Viva Safaris team look forward to seeing you soon!
Viva Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 1991)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Mid-range tours that, when possible, use accommodations owned and operated by them
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $81 to $200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Rye | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent experience!
I was in contact with Patti, who was very helpful and prompt in her responses to my requests and she was able to tailor my itinerary, while also offering additional alternatives. I traveled solo and stayed three nights at Tremisana Lodge and the rooms were clean, spacious, and there was actually hot water, and the food was great. I've been on plenty of safaris and I'm fairly simple when it comes to amenities, but there were more than enough at Tremisana Lodge. Maybe the wi-fi could have been a bit more reliable, but then again I wasn't there for that in the first place, so it was a plus it was available at all.
I can't say enough about all of the staff, they were all very welcoming and helpful throughout my stay. From the chefs, to the guides, and lodge staff (Rex, Eva, Robin, Elias, Pretty, and anyone else I may have missed, a big thank you! You all made my experience an incredible one!) Each guide worked very hard to find a wide array of wildlife, so that was much appreciated. Although, I have been to South Africa before, it was my first time to Kruger National Park and the surrounding areas.
For reference, I did the four day safari and my itinerary included game drives, a bush walk, and bush braai in Balule Game Reserve, with one full day in Kruger National Park, which is open-attached to Balule, so the animals can roam freely between each. We were able to find lions (lioness & cubs), black/white rhino, zebra, giraffe, hippo, hyena, waterbuck, jackal, cape buffalo, wildebeest, elephants, and even a verreaux's eagle owl (very rare), to name a few. All in all, the experience was just what I was looking for, time out and away from the daily grind while also enjoying the beautiful landscape and it did not disappoint.
In addition, Viva Safaris pick up and drop off in Jo'burg so that was a huge perk. On my return to Jo'Burg, my itinerary included a short stop-off at Blyde River Canyon, which was absolutely amazing! The views were incredible and definitely capped off a great trip to ZAR.
Again, I just want to send a warm thank you to all of the staff and guides who made my stay an incredible one!
I appreciate your hospitality, flexibility, and hard work to provide a great experience during my stay and I would highly recommend Viva Safaris.
Hope to see you again soon!
-Rye
BR
Email Helena | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome experience
All the staff is very kind and all the safaris that we got were amazing!! The experiences were excellent with comfort and very safe. We recommend Viva Safari to all our friends visiting South Africa!!
Email Shelly | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything was as promised. Very well organised and very professional. Would highly recommend
Everything was as promised. Very well organised and very professional. Would highly recommend
Email Stephanie and Mark | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience ... just amazing!
The communication from the start was great, with a lovely lady called Rochelle, if I had an enquiry about the booking she would respond quickly and no longer than within 12-24 hours.
The Safari- The structure of the days were planned very well, and there was a good mix of game reserves and Kruger. All guides with Viva safaris were fantastic and stayed professional. Nico was great, very knowledgable and so enthusiastic, he made us laugh. Victor who worked at Marc's Treehouse Lodge who we didn't see that often but when we did he was always smiling, very happy chap and had some great stories to tell on our bush walk. What I will say is on the final day instead of the bush walk, one last early morning game drive pups have finished it off perfectly before the drive back to Johannesburg. As the travelling days are classed as Safari days.
This trip was for our honeymoon and it was certainly one to remember!! Katekani Lodge where we stayed for 2 night following our lodge at Tremisana was just incredible (review left on TripAdvisor) everything about it was amazing, from the staff to the area, the comfort of rooms, the food with our own chef! Couldn't have wish for a better honeymoon but just wished we had longer!
A huge thank you to all of the Viva Safari team, we hope to visit again in the future.
Stephanie and Mark
Email David | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great but tiring experience
One of the plus points with Viva Safaris is that they pick you up from your J'oburg hotel and drop you back there at the end of the safari which does make life a whole lot easier. What happens when you arrive at Tremisana? You drop your bags and head off on a game drive and twenty minutes later you arrive in front of 4 lions who are sunning themselves. After that , elephants, zebra's etc and then evening meal in the bush followed by 3 more lions, what a start! Next morning up at 5 for a game walk, fascinating. Then followed by an evening drive, a full day in the Kruger, another early morning drive and then back to J'oburg. a full on experience. Accommodation was good, food was fine. Also we got the impression thsat the people there , particularly the two who took us on the bush walk really cared about the bush and the animals
AR
Email Ana | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience!
Everything was great! Organization, accommodation, prices and the people!! I'd recommend Viva Safari for anyone that is planning a trip to Africa!
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Email Sarah B | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
great 4 day safari with Viva!
Well organized operation with friendly staff. They really get the job done! Fed us well, we saw the animals, and all of the guides, cooks, and drivers were lovely.
Great Experience with 4-Day Safari
I just returned from a 4-day safari with Viva Safaris, spending time at the Tremisana and Katekani Lodges. Overall, Viva did a great job. There were lots of drive and walk opportunities and I was always busy. Meals were great and staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The Katekani Lodge is especially wonderful and I highly recommend it.
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Email Mary Prior | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the most profound experiences of my life was spent with Viva Safaris!
My daughter, who had recently graduated from college, and I spent six wonderful days with Viva Safaris last July. We both were impressed immediately with the correspondence leading up to our trip, the arrangement to be picked up at our hostel in Joburg, and the perfection with our entire trip. The accomodations were clean and comfortable, the grounds were beautiful, the food was great, the guides were friendly and knowledgeable and took great care in making sure we saw as much as possible. We took advantage of every drive offered...even 5am drives that we weren't scheduled to take, if there were extra seats! I loved seeing not only animals, but birds too, and the guides were more than happy to point them out and stop to let me photograph them. On one day in Kruger we saw the Big 5 all before noon! We just can't say enough about the great experience we had and highly recommend it!
Email Sandie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An amazing experience I won't forget in a hurry...
I was so pleased with the correspondence with emails keeping us up to date with a wealth of information. There was always someone on hand to answer any questions and very quickly too. I felt they were very professional and left nothing to chance. Deposits were paid in advance and I had no qualms whatsoever and the balance for the trip was paid too without any problems.
I found the staff very friendly right from the start of our journey from the airport to the very end. The accommodation was very clean and comfortable. Every meal was well cooked and superb. Nothing was too much trouble for them.
The guides were very friendly and smart with a wonderful sense of humour. I felt very safe even on our short walk away from the vehicle, trying to find the elephants that were near. My biggest thrill was stroking two cheetahs who had just killed and were very full lying down almost asleep. They each had one eye cocked ready for anything and then we come along! I could almost see them yawning and thinking, oh! it's them again. I must admit we were all pretty cautious going in one by one, for these were real wild animals with the carcass of their kill just behind them. The guides certainly know their stuff and it was an absolute joy to see all the wildlife. It far exceeded my expectations and the night safaris were a real bonus. The sunrises and sunsets were incredible. I have no hesitation whatsoever going with them again. We are planning to go in 2018.