SHANDLE UBISI

shandleShandle, has a place of honour at the front of the list, as the longest serving guide at Sunway Safaris. He hails from Mpumalanga province close to Kruger National Park and has guided tours for Sunway in South Africa for over 20 years.
Shandle's knowledge of indigenous languages and cultures gives fantastic insight into every day South African lifestyle. His knowledge of the fauna and flora in Kruger National Park is excellent.

ZIMABWBE & BOTSWANA GAME TRAIL "Shandle is a very seasoned tour guide. What I really appreciated about him was his ability to navigate so many different nationalities and personalities during our 16 day tour. There were those that were photo crazy and others just into the organic moment of loving the opportunity to witness the amazing mammals & birds of beautiful Southern Africa. I was amazed daily about his knowledge of the local animals and birds available to stop and look at along the road or in the national parks. Shandle had an eye to see what we could not see stopping the van on the highway, backing up the van and to allow us the experience of surprise whether it was an elephant along the road, a lion in the morning or a majestic eagle hanging in a tree. The thrill each time was quite incredible and Shandle never left our experience untouched. Shandle also was quite awesome as a facilitator of function to direct the group to help create the lunches and clean up after meals. His attention to detail to the needs of individuals was masterful. Shandle, you made my one and only trip to your country, Zimbabwe & Botswana a breathless experience. Best wishes and love from another side of our planet Earth. Thank you." Audrey, Canada..

BOTSWANA WILD SIDE"My wife and I just returned from the Botswana Wildside trip that began in Johannesburg on May 19. We wanted to thank you and your staff for providing us with one of the best experiences of our lives! The trip was well organized and led well by all of our guides. Stephen was organized, gave us a solid understanding of what to expect for each day at the evening briefings, and was always gracious in answering any of our questions. Shandle was always joyous, smiling and had an infectious laugh. But he also had a tremendous level of knowledge and understanding of the area, animals and culture that he shared. Kenny was similarly enthusiastic and knowledgeable about being in the bush and did a fantastic job in leading the game drives. And even though he did not do any guiding, we also appreciate the support of our follow-vehicle driver, I.T., who quietly shared his own knowledge by identifying the different sounds of the animals at night. We both came away from this trip with a deeper understanding and love of the land and people of Southern Africa. We would definitely recommend your company and these guides to anyone who wants to experience the wilds of Botswana." David & Kristin, Colorado USA..

 BOTSWANA WILD SIDE "We Hello Sunway Safaris. We have just returned home after our trip "Botswana Wildside". It was the best trip of my life. Absolutely fantastic. Our guides Stephen, Kenny and the  super  great Shandle. The organisation was absolutely perfect. Many thanks & greetings from Germany to the Sunway Team."Ulrich Hauber, Germany.

NAMIBIA BOTSWANA SOUTHERN CIRCLE"Shandle and Petros gave us a great gift for these 3 weeks. We always felt safe in their hands. This journey will say in our minds forever. Thanks from the bottom of our hearts.

SOUTH AFRICA TOUR: "Shandle took us to his Shangaan village which we really enjoyed." Thi Luu, United States

SOUTH AFRICA TOUR: "Shandle was hardworking and a really good guy." Monika Mann, United States

CAPE TO VIC FALLS TOUR: ”First of all I want to say many, many thanks to you and your company. Me and my boyfriend enjoyed one of our best trips ever with 2 of your colleagues, a great group and a perfect equipped Safari Truck (cape to vic falls 16.05.07). Gavin and Shandle were absolutely well organized, had a huge knowledge of flora/fauna and made us always feel safe. We will keep this holiday as a fantastic experience in our mind! We seriously thinking of booking the Mosambique tour in april 2009. But I can't wait to be back in Africa, so me and a friend of mine would really like to join one of your '17 days South Africa' tours this year. One special question about the guides composition. I'm sure all of your guides make a good job and they all got nice feedback on your website. But we would be very pleased, if it's possible to arrange the guidance by Gavin and Shandle. It's one of the main aspects, why the group enjoyed the last trip so much, and you would do us a great favour if they can guide us again! Thanks again and best wishes.” Verena Dresing, Germany

SOUTH AFRICA CABIN TOUR: ”Hi Shaun, It's been a while since my trip but I had to gush about it and especially about your guides. I went on the Rainbow Route on March 29 and it was easily the best trip I've ever taken and one of the best experiences of my life. I thought it was wonderfully organized. The itinerary covered amazing places and focused on scenery and game rather than cities, which is what I like and what is most worth your time in SA. The scenic locations of some of the accommodation added so much to the trip and really made you feel like you were extremely fortunate to be there. There was a great balance between there being lots of inclusions so you don't have to worry about any planning, but the group being small enough and the guides accommodating enough for it to feel like you were just traveling with a group of friends. I was really impressed with how well the structure worked, for example the way meals were done.

Gavin and Shandle were absolutely spectacular. Gavin was exceedingly professional and had a great manner about him, whereby he always had things planned and under control and yet was extremely laid back and fun to be around. He was a really good guy and I was impressed with how attuned he was to people's needs, even after knowing them for only a few days. Shandle was an absolute joy to be around and a great sport. He added so much to the group dynamic and was a phenomenal cook!

