Another fantastic trip with Khalanga Safaris - 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.

Wonderful Safari memories for a lifetime - 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.

They made our dream come true - 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.

Knowledgeable, Flexible, Friendly and Professional - 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.

Trip of a lifetime!!! - 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!

Kruger day safari and panorama tour - 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😄👍🏽

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

Call Khalanga! Shoes is the best. - 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!

Kruger National Park Safari - 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.

Shoes made the this into the trip of a lifetime! - 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!