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:
- $79 to $196 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 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 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.
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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.
SA
Email Bee Reyes | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Patti was Amazing. She assisted us with our bookings and ensured everything went smoothly
We went with ViVa Safaris last September 2023, For our amazing Safari Tours. We were assisted by Patti, she went beyond helping us, as our flight was delayed by 2 hours. Patti and the team made sure that we were able to join our guided tour on the day of our arrival. Despite the delays, everything else went smoothly. The accommodation, tours, services, and The Wonderful Staff that make ViVa Safari have made our experience truly memorable. We highly recommend ViVa Safari who is looking to have a great adventure!…Many thanks again ViVa Safari❤️
CH
Email Thomas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Adventurous Journey into the Wild: Wildlife Encounters, Warm Hospitality, and Memorable Moments
I booked a three-day package and was picked up directly from my hotel in Johannesburg. The drive to Kruger was quite long, taking approximately 6 hours or more. Upon arrival at the Tremisana Safari Lodge in the late afternoon, we immediately embarked on our first trip around the lodge in the Greater Kruger area. We were fortunate to spot some elephants and a lion during the excursion.
After the trip, we enjoyed a delightful dinner under a large tree in the bush. The food was beautifully cooked with a lot of care and attention.
The following day, we spent the entire day exploring Kruger National Park (BEST PART OF THE TRIP), with lunch at a restaurant located inside the park.
In the evening, we reached Marks Tree House where our luggage was already waiting for us. The "tents" (which I personally consider more like huts) were acceptable for a night's stay. However, I would have preferred a room with its own toilet and shower. It is possible to upgrade or ensure the right accommodation when making the initial booking.
At Marks Tree House, we were treated to a delicious homemade dinner and gathered around a large fire, creating a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere for the evening.
The next morning, we embarked on a walking safari around the neighborhood. Although there wasn't much activity during this particular walk, it was still enjoyable. In my opinion, the morning walk could have been extended to three hours to enhance the experience.
On our way back to Johannesburg, we visited a viewpoint that offered stunning vistas of rolling hills and a beautiful canyon. The restaurant where we had lunch on both legs of the journey to and from Johannesburg provided a variety of high-quality food options.
All in all, I would recommend booking at least an additional night since the travel time to and from Johannisburg is quite long.
I highly recommend Viva Safari to everyone. The entire trip was well organized, and the staff members were exceptionally nice and helpful. It is evident that this is more than just a job for them.
Thank you, Viva Safari. I hope to visit again in the future.
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Email Bruno Fortuna | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing perfect experience
Perfect from day 0 to day 6. Since the pick up at the airport by Salomon the 1st then taken by Salomon the 2nd, reception by all the amazing staff and Tuney making everything the best, the guides/drivers King George and Mr. Victor simply no words for these two heroes and Mama “C” and all the ladies cooking amazing diners. Couldn’t recommend and like it more. And likely forgetting others special names. Thank you!
Email Johan and Susan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent staff,so proffessional and friendly,accommodation and vehicles top class sightings great!!
From pickup just one amazing journey. Will never use another operator again.Friends for life
CA
Email Chris | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very knowledgeable, fun, hardworking staff!
This experience was truly amazing!! Sleeping in the treehouses was an experience I would love to do again! Viva safaris provided such a fun environment. Got to see so many animals during the safaris. Truly enjoyed the meals they provided. It was also great to kickback with new friends and enjoy some Castle lites! Cheers! Would love to do this again!
Fun, well organized and an amazing family experience.
My family and I wanted to do a Safari in South Africa, it took a long time to make the decision on what company to go with but we finally decided Viva Safari.
My mum, dad, sister and her boyfriend and myself spent 2 nights at one camp and 2 nights in tree house. The treatment by staff was superb and the drives were such an eye opener and breathtaking when seeing so many diferente animals. Very non artificial, we felt as f we were in middle of nowhere but safe at the same time.
The food and timing was shocking by its quality and variety (probably ate too much).
Overall the trip was a 10/10, a brilliant way to spend a family holiday and an experience of a lifetime.
Recommend it, you will not regret it!
DE
Email Sophie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect trip, unforgettable memories
Everything was wonderful. I got fetched up at the airport in Johannesburg, then spend one night at Tremisana, where I had a wonderful time, with nice people, amazing night safari, braii in the bush and special morning bush walk with "Hakuna Matata". What an awesome man!
The next day we went to Marc's Tree House, where I spend the rest of my trip (4 nights). The stuff is great and the food very tasty. It was so fun to meet some nyalas on your way to the breakfast. The tree houses are stylish if you don't matter with some bugs. :D. and the loud silence in the night is unforgettable!!!
While my safari tours, I have seen a big variety of animals, espacially the cheethas have been great, I will never forget how I felt, sitting in the open vehicle and watching these big cats eating an impala...
All in all I had a perfect trip!!! Thank you so much!