Both Gavin and Shandle were very knowledgeable and hard-working and largely made the trip the success it was. I am considering going on another Sunway trip next year and if they are still around I intend to request them. I hope that will be possible because the possibility of having them as guides again is a major factor in me wanting to return to Sunway." Moriah Shemer, UK

SOUTH AFRICA RAINBOW ROUTE: ”Hello, I just returned from a great holiday. It was a faultless trip thanks to your organisation and our guides Shandle and Vusie. Shandle has to be the best tour leader and bush cook in S.A. They both made a great team and their combined knowledge of the country, animals, customs and languages (both African and European) was priceless. Both were very hard workers - even after strenuous hikes they still found the energy to start cooking a delicious meal (with a little help from us of course) and spend time with us laughing and talking through the evening. We've become great friends and we hope to keep in touch. The highlight was definitely Lesotho, but everything else came a pretty close second - the scenery, the animals, the people,... The variety in accommodation was just right - the holiday definitely value for money. Thank you all for helping to make this a memorable holiday for us!" Jane and Pierre-Alain Bolomey, UK

SOUTH AFRICA SCENIC ROUTE: ”I recently completed the Scenic Route tour with Pieter Van Wyk and Shandle Ubisi. When I recount my adventures I appreciate just how much work Pieter and Shandle did to support my trip. As the feedback form was so short I did not have adequate space to recognise their stellar qualities. I am writing to express my gratitude to Sunway Safaris for the wonderful experience of my tour.

Pieter and Shandle obviously have an extremely good relationship and I felt this contributed to a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere at camp. They worked seamlessly together setting up the camp, preparing meals, assisting clients, and conducting background organisation. As a result of their tireless dedication the tour ran smoothly. Both guides were approachable and helpful, and they always put clients’ needs first.

My experience of Pieter was that he paid attention to detail in meeting my needs and was flexible in responding to the various needs of those around me. I also discovered that in an emergency Pieter is stalwart and capable. The breadth and depth of Pieter’s knowledge of the African bush and animals is remarkable and I appreciated the care he took in sharing his knowledge with us. I was also extremely impressed with the alertness and skill he demonstrated in identifying animals that were thoroughly camouflaged or far away in the distance.

Shandle displayed outstanding tenacity in bringing us safely to our destinations in a timely manner. He navigated difficult roads and lengthy drives with aplomb. Shandle’s cooking prowess is legendary and dinner was always something to look forward to especially as my nominated dietary requirements were well catered for. Shandle’s local knowledge was nothing short of impressive; he even knew which ATMs would defraud customers.

Pieter and Shandle are a true asset to Sunway Safaris. Their competence and attention to detail helped me to feel supported and safe for the duration of the trip. Please pass on my thanks to them. If I tour Southern Africa again I will choose Sunway Safaris and I also have no hesitation in recommending your company and staff to any of my friends who consider travelling in Southern Africa." Kendra Swaine, Australia

BOTSWANA WILDSIDE TOUR: "We've recently returned home after our Botswana Wildside tour starting at 18th Dec 2011. I want just want to let you know that the tourleaders Shandle and Kevin, both did a great job. They both made of us feel safe and welcome, cooked very delicious meals, were very good (and entertaining) company and told us a lot about wildlife and local culture. They organised everything so well, we felt both very relaxed. The tour was fantastic and we couldn't have wished for better guides. It was a wonderful experience. Thanks!" Suzanne van Hinte en Bram van't Hullenaar

SOUTH AFRICA RAINBOW ROUTE: "My sister and i greatly enjoyed our Rainbow Tour, this was due in no small part to our guide, driver, cook and carer - Shandle Ubisi. His most careful driving, good cooking and expert knowledge were greatly appreciated. He was so self-giving and thoughtful. My sister had special dietary needs and he was most attentive and helpful. We would both like to commend him highly. Thank you." Margaret Meagher and Lesley Cooper, Australia

WINDHOEK TO VICTORIA FALLS CLASSIC: I traveld with this 2 lovely boys from 20 Oktober till 4 November.It was a very nice tripp, good organised. Chanley and Marcus , were very prepared in their job. Wenn their was a problem with 1 of the guests, they were always prepared to find the good solution for him or her. Both boys helped me a lot, I was 1 of the oldest people (78 years). Chanley dedicated me a lot of his free time, to help me find juwelery and a lot of other things. He brought always my heavy lucage in my room. On the road he ,even as Marcus, could tell the name of the birds, threes, animals we saw. Marcus, just like Chanley, offers his free time when it was necessary, to help 1 of the group. He show me the Victoria falls, walking slowly. We made pictures, he dedicated me all his free time. He take always care of me when there was a street or way which was difficult to walk for me. Oh yes, he was there any moment. My Inglish is not very good but I hope you understand, that you have 2 golden boss at your service. I thank sunway-safaris that I had a wonderfull time. Greetings, Niesje - Italy

WINDHOEK TO VICTORIA FALLS CLASSIC: Dear Team, I hope this email finds you well. I have just returned home from my Namibia/Botswana/Zimbabwe tour and I wish to provide my feedback. I want to congratulate with you for the selection of lodges and beautiful places you allowed me to visit but especially I want to congratulate with you for our guides. We have been guided by Shenly and Markus and I can say that we could not have had better guides. They have been professional, caring, proactive, smart. They know a lot about the places that we have visited. They are great cookers and very well equipped and organized. They have gone much beyond my expectations and for any next trip I will book with you, they will definitely be my first choice as they made the difference for this trip. Despite being a varied group with different ages, they have done their best to accommodate everybody with their request. I have liked everything including the red truck (which we renamed Ferrari Testa Rossa). I hope to use your services in the future very soon! Kindest Regards, Margherita - Itlay

Back to Guides