Experience Africa:Ethical Safari & Adventure Tours
Safari With Us
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2011)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $95 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
IN
Email Sathya | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Right from our first contract over e mail Andre was helpful and very professional. Always on call
This was my first experience with a tour operator. Glad we chose this company. The 9-day tour was designed to my requirements with a budget I could afford.
All transportation was above expectations with helpful, friendly drivers, who even filled hotel forms at times. They remained cheerful throughout. Packed lunches were generous, hotels were 3-star and very good. The safaris were extraordinary with knowledgeable guides. No complaints despite the tour being handled by three partnering companies across three countries. Andre has chosen his partners well. Highly recommended. Already referred a friend.
Exceeded my expectations!!!
From the very beginning,Andre Retif was awesome about communication, which took a lot of stress out of the equation in booking my five day safari with VIVA, which I can’t say enough good things about,—they were incredibly organized in getting everyone to where they needed to be—and at various times, etc. It takes incredibly organized people like Thandy and Pretty to manage all the various groups from all over the world.
Saw all the Big 5, and I’m so glad I extended my Safari by one day because that’s when I saw the elusive leopard and rhinos, which were on a private reserve, that I believe backs up to Kruger.
Also making it simple is the safari team from Viva picked me up from the Mariott hotel in Sandton in the morning and dropped me off there at the end of the week! It appears they can pickup any where in Joburg area. We even dropped off a couple at the Joburg Airport as they had a 7 pm flight home.
I went single, but it’s more cost effective if you have a travel partner.
I stayed in the basic lodge at Tresminia, which was great as it has AC and private shower and bathroom. Also a nice pool for between times, where you can take a nap on the lounge chairs. The AC is awesome after a long Safari in Kruger, slept very soundly, but the monkeys do something on the roofs at about 530-600 am, which is a natural alarm clock! The tree houses also has a pool, but the lodging looks a bit more rugged.
At Tresminia lodge, baboons were out to greet us the first evening. At breakfast the next morning , the wart hogs were out in full force and were foraging behind the fence and the breakfast patio.
I would recommend you try all the foods, including impala stew, all the food was delicious, can’t say there was a bad meal the entire week. The fresh fruits and vegetables are incredible and the mangoes and papayas rival what we have in Hawaii! The cooks really try to accommodate vegans and GF people, but they need to know way ahead of time, I felt bad so many Westerners had pretty picky diets. Best to go on safari with an open mind and try everything, it’s experiential right?
It’s a packed full week, but there’s enough down time to relax by the pool too. All the guides were great, but Elios (also known as smiley) for obvious reasons, and young Shannon and Andy are incredible with great first hand knowledge of the Bush, having grown up there near Kruger. Shannon is a fourth generation guide in her family, and Andy’s family owns a private reserve and is also so knowledgeable about the environment and its animals there. I really feel I just lucked out getting on this Safari as I booked it only two weeks before I spontaneously left the states.
If you want four star lodging, Viva does have a new upscale lodge, but I never saw it. If basic lodge is okay for you, Tresminia is just fine.
Heads up: please bring extra money for tipping your guide and drivers, they really depend and need it. Wages are still not great out there. Viva suggests 80 Rand for each guide, per activity, per person, but if it’s great, then I would suggest at least 100, which in US dollars that’s under ten dollars.
Another suggestion: bring the Off Deep Woods insect repellent sachets with Deet, if you’re prone to getting bit, which I am! I tried the natural repellent and it did nothing, thankfully I brought the OFF sachets and those worked. Also take Malaria pills, Andy our guide had Malaria earlier this year and he grew up here, and still ended up in hospital for weeks!
Overall, this was such a great experience and having just retired I can check it off the bucket list, but would still love to return on another safari!
IL
Email Rinat | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip of a lifetime!
My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary and belated honeymoon in South Africa , and the first week was an exclusive safari in Kruger park and the surrounding area arranged by safari with us.
Wow!
From the first email correspondence with Andre until the last hug goodbye with Ettienne our skilled guide- we have only good things to say! Andre was very accommodating and helpful in arranging our trip and updating us right away with anything that came up. He advised us as to what package would suit our needs and answered all questions that came up in a very timely manner.
Ettienne was waiting for us when we landed in JNB and was our fearless leader, guide, driver and advisor throughout the trip. His fun attitude and wealth of knowledge in all things safari and Africa related were a huge plus to our trip. We got insider information on the most wonderful extra activities available near where we were staying and he even spent the time helping us plan the next leg of our journey (self driving down the garden route) so that we get the very most out of our time in this beautiful country. He made sure we were comfortable and happy throughout the trip and was a pleasure to have as a traveling companion throughout.
