Shinde Camp
A complete rebuild in 2020 transformed the camp into the elegant, treehouse‑inspired retreat seen today; a modern expression of Ker & Downey’s long‑standing reputation for intimacy, atmosphere and year‑round land‑and‑water exploration.
Location
The concession supports prolific lion, leopard, wild dog, elephant and red lechwe, along with superb birdlife. Because NG21 is private land, Shinde can offer night drives and off‑road exploration, alongside year‑round game drives, boating, mokoro excursions and guided walks.
Accommodation
Inside, the tents include a separate lounge area with writing desk, and a generous en‑suite bathroom featuring indoor and outdoor showers, double basins and a freestanding bath. One tent is a two‑bedroom unit, ideal for families of up to five who want to stay together without losing privacy.
Meals are typically enjoyed on the open deck or under the trees, with the camp’s intimate scale creating a relaxed, convivial atmosphere. Whether it’s breakfast at first light or dinner by lantern glow, the setting ensures every meal feels closely connected to the Delta.
Experiences
- Set out on off‑road game drives, tracking lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog across the floodplains with the freedom to follow sightings wherever they lead.
- Venture out after dark on night drives, watching the Delta shift into its nocturnal rhythm as civets, genets, owls and predators emerge.
- Glide through the channels by mokoro, moving silently between reeds and lilies while birdlife and smaller creatures reveal themselves at close range.
- Explore the waterways by motorboat, navigating crystal‑clear lagoons and narrow channels alive with hippo, elephant and dazzling birdlife.
- Join guided bush walks, stepping into the Delta on foot to learn about tracks, behaviour, ecology and the subtleties you miss from a vehicle.
- Photograph wildlife from elevated decks, capturing elephants, red lechwe and predators as they move through the floodplains below the treehouse‑style camp.
- Arrive from sister camp Okuti by boat, travelling through winding channels and open lagoons for a thrilling, wildlife‑filled approach to Shinde’s island.
Why We Include Shinde in Our Journeys
Its private‑concession freedoms – night drives, walking safaris and off‑road exploration – complement a stay inside Moremi, giving you two contrasting angles on the Delta and a wider sweep of wildlife. And arriving at Shinde from Okuti by boat is, quite simply, unforgettable.
Talk to us about designing your journey >
From the Team
“Initially, my family thought Shinde was worth it for the boat journey alone, but it’s the whole adventure that really won us over: that wonderful Swiss‑Family‑Robinson feeling, the secluded pool, the night drives, the superb meals. Truly magical.”
Why Plan Your Safari with Journeysmiths
Every journey we design begins with listening. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, or across generations, we take time to understand how you want your safari to feel – not just where you want to go. From there, we carefully weave together exceptional places, trusted guides, and seamless logistics to create journeys that flow naturally and feel entirely your own.Every journey we design begins with listening. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, or across generations, we take time to understand how you want your safari to feel – not just where you want to go. From there, we carefully weave together exceptional places, trusted guides, and seamless logistics to create journeys that flow naturally and feel entirely your own.
Positive Impact
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
Great Places to Combine with Shinde Camp
Shinde works beautifully as part of a wider African journey. We often pair it with contrasting environments to create a sense of flow and variety.Shinde works beautifully as part of a wider African journey. We often pair it with contrasting environments to create a sense of flow and variety.
Quietly personal, this delightful camp amid the islands of a prime seasonally-flooded plain is in wildlife-rich territory and even offers a sleep out platform for a night under the stars.
On the permanent waterways of Moremi’s Xakanaxa region, Okuti offers effortless access to abundant wildlife, year‑round mokoro and boat excursions, and a deep, immersive connection to the Okavango’s landscapes.
Dinaka’s private Kalahari concession centres on permanent waterholes that pull wildlife close, while the opportunity to spend time with San Bushmen adds a cultural depth few camps can match.
With a luxury tented camp and the option of even greater privacy and exclusivity at its two riverfront villas, Mpala Jena offers easy-going indulgence on the banks of the Zambezi River – combining classic safari experiences with the relaxed rhythm of life on the water.
A contemporary sanctuary set above Walker Bay, Grootbos Forest Lodge immerses you in ancient milkwood forests, sweeping ocean views and world‑class fynbos experiences, all delivered with refined, nature‑forward luxury.
