game that visitors may encounter whilst on safari include hyena, jackal, giraffe, hippo, wild dog, zebra, kudu and impala, to mention just a few. There are over 350 bird species recorded in the area. The Reserve is open to the Kruger National Park, providing animals with a vast expanse of wilderness in which to roam, free of fences.

Game viewing is conducted in the early mornings and late afternoons. Safari activities begin at dawn, and guests return to camp mid-morning. Spend the rest of the day relaxing in camp. In the afternoon, depending on the animal movements in the area, guides may suggest a game drive and short walk, followed by sundowners and a night safari game drive. The best time to view game on your African safari, are the early hours of the morning and during the late afternoon. This is when most game is active – during the heat of the day, many animals tend to seek shade and are less active. Night game drives with a spotlight bring you in to contact with nocturnal animals such as Bush babies, Civets, Genets, African wild cats, Porcupines and so forth.

Guests choosing a walking safari should be prepared to walk anywhere from 2 to 3 hours on a trail. All walking trails are led by an experienced armed trails guide. A maximum of 8 guests make up a trail. Guides will give guests a thorough safety briefing before starting, so that they are comfortable with the rules and safety instructions pertaining to their walking trail. Please note that during summer bush walks may be shorter in duration, due to the thick bush.



At Shindzela, we offer an authentic African safari experience in an unfenced, private and natural wilderness environment. Safari accommodation is in twin or double safari canvas tents, set on wooden platforms. Tents have a wooden entrance door, adjustable canvas flaps for windows, and mesh to keep insects out. Each tent has a thatch roof and porch, designed to cool the tents in summer. Tents have solar lighting, and are equipped with all bedding and towels. Private bathrooms are made from reeds wood and canvas and feature a shower, hand basin and flush toilet.

The general bush camp area encompasses a covered dining area, swimming pool, kitchen and central African fireplace - a perfect spot to relive safari experiences around the fire. Your African safari is hosted by a guide and tracker, and the camp is owner managed. We operate an honesty bar, where guests can help themselves to drinks, and record their drinks on a bar tab sheet. We have deliberately decided to keep the camp undeveloped, so as to better blend in to the environment, and offer guests an undisturbed wilderness experience.

There are numerous advantages to enjoying a safari in a well-known Private Game Reserve, which is part of the greater Kruger National Park:

Shindzela is situated in a private concession area within the Timbavati Reserve, this means we are able to be to offer our guests a number of distinct advantages for their wildlife safari: We are the only safari operator in this concession area, which means we are undisturbed by other commercial vehicles, so have unrestricted opportunity for animals sightings. We are able to offer true walking safaris in a Big Five Reserve. The camp is unfenced, making it very much part of the wilderness. We can stay out later on activities, including night drives. We are permitted to drive off road into the bush in search of predators or unusual sightings.

Whilst we make every effort to seek out the Big Five animals lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino, we focus on the whole safari environment, showing appreciation for all aspects of the wilderness, animal behaviour and habitat, trees, insect and plant life, as well as viewing all the other species of game found in the bush. Animals are free to roam in vast areas, this is not an area of managed sightings, but rather a true wilderness experience, with natural movement of game.