Shinde Footsteps is a tiny, intimate camp tucked away in a remote corner of the Shinde Private Concession on the northern edge of the Okavango Delta. It only has four tents and accommodates a maximum of six guests at any time, which makes it feel incredibly exclusive and personal. The camp was completely rebuilt and reopened in May 2023, keeping its authentic, back-to-basics character while adding more comfort than before. It sits overlooking a permanent hippo pool, and you'll hear them grunting and splashing throughout the day and night.
What sets Shinde Footsteps apart is its focus on walking safaris, though these days they offer the full range of activities including game drives, mokoro trips, boat safaris, and fishing. The walking is really the main attraction though – there's something special about exploring the Delta on foot with professional guides who bring every aspect of the bush to life, from tracking fresh spoor to understanding how wildlife and habitat interact. It's designed to be a proper immersive wilderness experience, with meals cooked over open flames and evenings spent around the campfire sharing stories.
The camp is particularly popular with families because of the Young Explorers Program, which uses a specialist family guide to run age-appropriate activities for kids as young as seven. They can learn bush skills like tracking animals, identifying spoor, and even cooking on a fire. The setup is simple and rustic rather than over-the-top luxurious, which fits perfectly with the whole ethos of the place. There's even a photo editing suite, which is pretty unusual for such a small camp and ideal for photographers who want to work on their images between activities.
