Shishangeni by BON Hotels
Southern Kruger Park south-eastern section, bordering Crocodile River to the south and Mozambique in the east, Kruger National Park 1340 South Africa
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#81 of 180 Specialty lodging in Kruger National Park
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Shishangeni by BON Hotels is easily accessible by air or road and comprises three camps: Shishangeni Private Lodge, Camp Shonga and Camp Shawu, each adding a different experience. The emphasis of all three of our camps is on nature without losing the luxury and superior service our guests are accustomed to. Experience magnificent sunsets, all manner of beast and prey at the watering hole, early morning or late afternoon game drives in search of the 'Big 5' with an expert guide, boma fires under an African sky, a pampering at the spa, a splash in the pool, sundowners in the bush and endless photo opportunities…. Dine on traditional cuisine at our restaurant or around a roaring boma fire under the stars of the African sky. Stop in the bush for a coffee break or sundowner drink for an unforgettable bush experience. Shishangeni is legendary when it comes to experiencing unforgettable African safaris that evoke mystery, wonder and above all else, adventure. Our camps offer big five gam
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Property amenities
Free parking
Secured parking
Pool
Outdoor pool
Free breakfast
Massage
Baggage storage
Gift shop
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast buffet
Special diet menus
Mosquito net
Outdoor fireplace
Shared lounge / TV area
Sun terrace
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Room features
Fireplace
Safe
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
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HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans
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Southern Kruger Park south-eastern section, bordering Crocodile River to the south and Mozambique in the east, Kruger National Park 1340 South Africa
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The hotel property is absolutely stunning. The safari guides are experienced. Our guide, Simon was excellent. He and the other guides were in constant communication. If a sighting was worth seeing he would rush over using side roads or even create his own path. Simon’s knowledge about the park and animals were outstanding. We saw so many varieties of animals it was amazing. He would answer questions thoughtfully and if need be repeat information numerous times. The hotel is nicely maintained. Every couple has their own bungalow which is decorated tastefully. The hotel staff is fabulous. Our request were always met with a can do attitude. We forgot to bring our converter for SA plugs. The staff would charge our phones to make sure we were able to take pictures. They took care of us as if we were family. …
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Warmly welcomed by all staff upon arrival expectations were raised. It was like being welcomed by near family. Pampered in all ways. Texan, our ranger, always smiling and knowledgeable on all animals, ensured we managed to see more wildlife that we have ever seen before in our lives (over 20 years of travels to Africa!). And made every evening sun-downers in the bush a great and safe experience. Chef Bongekile made our vegetarian meals -- breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner -- a pleasure -- and included a bit of bush meat to spice things up (for vegetarians curious of all tastes offered). Ready anytime, to respond to our diary requests. Prayer, our camp manager, the sweetest manager ever, ensured we felt at home all the time, including opening our wine for dinner every evening. Nozipho, our Lady, had made our room perfect anytime we returned from a game-drive. Our night guard, protected us from a roaring leopard and made us sleep like logs and pleasantly woke us for our early game-driver every morning. Not to forget the tent we were staying at -- being brought back to the time of Issac Dinesen (Karen Blixen) -- luxury in the middle of the bush. All together home sweet home -- paradise in Kruger Highly recommended if you want the experience of your life.…
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Date of stay: October 2022
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A friend and I booked our first safari experience through Siyabona Africa - couldn't have asked for a more professional and committed travel consultant. Special shout out to Annerie Els who was so thorough in her recommendations on the perfect time to visit and the perfect accommodation suited to our tastes and budget. Booked a 3N4D package at the main Shishangeni lodge – we were initially intent on the quainter satellite camps that share the concession but the non-AC tents at Shonga were a deterrent while Shawu, although beautiful, was too exclusive for our liking. It's never enough time in the bush but I would recommend staying an extra day or two to feel (somewhat) satisfied. Read about the rich game viewing experience in the Mpanamana concession. We were not disappointed - sighted a pride of 16 lions enroute the lodge from Crocodile Bridge gate. And then over the next few days, they descended...the big 5 and then some. We hung around a leopard hanging out in a tree and lived our own NatGeo moment watching a cheetah in chase. God bless our ranger Texson for his hawk eye, his never-say-die attitude, his vast knowledge of the lay of the land and 14 years’ worth of game experiences and anecdotes. Texson is a careful and punctual ranger - our game drives were excellently planned with vehicles