Kruger National Park Safari

Sipho was such a great guide! He was very kind and intelligent, and also got us really close to the animals. Highly recommend the safari, and the guidance of Sipho in particular.

We booked the 4-Day Private Game Reserve & Kruger National Park Safari and had an outstanding experience from start to finish. Thamia was incredibly responsive and helpful from the moment I first requested a quote, answering all our questions and making the booking process seamless. One of the things we appreciated most was that everything was organised for us from the moment we landed at Hoedspruit Airport. The transfers, accommodation, and safari arrangements were all handled professionally, allowing us to simply relax and enjoy the experience. The absolute highlight of our trip was our day in Kruger National Park. Our guide, Shoes, was exceptional—knowledgeable, passionate, and clearly highly experienced. Thanks to his expertise, we managed to see all of the Big Five before lunchtime, which is truly remarkable and far from an ordinary safari experience. We learned so much throughout the day and were continually impressed by Shoes' ability to spot wildlife and share fascinating insights about the animals and their behaviour. This was a trip we'll never forget, and we would highly recommend Khalanga Safaris to anyone looking for a well-organised, memorable, and authentic safari experience in South Africa.

Another great experience with Shoes and Khalanga Safaris. Probably not quite the experience we were expecting due to the unusually high rainfall earlier in the year; the evidence of which was still visible throughout the Park in May. This did mean that the vegetation was still quite lush and water was still plentiful. It also meant that many of the ‘off road’ tracks were closed. However, thanks to Shoes’ knowledge of the Park and great experience – he is extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of ‘his Kruger’- we still had the most amazing time. This year (this was our third trip) we extended our stay in each area again! Starting with 2 nights in Punda Maria – definitely not the swankiest of accommodations but worth it for the amazing variety of birdlife seen on the Game Drives. Sometimes overlooked in the search for the Big Five, the birds of the Kruger are simply beautiful – and if you go looking for the birds, guess what, you see the most spectacular animal sights along the way! We then went to Mopani for 3 nights, Olifants for 3 nights, Satara for 2 nights and finished in Skukuza for our final night and every single day/Drive gave a different experience delivering something new. From the courting Bataleur’s, Rhinoceros crossing directly in front of the vehicle, Wild Dogs in the road, Lions relaxing by the river to the African Harrier Hawk , carefully picking out its prey, and the Martial Eagle with its kill; it was fantastic. I really wanted to see the Yellow throated Longclaw –we did and what a beautiful bird! The African Paradise Flycatcher, Green Wood Hoopoe and the Pearl Spotted Owlet were amazing as were the Cheetah, Hyena, Hippo, Crocodile (for such large creatures they move incredibly stealthily and fast!) Jackal, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Warthog (my favourite!) – the list of sightings is very long and we have some stunning pictures! We felt we saw everything, apart from the elusive Leopard and the Secretary Bird! However, we have seen the Leopard on 2 previous occasions so we weren’t too disappointed and the proximity to the Rhinos this year certainly compensated! The Secretary Bird keeps eluding us but we will find it! The organization and communication were superb; from the initial idea of what we wanted to do right through to leaving us at the pickup for the journey back to Jo’burg airport, Khalanga Safaris provided an excellent service. As I have said before, it is probably not hard to go to the Kruger and see some great sights but the experience offered by Khalanga Safaris is far more than this and we could not recommend it highly enough. We are now looking forward to journeying through the ‘autumn Kruger’ with Shoes in 2027.

We booked with Khalanga Safaris after reading the reviews from other travelers and eagerly awaited our trip. From the moment we made contact, Thamia in the office was fantastic, nothing was too much. We travelled as a family of four and were delighted with our experience from start to finish. Eddison picked us up from the airport and brought on the magical Panoramic tour, which was much more than expected with entrance into 3 separate attractions, all of which were visually stunning, and at this time of year, void of crowds. The following morning we meet Shoes our guide for the next 4 days. Each day Shoes ensured that we experienced something wonderful, through his knowledge of the animals he would read the views and rely on his instinct to know what might be revealed. We were not disappointed, and through patience were treated to some spectacular scenes. The evenings were spent at the rest camps and we were treated to Shoes cooking of local food. We would highly recommend booking with Khalanga, and intend to do so again ourselves some day.