We would definitely recommend safari with us and Ettienne as a guide for any group, big or small. This company will take care of you , be straightforward about everything, tailor your trip to your needs, and will also be happy to help with anything else if they are able. 5 glowing stars to them!!
HK
Email Rick & Veronica | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
relaxing nonexpensive luxury sarari tour
I join the 3-Day Madikwe Luxury Safari tour in April 2016 and find the trip very relaxing and enjoyable. The arrangement of Safari with us is good starting from the helping of booking subsequent day trip and hotel in Johannesburg .
The 2 of us were picked up by a friendly driver in the airport at good time . then drive in a private car directly to our lodging place in Madikwe in 3+ hours.( a bit far away ) . We have a break half way for some snack.
The guest house , namely“ Bush House” is great which is a small bungalow type of building housing up to ~18 guests.
I love the rich green grassland in the front of the courtyard, the small yet clean swimming pool and the underground hide next to a fresh water pond that you can watch in close proximity the elephants, buffalos that came to drink many times a day.
The breakfast , and dinner are of good quality and the morning and evening game drive is exciting yet relaxing .
I was impressed with the special floral arrangement and preparation of cake for our wedding anniversary .For the cerebration dinner , two of us spend a romatic night sitting under the moon beside the courtyard with animals in sight not too far away.
Both of us like the trip very much and hope we can return some years later .
Amazing
Andre was super helpful and delivered exceptional customer service. He was quick to reply to my emails. We visited Madikwe Game Reserve for 3 days and stayed at Motswiri. It was our first safari experience and our (already high) expectations were far exceeded. The lodge is beautiful and the staff are friendly, accommodating, and happy people. I will definitely refer my friends to Andre and Safari With Us.
BR
Email Ricardo Fontes | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience in Africa
I had the best Travel agency to do a African Safari! Andre was the best travel agent and gave me the answers I needed very quickly and efficient! Thanks to Safari With Us to provide me such a great time in Africa!! Amazing!!!!
US
Email Melissa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great visual and social experience
Our three day safari in Kruger was one of the best experiences of our trip: we had a couple of very lucky sightings, including a lion roaming right next to the road and a number of hyenas trying to muster up a fight against a lion. We only saw 4 out of the big 5 but our guide that day hustled really hard to try and find us the last (leopard). The tour was well-organized and we felt well-taken care of. The bush meal on the first night and the tree house living on the second were two really nice touches. We also met a lot of people over our three days, all of whom were really fun and interesting; it was a pleasure crossing paths with them. My only complaint would be that the tour is billed as three days, even though you don't do anything except a short walk before returning home on the third day.
Email Zara | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 Day Kruger Lodge/Treehouse Safari
When researching various tour operators that offer safaris, Safari With Us was by far the most professional and organised. I felt 100% confident booking my safari through them, thanks to Andre, who offered almost immediate responses to my numerous emails and could provide me with all information I required, answering my many questions. I was really looking forward to the safari and was not disappointed in the slightest! My transfer arrived at the specified time and although the journey is long, it is broken up by various short stops and the drivers took time to explain what we were driving past and could also answer questions about the local area. The accommodation (Tremisana and Marc’s Tree House) is very basic, but comfortable. They offer contrasting experiences, as one night is spent in a chalet and the other two nights are spent in a tree house, deep out in the thick of the bush. The staff were exceptionally attentive to our needs and went out of their way to ensure our stay was as pleasurable as possible. The game drives were simply unforgettable. The guides are very experienced with eyes sharper than a hawk, which guaranteed us lots of sightings. I saw four of the big five and numerous other beautiful animals and birds too. One of the game drives was very chilly (end of March) and therefore I would definitely advise to bring a warm jumper and long trousers! Equally, the bush walks were educational and very informative for those interested in botany. As a solo female traveller, I was concerned I might feel slightly isolated, however on my safari I was with a fantastic group of people, all varying in age and nationality. We all had a lot of fun together and some friendships have been formed. I cannot thank Safari With Us enough for fulfilling this lifelong dream of mine and creating many beautiful memories that I shall never forget.
US
Email Michelle | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Andre is the best agent!
When planning my family trip to South Africa, I reached out to many different booking agencies and the professionalism and attention I received from Andre at Safari With Us was by far the best. He walked me through every step of the process, responded to every email in an incredibly timely and detailed manner, and we had the greatest trip! We stayed at the Bush House at the Madikwe Game Reserve and that was absolutely incredible. I can not thank the Safari With Us team enough for helping to put together this incredible trip!
NZ
Email Barbara Kilgour | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Pilanesberg Camping + Lesedi
Everything was well organized. Our guide Dennis was friendly, helpful and informative. The extra visit to Lesedi was also really worth it. All in all a great trip