in good condition, bio breaks well timed and great sundowners. If you're a first timer, you will want to carry your own pair of binoculars, maybe a granola bar and bottled water - a precious commodity at the lodge. Arrangements (clean, comfy blankets) were made to keep us warm during the drives. We were prepared to experience the aftershocks of the pandemic but were very pleasantly surprised with the upkeep of the property, the dining area and our room - no peeling walls, no worn-out furniture, no leaky taps, no creaking doors. Although more conventional in appearance, the thatch roofs and decor lend authenticity to your stay. I wasn't a great fan of the open bathroom plan (the toilet area was enclosed) but my friend loved the nature shower. All in all, our chalet was beautiful, spacious and more than comfortable for two. We didn't encounter mosquitoes on our visit although we did follow advice on taking a prophylaxis (Maloff Protect) and carrying ample repellent. The lodge thoughtfully provides repellent spray in the room and prepares the mosquito nets when you’re out on your evening game drive. Psst…you can look forward to a little surprise before you turn in for the night. Where Shishangeni might be lacking a great view or main attraction like a waterhole, it makes up in terms of its warm and friendly staff. Our deepest gratitude to Funeka, Harriett, Amanda and Linah for making the place feel like home. Since you can’t take Chef Regina back with you, I urge you to make good on every meal. Her Malva pudding was the standout. If you’re a small group at the lodge you can expect to enjoy personalized service (read pampering) during your meals, otherwise looked after by a sumptuous buffet. Food options may have been a bit limited for my vegetarian friend. However, between breads, cheese, bakes, fresh salads and every kind of potato preparation, she had little cause for complaint. The pool was clean and functional. The tiny gym room not so much. The spa was under renovation but they made alternate arrangements in a chalet. My friend booked the full body massage and gave it a 5-star rating. WiFi worked fine in the main lodge and Vodacom caught a few bars in our balcony. If you’re an international traveler, don't forget to carry a travel adaptor. Load shedding was an ugly truth and perhaps most severe during our visit to South Africa. Shishangeni was a very wise choice with their power back up that functioned without any hiccups. Best to also request the lodge or your travel consultant for a packing list so you’re well prepared. The curio shop at the lodge was poorly stocked so if you're looking to create a South Africa-inspired corner in your home, you might want to reserve some time for the larger souvenir shops at Crocodile Bridge gate on your way out…or in. Team Shishangeni, thank you ever so much for giving us an experience of a lifetime. We hope to visit again! …
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
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Room Tip: The 22 chalets are spread out. We were in chalet 6, a short, comfy walk from the main lodge.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Just wow! Spent 2 nights in Camp Shawu with my wife to finish off our honeymoon. Greeted by about 20 elephants at the watering hole when we arrived, 2 of which were right beside our balcony/terrace! A lot of animals use the watering hole at different stages of the day. Great location for game drives. Only Shishangeni vehicles allowed in the concession so you get the proper safari experience away from the main roads. We had 4 drives with our guide Sifiso and how he sees some of the things he spotted I have no idea! 1st drive, 4 of the big 5, 2nd one all of the big 5 including some excellent persistence in searching for a leopard which yielded finding 2 of them! A pride of 18 lions were casually resting outside the camp on our last morning! All the staff were so friendly and attentive and the food was really good and in abudance (we had to refuse food a few times as we were stuffed!). Worth noting the walls of the lodges are partly material (as opposed to solid) so if it's windy you will know about it! You will need to get used to the sounds of the hippos in the watering hole too (they're noisey!). But that's all part of it, being out in nature.....while in a luxury, secure, comfortable room!…
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Note, if staying in Shawu, you leave your car at the main Shishangeni lodge and you are driven to...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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We spent two nights of our honeymoon at the Camp Shonga with the company of Herold, who took us in a two-days long game drive. It has been a beautiful experience and we had the chance to see wild animals very close in their natural environment. Steven and Nozipho welcomed us at the beautiful Camp Shonga site with kindness and special fondness: they cooked for us amazing dishes and made our honeymoon nest very warm and special. All the experience has been so unique thanks to this special place, but also because the staff has been so nice and professional. We surely recommend to visit and enjoy your time at Shishangeni! A special thanks to Herold, Steven and Nozipho =) Elisa e Pietro
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Date of stay: June 2022
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Did a short stay of one night at camp chonga, two safaris. Staff was super friendly and nice. There I’ve got my best guide Herold who’s always got keen eyes and superb tracking skills. Thanks for him, I had an amazing time with a lot of my favorite wild friends. It’s a place you should never miss!