Dear Thamia and Shoes, Thank you so much for making our safari a dream come true. We loved every moment of the experience, from the wildlife sightings to the accommodations. We especially appreciated the knowledge Shoes shared with us about the nature in your beautiful country. We felt very safe and well looked after throughout the trip. Our adventure far exceeded our expectations, and we will cherish these memories forever. Thank you again for everything.

Everything about Khalanga was top drawer. From the initial enquiry trough to dropping us off at the departure airport, Thamia in the office and Shoes our guide were excellent. Accommodation was arranged at the Khaya Ndlovu reserve in Hoedspruit in a luxury tent overlooking the watering hole where we had regular visits of zebra, water buck, monkeys and mongoose. We had a combination of safaris at the reserve and guided trips with company owner and all round top guy Shoes who spotted and showed us animals and birds we would never have seen on our own. We visited Kruger NP and did the Panorama route into the Drakensberg with Shoes. Both were great days and complemented each other. All round great safari trip and I fully recommend Khalanga who will take care of all your needs.

My friend and I booked a 5 day safari with Khalanga and were absolutely BLOWN away!! Shoes was our guide, and from the very first contact we were so impressed with his professionalism. He helped coordinate our private safari via email, he was very quick to reply and so helpful coordinating and planning a safari exactly to our meet our requests/desires. When we arrived and started the tour with Shoes we quickly realized that there was no one better than Shoes!! He was so very passionate about the beautiful park and animals, he taught us so much about the flora and fauna and shared with us his knowledge, expertise and passion for conservation. We were so grateful to learn about his ancestral land and the Khalanga peoples. Shoes is such a lovely and joyous personality! He is also an incredible cook!! This trip was truly the best vacation of our lives - it was so much better than our wildest dreams. I recommend Khalanga safaris and Shoes 100%!!!! Book with this company, you will not be disappointed!

My family and I used Khalanga Safaris on a full day Kruger park guided tour and another day on the Panorama route. Both were very exceptional experiences. The vastness of the Kruger and spread of the panorama route demand that the tour guide understands the local context (knowledge) , offer flexibility during the safaris and of-course be very professional. Khalanga had all these and the knowledge and context aspects were especially invaluable. I Highly recommend the safari company. Tips: ask the guide lots of questions. The guys are very knowledgeable and you will get information that is not in the guide books😄👍🏽

Everything about the tour was perfect, book a safari drive than self drive and experience what nature has to offer.

I spent 3 1/2 days with Shoes and couldn't have been happier with my experience. We went on a total of 4 game drives - 3 in Kruger National Park and 1 in a private game reserve. We also spent a half day on a community tour and a half day on the Panorama Route. Shoes went above and beyond in his hospitality and goal to make the experience as best as possible. He tweaked the schedule based on weather and sought specific parts of the park that he realized his guests might have more or less interest in based on conversations. For some background - I am an American citizen living abroad and was traveling to South Africa for the first time. This trip was in December of 2020, during the COVID pandemic, and Shoes and everyone involved with the trip went out of their way to ensure maximum levels of health and safety. Shoes is AMAZING. His family is Tsonga and he was born in Kruger and has been living in or around the park his entire life. Not only is his knowledge of the animals and the environment overwhelming, but his passion for his craft is palpable. I am jealous of Shoes because I wish I was so passionate about anything as much as he is about sharing his expertise with respect to conservationism and the animal life in the park. One of the highlights of the trip was simply getting to know Shoes personally - learning all the history of the area, the languages he speaks, why things are a certain way. Remarkable. Specific to the aspects of the tour itself - we were able to see all 5 Big Game animals in one day, and even saw a pride of lions having a meal (something Shoes anticipated based on the location of a local watering hole and the recency of a rainstorm. Remarkable foresight and expertise). The community tour consisted of stopping for a beer and conversations with a few local people about their lifestyle and village activities during holidays. The Panorama Route was absolutely as advertised with respect to the breathtaking beauty and uniqueness of each attraction. I can't emphasize this enough - if you are even considering a trip to Kruger, PLEASE book your experience with Khalanga Safaris and Shoes. This trip was once in a lifetime and I am so grateful to Shoes and everyone involved with Khalanga for making it happen. Call Khalanga - you won't regret it!

