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:
- $1,552 to $3,839 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Cheryl | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
very professional
We were very pleased to have booked with Viva Safaris. The staff is very organized and friendly providing us with plenty of activities! Besides the trips to Kruger we enjoyed a bush walk, sundowner safari and a visit to an animal rehabilitation center. Both Tremisana and Marc's treehouse accomodations were basic, clean and comfortable. The meals were home style and delicious. I would even recommend Viva safaris to families with older children. Our transfer went smoothly - we chose to fly to Hoedspruit to begin the 5 night adventure and then take the van to Johannsiberg.
IE
Email Conor | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic
Family of 6 on a 5 day 4 night safari in Tremisana and Marc's Treehouse camp. The whole experience was unbelievable. We saw all the big 5 and much more. Special mention for Victor, Smiley, Rocky and Quentin. They were absolutely brilliant with our kids. The food was super as well, particularly in the treehouse camp. I cannot remember the name of the lady who looked after it there but she was brilliant as well. Could not recommend it enough
Email Kunal | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Superb safari experience
I chose Viva Safari after doing a lot of research on Safari companies for Kruger national park. I am glad I did. Right from the very start, with the pickup from a hotel in Pretoria, to the four days of packed activities, to the professionalism and care of staff, you were well looked after. The highlight was the bush walk to the river and the smell and sound of the African wild landscape. The viewing of the animals in the open top jeeps made you feel very close to nature. Truly special safari experience!
CA
Email Leanna C | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best experience ever! And we've travelled a lot.
This safari exceeded my expectations in every way, and I have very high expectations. The food and housekeeping we're great. The guides were very competent. They knew where to find the animals, and could spot animals that most people would not spot. I can't say enough good things about Viva Safaris. I will definitely be telling everyone I know about how amazing they are, and what a magical experience we had.
Email Mitchell | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I enjoyed to so much I've been 3 times
I first went in 2012. I searched on-line for safaris and decided on Viva because of the good reviews. It was such a terrific experience that I took my 16-year-old daughter the following year, after business took me to J'Burg. My second trip was even better than the first. We were lucky enough to see the Big 5 because the Guides know the best places to look. Tremisana Lodge is a garden in the middle of the bush with monkeys in the trees and beautiful flowers everywhere. We saw an elephant less than 3 minutes out on our night drive and later a rare ant eater. The food was authentic, delicious and abundant. Dinner was under the Macule Tree was pure magic and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Marc's Treehouse is entirely different and just as lovely and special. Antelope wander along the paths to the cottages and in the morning I heard chewing outside my window. It was a giraffe, eating the nearby tree. She was more startled by the distant lion's roar than by me looking at her, camera in hand. Later, during breakfast, the monkeys put on a show trying to steal jam and bisquits on the deck overlooking the pond.
The guides are knowledgable, patient and maybe more than lucky. On my third trip we found a herd for 400+ buffalo slowly walking toward the road. We parked and the herd moved around us as if we weren't there. We were close enough to smell them. Where else can that happen? Soon after we found a leopard in a tree with most on an impala, three hyenas looking on. She jumped down and chased them off before disappearing into the bush. At the end of the day our driver took us to a secluded pond where two elephants were swimming. Swimming! We would never have found that without our driver's experience.
On my third trip we saw the Big 5 before lunch but we all also learned to look for the smaller animals, too. I saw a baby Leopard Tortoise on the morning bushwalk and 25 hippos in a river while we ate breakfast.
I can't recommend Viva Safari highly enough. Make sure you go to Moholoho Rehabilitation Center, maybe pet a cheetah or have your picture taken with a rino baby and to the nearby private game preserve for an entirely different kind of wildlife drive.
Email Josie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Trip with Viva Safaris
Tremisana Lodge
We stayed here one night as part of our Viva Safari's tour. We felt welcomed, the food was lovely and the guides were super. The bush walk, fantastic! The best thing about this stay was Tanya, the warden. Her knowledge of the animals and the reserve was spot on. She didn't just look out for the Big 5 like every other guide, but showed us exactly what we asked to see.
Marc's Camp - Treehouse
Welcoming staff, well cooked local food, well organised excursions, cheap bar!
A good trip for young couples of a budget, also idea for single travelers.
It is potluck which room you are given on arrival. They vary in size, some are with en-suite some you have venture outside to the loo. We were very lucky with room 7. Ideal sport for views and en-suite.
Can be creepy at night, you can hear the hyenas calling walking in the dark to your room! We also head a lepoard kill and eat a monkey at 2am.
Not a luxury stay, but a once in a lifetime experience and we thoroughly enjoyed it. All the basic needs are met, comfortable, warm showers and hot food.
TIP - if going in the winter, take LOTS of layers. It is COLD at night.
Email Ryan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great People, Fantastic Service
Our Guides were wonderful and it was definitely an experience to remember. The people we met on the trip were fantastic as well! Also, they found a camera that we lost on the last day and arraigned for it to meet us in Johannesburg before we flew home. A beautiful time to in a beautiful place.
Email Andrew | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very fund 5-day safari
Had a great time with Viva Safaris. Did a 5-day, 4-night safari, with the first night at Tremisana Lodge and the last 3 days at Marc's Treehouse. The various drives and walks to see animals were fantastic. We saw tons of animals and had knowledgeable guides who could tell us a lot about what we were seeing (and find more animals for us). The trip to the animal rehab center was fun, too. All in all, the safari was very well organized by all the Viva Safaris staff. The food provided was also very good, and they were very accommodating with dietary restrictions.
The one negative would be the accommodations. Our room at Tremisana Lodge was in poor condition and the bathroom was basically in the same room as the bed. This may have been an outlier room at Tremisana, but it was still below expectations, particularly since Tremisana is supposed to be one of their nicer lodges. Marc's Treehouse also was a bit disappointing. Only a few of the cabins were true treehouses - the rest were just cabins made of bamboo and tree branches. And because the property is sprawling, some of the cabins are a 10-15 minute walk from the main lodge area, which was inconvenient and difficult to do with suitcases.
The staff at both lodges was fantastic, though, and helpful at all times. Viva was also helpful in planning the trip, and answered all questions ahead of time. Highly recommend using Viva for a South African safari, but I would keep expectations regarding accommodations a bit low.
Email DAVID LAUGHTON | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Well organised and reliable.
The pretour communications were excellent, we were met at the correct time, our pre safari accommodation was great. The safari tour was well organised, with both lots of accommodation being comfortable and clean. The meals were very good (despite the fact that a monkey stole one of our muffins off the dining table - very funny!). The safaris each day were well run, guides were fun and knowledgeable. We were given plenty of time to enjoy each day in Kruger and all in all had a wonderful time. Highly recommended!
Email Penny W. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely wonderful!
From beginning to the end it was such a lovely experience, filled with great hospitality, kindness, friendliness, and patience from all the people who took charge of the logistics of our days and nights. The accommodation, meals and the soul filling hours on safari in the parks were all truly fabulous! And exciting! There was a seamless flow to the activities scheduled for each day and all we were required to do was to relax and enjoy it all; all logistics were cared for with aplomb!
I’d love to do it all over again!