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
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We stayed at Camp Shawu at the beginning of July 2022. From the moment we arrived we felt very welcome. . For me personally it was nice to be in a satellite camp with no wifi and being able to disconnect from the outside world for a few days and be at one with nature. The camp itself it simple yet luxurious. It has an outdoor shower which is amazing to overlook the dam and watch the animals come to drink. Every day we were treated to a herd of elephants which came down to cool off. The game drives were out of this world. Our game driver Sifiso was the best, knowledgeable, friendly and made us feel very comfortable, he even looked great in my partners fluffy hat. He went above and beyond to give us all the best sightings and we were not disappointed we saw all of the big 5 and much more. We had the game drives to ourselves as we were the only ones at the resort the time of our stay. All of the staff took care of us so well and come meal times we never went hungry. The food was very nice and came in large portions, to the point i felt bad not being able to clear my plate. Our whole stay was amazing and we would definitely come back here again. The only thing i would mention which is not a bad thing in my view but if you are one who struggles to sleep with noise around you, the hippos are very active and vocal throughout the night. We would like to thank all the staff for taking care of us and making this trip one we will remember forever,…
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Date of stay: July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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This is proper luxury (or looks like it), a stunning lodge in a stunning setting however when you look closer you start to see the missing simple things like tissues in your room and maybe flip flops for the outside shower. Nothing significant just simple things would you expect from 5 star luxury. My big disappointment was with the hotel itself, there were large empty tables everywhere in the dinning room that drew attention to the fact there was no one there, only us four and two other couples. When you see the pics online you see all the tables set nicely, welcoming and ready for business but being left unset just gave you the feeling of abandonment and emptiness. In saying all that, the staff were lovely and very attentive (with the exception of a few who just seemed to stand around looking bored). The food was good (perhaps not 5 star but nice all the same) and it was certainly plentiful. Onto the best bit about this place, ITS PRIVATE, the safari's themselves were incredible and our guide Simon was truly remarkable when it came to spotting animals (even spotting a boa in the pitch black of night, how does he do that)! As it's private there's also no one else going around so its like having the whole of Kruger to yourself. All in all, would I recommend this place, for sure I would but only if you got a good deal as I hear there are other 5 star places that are better. On the other hand, having a guide as good as Simon might just be worth the money to stay here!…
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Date of stay: July 2022
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Room Tip: Im sure all lodges are great
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Shawu is a satellite camp, I guess 5 units so ten guests, whilst Shishangeni is the main lodge. Check in at Shishangeni and then you are transferred to Shawu, about a half-hour drive, depending sightings along the way! It's a wonderful camp. Accommodation is luxurious, outside shower if you wish, and a deck that looks right onto a large dam where you can get stupidly sun burnt if you wish. Over two days we saw large, large groups of elephants visiting the dam, untold variety of birds, the odd rhino and giraffe, and many antelope. Sheer bliss. You can open up the outside dark covers (mosquito nets in place, also over the bed) and wake up to the light of this beautiful wilderness. We were entertained one night with lions roaring who came to drink at the top of this dam, got to see them the next day, splendidly. It is beautiful, silent and dark, spectacular dazzling stars. Above all the camp is small and isolated. We had a brilliant guide, Sifiso, high knowledge as tracker and friend of this land. Day two we were his only guests on the drive and we asked him to track birds; we are regular visitors to the Park and dont need to chase the Big Five. Well by 8am that morning we saw the big five, spectacular as always, and then we had magnificent bird sightings and info, especially the rare little things. On the down side: This is post-Covid so I understand. The food was rather hum-drum, not bad and ample portions. The extensive wine / booze list had very little available. There is also no drink service after supper. we had our own stache of booze and got ice from the restaurant for later gentle merriment.Highly recommended. Just can't give 5 stars for this type of establishment but certainly a 4,5 plus rating. You will pay a heap of money to find a better private lodge, really.…
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Date of stay: March 2022
Rooms
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Room Tip: Shawu has 5 units I think. Anyone will do.