Shoes Khalanga was patient and knowledgeable about the history, movements and vegetation of the area. He answered all our questions and drove such that we get to enjoy the scenic views and observe animal movements. It was incredible. Thank you for the driving trip as well.

We had an amazing full day private game drive at the Kruger National Park with Shoes. He shared lots of stories and knowledge which made the trip that much more better. You can definitely tell that Shoes has lot of experience and really knows his stuff. During the midday portion of our drive we encountered a pair of female and male lions off in the bushes. However, at the time there were already 4-5 other cars in the area making viewing relatively difficult. Shoes trusted his instinct and double back. Lo and behold, the pair of lions crossed the street with us being the only one there and only a mere few feet away. That sums up the highlight of our trip!

We had a fantastic tour with Khalanga Safaris! This is our first trip to South Africa and when we were asked to pay in full before arriving in the country we were very apprehensive. However, we came to understand that the payment is necessary to secure our lodging and to reserve our safari tours. Khalanga Safaris not only delivered but exceeded our expectations. Shoes, the owner and our knowledgeable guide, met us at Johannesburg airport and drove us to Hoedspruit where we had our afternoon safari complete with snacks and a sundowner. Our safari tour consisted of 1 full day at Kruger National Park, 1 afternoon/sunset safari at a private estate and 1 morning safari at another private estate. We believe that you should have the experience of both the National Park and the Private Estates. The Park provided beautiful open space and we saw herds of giraffes, zebras and impalas. We also saw groups of elephants. However, we could not get close to the animals and must stay on the road. At the private Estates we were able to see lions, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, giraffes and zebras up close and could go off road and into the bushes to get close to the animals. Our lodge was the African Rock Lodge and it was beautiful, clean and relaxing. The owners Sander and his wife Juliet were wonderful hosts. Juliet is a great cook and we enjoyed the bbq game meats that she prepared to perfection. The Culture tour gave us a peek into life at the local village. People were friendly and kind. We got to taste marula fruit and beer. We did the Panorama Tour on the drive back to Johannesburg and were so empresses by the beautiful scenery: Blyde River Canyon, Burke’s Luck Pot Holes and the Lisbon falls. We lucked out and had sunny days but do use sun block. We forgot on the last day and were burnt even with using an umbrella! It was a trip of a lifetime and Khalanga Safaris played a major role in making it so memorable. We highly recommend Khalanga Safaris! Thai & Leanne

We had two times one-day tour in Kruger Park. First day was a rainy day - but we saw a lot of different animals, even wild dogs and leopard. Second day was much better weather - and again with a lot of animals. We were three couples on a South Africa journey together - and we enjoyed both safari tours with driver Shoes. He told us a lot of stories about Kruger and all the animals we saw - and was very nice and made sure we had a good time.

We had amazing two days with Shoes. He picked us up early in the morning and we spent two whole days with him. The first day was very hot (over 42 degrees) but he still managed to show us lots of animals. It was incredible to see all the wild animals so close. It very interesting to listen to Shoes as he knows everything about the park and the animals. He was able to answer all the questions we had. He's really good in spotting all the animals. We were really happy to see all the different kinds of animals (also the small ones like birds, lizards, dassis,...). We made breaks for breakfast and lunch and he always made sure to show us the best. Because of him we tried a local speciality called PAP and we loved it. Also the booking was very easy and Johanna informed us about everything. Thanks to Shoes & Johanna for the great time we spent in Kruger National Park.