From the team
"I love the diversity of Botswana. From lunar-like salt pans in the Makgadikgadi to the stunning, glistening waterways of the Okavango Delta - there is nowhere else like it in the world! I’ve visited at many different times of year and the game viewing has been unrivalled"
From the pristine wilderness of Linyanti, to the glistening floodplains of the Okavango Delta, and beyond to the shimmering salt flats of Makgadikgadi - this Botswana safari will leave you with incredible memories from beginning to end. Experience the diverse ecosystems and wildlife Botswana has to offer in this epic journey from plains, to delta to desert.
This memorable safari combines a journey through one of Africa’s most game rich areas, with a visit to one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Experience Botswana’s abundant wildlife in the spectacular Okavango Delta and Linyanti, before heading to the winding Zambezi River to see the astonishing Victoria Falls.
Travel across Southern Africa in complete luxury, staying at some of the most exclusive properties on the continent. With every single detail taken care of by exceptional guides and staff at each location, you can concentrate on what really matters - immersing yourself in an exclusive African safari experience.
From the glistening floodplains of the Okavango Delta, to the pristine wilderness of Linyanti, and beyond to the shimmering salt flats of Makgadikgadi - this family friendly safari will leave you all with lifelong memories. Experience the diverse ecosystems and wildlife Botswana has to offer in this spectacular journey from Delta to Desert.
Botswana is Africa’s most exclusive safari destination. Each enormous private reserve has just one or two luxury lodges guaranteeing a series of private experiences as you travel from one exquisite location to the next. Expert guides will take your family on safari among big cats and vast elephant herds in beautiful deltas and deserts.
Imagine gliding silently along an Okavango waterway in a mokoro canoe as zebra and impala graze the grasslands. Or cantering on horseback with your guide alongside giraffe. In the Kalahari, take an early morning walk with a San Bushman as he explains the ancestral secrets of survival.
Here’s something you might not expect. The people looking after you on safari might create some of your happiest safari memories. You’ll remember laughter and those after dinner stories and jokes around the campfire. During a three-night stay in a luxury camp, you’ll get to make friends with your guide, the chef, the vegetable gardener and the other people who love their work.
Botswana is a great choice for an exclusive family safari. Roaming the spectacular deserts, deltas and savannahs are literally millions of animals. The fertility and abundant water of the Okavango and Linyanti Deltas supports an incredible 200 different mammal species. The Government’s high value, low volume tourism policy helps conservation and enables you to enjoy a top quality private safari.
Between safaris there is plenty for children to do in camp while the adults relax. Safari lodges may be small and in remote locations, but they have excellent facilities and your hosts’ purpose is to give you the best possible time. In this section we also suggest a couple of places that combine easily to complement your Botswana safari.
We’ve compiled a list of our favourite experiences to inspire your imagination.
The best way to give your family the facilities it seeks may be to book out an entire camp or lodge. Perhaps you are planning a multi-generation safari. Or you may want to fulfil a dream of walking, mokoroing and camping out in the Okavango. You may simply crave an extra degree of privacy. Most lodges we use take fewer than 16 guests, some take only eight, so booking a whole lodge is a viable option.
Booking your family safari to Botswana opens a door to a world of exciting adventure. From the minute your Cessna touches the bush strip, your family will be in the wilds with expert guides. We curated the top 10 family experiences in Botswana to whet your appetite.
Escape into the wilds of Botswana, where the pristine landscape and varied wildlife abound. On a luxury safari in Botswana, you can expect to share your safari with only a handful of other guests, as our travel insider Philippa Page discovered.
Botswana is one of the best places for a family holiday of a lifetime! There are millions of animals across plains, deserts and deltas.
The Kalahari is a fascinating place for a family safari. The children can sit by a meerkat den watching these curious little creatures foraging and playing as one stands guard on its hind legs looking out for eagles. They can watch enthralled as a San Bushman reveals hidden secrets that have enabled them to survive here for thousands of years.
Botswana, a land of contrasts, captivates travelers with its seasonal transformations. The Okavango Delta floods draw abundant wildlife, while rains blanket the Makgadikgadi and Nxai salt pans in green. Chobe National Park hosts vast elephant herds, and the north's lush landscapes contrast with the Kalahari's stark beauty in the south. This unforgettable journey offers Africa’s most exclusive safari in complete luxury.
When seeking advice, we all agree that we should trust someone with first-hand experience. A frequent visitor to Botswana, Laura knows the luxury lodges and camps that reveal Botswana’s remarkable wildlife and the distinct landscapes that shape each safari experience.