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We were placed here by a tour package company as part of a four day Kruger safari from Nov 15-19th 2021. This was the first safari for all three of us so we were not sure exactly how things would work although everything looked great in the pre trip documentation and website photos. As the title says, we were blown away. The accommodations were outstanding. Large rooms with a super comfortable king bed. Outdoor balcony overlooking the crocodile river. Indoor tub and outdoor shower. A/C. No wi-fi in your room, but really you’re only sleeping there. The main lodge building and dining room was very comfortable and we enjoyed our time there around meals and tea and before safari drives. Food and drinks were bountiful in portion and availability, incredibly well prepared with a wide variety of things available. The chef would come and chat with us and tailored meals to our desires/choices. We had a gluten-free person in our group and they handled that with no problem and no loss of quality of what was prepared and served. Speaking of service, absolutely impeccable. Always available but never hovering. Our glasses just magically got refilled without asking much of the time. Questions were answered and advice / suggestions given with a smile always. Everyone was so charming and helpful. Lastly, the safari experience itself. Incredible, could not have asked for more, (ok, maybe the elusive Wild Dog, but have to save something for next time! Haha). Seriously though, our guide Simon was wonderful. He was extremely knowledgeable. Always dropping in interesting factoids and stories, neither too quiet nor too talkative, he struck just the right balance and answered all of our questions across a variety of topics. Would specifically ask to be paired with him in the future 100 percent. We saw all of the Big 6 across our four drives (Day 1 afternoon, Day 2 morning, Day 2 afternoon, Day 3 morning). In addition lots of giraffes, zebras, pumbas, and of course, imapalas. So many impalas lol. Highlights include a large herd of elephants we drove in and around for 20-30 minutes on the first day. A baby and momma elephants meeting on our last morning. More rhinos than usual we were told. Even saw one with his horn still and, most rarely, two rhinos propagating their species. Something Simon said he had only seen 3 previous times in his whole career. Spent half an hour just watching a pride of Lions with 3 females and 6 cubs. Just stunning. Simon was able to track even the most elusive leopard and cheetah, including some leopard cubs in the dark! All of the above at a very very reasonable price, just an incredible value for the high service, quality, and comfort you receive. Will definitely be back here and gets my highest recommendation…
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Date of stay: November 2021
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PRICE RANGE
US$508 - US$685 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaKruger National Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
22
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Claim Your ListingSHISHANGENI BY BON HOTELS - Updated 2023 Prices & Lodge Reviews (Kruger National Park, South Africa)
Frequently Asked Questions about Shishangeni by BON Hotels
Which popular attractions are close to Shishangeni by BON Hotels?
Nearby attractions include Marula Padstal (5.2 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Shishangeni by BON Hotels?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Shishangeni by BON Hotels?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Shishangeni by BON Hotels?
Yes, free parking and secured parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Shishangeni by BON Hotels?
Conveniently located restaurants include Tambarina Guest House & Restaurant, Stoep Cafe Restaurant, and Wimpy.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Shishangeni by BON Hotels?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Shishangeni by BON Hotels?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Afrikaans.