We had a lovely time with Shoes and with Johanne the year before.Hoping to have more visits in the near. future

We had a really great day on the kruger day tour, Mr "Shoes" really know his game and found us a lion out of nowhere. But what really impressed me tho, was a man with his passion in his job his respect for nature and wildlife which can be admire and look up to. "Overall inspired"

We had a perfect safari day with Shoes, the best guide you could wish for. He is very enthusiastic en really organises the safari you would like to have. We've learned a lot from his nice stories and really enjoyed our trip. A big compliment for Shoes. We love to see your passion and enthusiasm! The communication via mail was very easy, quick replies and good information.

Me and my husband are very grateful to Johanna for helping us plan the trip and Shoes for being our guide and giving us this unforgettable experience! We had a three-day safari in Kruger and it was everything we hoped for and more! We saw the Big Five and learnt so so much from Shoes. Thank you, Khalanga Safaris!

Shoe is the best. Amazing safari with him. He make our tour better. He was very professional and managed to locate animals like lions, hippos, buffalos and even a leopard!

Today we went to a Safari tour with Shoes in the Kruger Park. The experience was amazing - besides great guiding, Shoes also explained a lot of interesting causalities to get a better understanding for the natural environment of the Big 5. In addition to that, he showed us breathtaking places and amazing sceneries. If you plan your trip or a Safari Tour we can highly recommend to partner up with Shoes to have a unique experience!

My wife and I booked a 7-day safari in Kruger with Khalanga, after reviewing options with a number of tour operators. While others had fixed itineraries which they were not willing to modify at all, Khalanga tailored everything to suit our schedule, including pick-up and drop-off points at the start and end of our tour. Being our first trip to Africa, we asked lots of questions before we booked. No problem. Support from their office was friendly, fast, and very thorough. After describing our fuzzy concept of an ideal trip, they proposed a detailed daily itinerary that went beyond our expectations. Every detail was presented, from where we would stay each night, where we would have meals (including many prepared by our guide, Shoes), to how long we would be on the road each day, to an astoundingly accurate list of what we would likely see. Like everyone, we certainly wanted to see the "big animals." But we are also birdwatchers, and wanted to spend time slowly appreciating and photographing the bird life. Shoes was the perfect guide for both. He got us close to breathtaking wildlife, but we always felt safe in his care. He was always patient with us, and he is friendly, funny, and extremely knowledgeable about what we were seeing. We also appreciated that he is an excellent expert on the bird life, showing us well over 100 species. I've taken guided tours on every continent except Antarctica. Shoes was far and above THE BEST guide I have ever had anywhere. It sounds cliche, but we had the trip of a lifetime! And the total price was significantly less that many of the inflexible safari packages we looked at with other operators. I have recommended Khalanga to many friends since our return, and if we ever get back to South Africa they will be the first folks we contact. Thank you, Shoes and Khalanga!

We booked two transfers and a two days/one night Kruger Tour with Khalanga safaris and everything – from the planning and booking with their team, which was very quick to answer all emails and helpful to customize our tour, to our transfer back to the airport – was perfect. We were always picked up on time and the vehicles were all in tip top condition with cosy blankets on the game drive vehicle. Shoes, who was our fabulous guide in Kruger Park, is extremely passionate about wildlife and answered all our questions patiently and with a great knowledge about the animals, flora and the history of Kruger! He always gave us plenty of time to watch the animals without rushing around and he knew the roads where we could spot lots of animals and see spectacular landscapes. And all the time he was such a great and exceptionally friendly company for us. Even after a long day driving around he prepared a fantastic vegan braai for us. Thanks a lot – we had an amazing time and we can highly recommend Khalanga Safaris :- )!

An excellent safari with a wonderful guide. Shoes (our guide) was extremely knowledgeable and clearly passionate about conservation. This is a small company which makes the experience more intimate and I would definitely recommend this experience over the more commercialised operations.

We spent a great day in the Kruger Park with an excellent guide. Shoes told us many interesting things about the animals and he was funny too! We would definitely book the tour again!

Everything from first contact to departure was perfect. Our guide had superior knowledge and insight, pleasant, and a good storyteller. Excellent value tour at all points.

Shoes was a great safari guide on our all day tour entering through the Orpen Gate. On a very hot day when none of the other guides were able to find cat, Shoes spotted 2 different groups of Lion hiding in the distance. Having spent most of his life in Kruger, Shoes offered unparalleled knowledge of the park. I really appreciated the fact that he did not spend excessive time looking at Impala or other common spottings.

We did a Kruger day-tour with Shoes and it was just fantastic. Shoes was a fun and knowledgeable guide who we had a great day with. Kruger itself was fantastic, and we say all of the big 5 and much more in one day! I would definitely recommend them!

Wir hatten über unsere Lodge eine private Kruger-Safari gebucht (2 Personen), wurden pünktlich von dem sehr netten Johann abgeholt und haben mit ihm 11 Std. verbracht. Total beeindruckt waren wir von seinem Wissen über die Tiere und die Natur. Aufgrund seiner sehr guten Ortskenntnisse haben wir an einem Tag alle BigFive gesehen und hatten viel Spaß mit ihm, so dass wir noch einen weiteren Tagesausflug zum Blyde River Canyon buchten. Es waren unvergessliche Tage mit Johan.

Unser Ferienhaus war in Phalaborwa und pünktlich um kurz vor sechs wurden wir von unserem Guide abgeholt. Anfang September ( 04.Sep.19) war im Krügerpark nicht so viel los und unsere Familie ( 61, 54, 21,19 Jahre alt) hatten eine "Privatsafari". Mit unserem Guide Shoes hatten wir einen unvergesslichen Tag! Shoes hat uns nicht nur die Big Five gezeigt, sondern uns auch sehr viel über alle Tiere erzählt. Er hat nicht nur uns Eltern, sondern auch unsere nicht so schnell zu beeindruckenden Söhne, total begeistert. Ein richtiger Glücksgriff, absolut emphelenswert!!! Hello Shoes, thank you so much !

Bester Guide! War pünktlich da, hat uns Decken gegeben für die Fahrt zum Krüger über die Landstraße und wir haben die Big 5 mit ihm gesehen. Das hängt natürlich auch davon ab ob man Glück hat oder nicht aber durch den Austausch mit anderen Guides erhöht sich die Wahrscheinlichkeit doch, dass man mehr sieht. Des Weiteren hat Shoes ein ausgezeichnetes Fachwissen und wirklich Spaß bei seinem wunderbaren Job - diesen Spaß vermittelt er auch mit seiner lustigen lockeren Art. Wir sind quasi Freunde geworden an diesem Tag :-D Wir haben viel gesehen, gelernt und gelacht, von daher volle Punktzahl für Shoes und ich finde es nach unserer Erfahrung absolut verständlich warum alle anderen bisher auch so geurteilt haben!

Wir haben einen Tag im Kruger Nationalpark mit Khalanga Safaris gebucht. Wir waren ausserhalb in einem privaten Reserve stationiert und Shoes hat uns dort pünktlich abgeholt. Shoes ist ein genialer Guide. Er hat so viel Wissen, dass er uns vermitteln konnte und hat ein ausgezeichnet geschultes Auge, die Tiere zu entdecken. Es hat sehr viel Spass gemacht mit ihm den Tag zu verbringen. Man merkt auch wie wichtig ihm die Natur und die Tiere sind. Deshalb begegnet er den Tieren auch mit Respekt. ¨ Wir hatten ein unvergessliches Erlebnis, ich kann Shoes absolut empfehlen.

Osallistuin kahden ystäväni kanssa päivän mittaiselle safarille. Oppaamme eli "Shoes" nouti meidät aamuvarhain majatalostamme Phalaborwasta. Shoes on mahtava!! Hän on syntynyt kansallispuistossa, ja toiminut oppaana lähes 16 vuotta. Hän kertoi meille todella paljon mielenkiintoisia asioita eläimistä ja puistosta, ja vastasi kaikkiin kysymyksiimme kärsivällisesti. Ihana iloinen kaveri! Suosittelen hänen safareitaan lämpimästi, viihtymistakuu.