US
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!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our guide Blackie was very friendly, experienced, an amazing driver and we had a lot of good stuff.
Amazing Uganda with Wild Discoveries Safaris
First of all I like to thank Blackie for his incredible well organised tour. From our first inquiry until the last second of our tour our wishes were fulfilled as soon as we mentioned them. Our guide Blackie was very friendly, experienced, an amazing driver and we had a lot of good discussions with him about land and culture. Uganda is worth a journey: animals like gorillas and chimps which we saw the first time, a wonderful landscape, very friendly people, well organized lodges in beautiful surroundings and very friendly people. Uganda still is a secret in comparison and we treasured this a lot. I can recommend the tour whole-heartedly!
FI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing and outstanding experience with the most friendly staff!
Totally living up to expectations, everything was perfectly organized. I will most definately travel with this company again! :)
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An experience of a lifetime!
We started researching our trip some while ago and every time came back to Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris and were not disappointed. The price was very competitive and Mr OT was very prompt with all our correspondence.
Our safari was for ten days (Samburu, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli). Benson our driver/guide was amazing. Quietly unobstrusive, but always there when we needed him. We saw all of the famous five and even had the pleasure of seeing a solitary black rhino and a pack of hunting dogs. The accommodation and food selected met all our expectations and we were also fortunate to be given an upgrade at Lake Nakuru, which was a treat. Thank you for this.
All in all a fantastic holiday made even better by our guide, Benson, who just made it so memorable for the three of us. One thing is for certain we will come back to Kenya and without any hesitation will be booking our next trip with KWSS.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I had the best of experiences. A safe and pleasant expedition.
We have spent seven wonderful days. All the operators were extremely kind and qualified. The high-quality food made our expedition even more enjoyable.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Enjoying Safari in Tanzania
We had a great Safari in Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Our driver, George the Masai, was Masai and he was amazing: he was able to see many animals without binoclars while we needed binoclar to see them. We saw the big five and also many other animals. It was an amazing experience, and we could have great pictures.
Communication was good with Vincent, he is really listening to your needs and can adjust if you have some issues during the Safari. In fact, there was nobody to pick us up when we reach Arusha, but he gave us the money back for the taxi we needed to take. Also, the itinerary changed during the Safari: at booking, we booked for Tarangire and finally the company changed plan during the Safari for Lake Manyara . I just had a call and it was arranged so we went to Tarangire as it was previously planned.
It was such a good experience and we recommend it.
Thank you!!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One in the lifetime amazing experience!
Seven by far has provided a remarkable service. Sylvester, the manager, has been constantly on top of the trip, giving us all the tip and suggestions we needed. The two your guides assigned, Steve and Nicholas, were knowledgeable and great drivers. Steve, who was the driver we had for the longest part of the safari, actually had to save other tourists from the mud, twice. The whole team was punctual and helpful, making our trip an amazing experience.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very experienced and professional
The service was impeccable, we had an amazing trip.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice tour with nice guide
We had a wonderful tour from Nairobi to Lake Bogoria, Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli, Tsavo East, Tsavo West and finished the tour in Mombasa after 12 days. We enjoyed the safari with our great guide David who gave us an understanding of flora and fauna in Kenya.
The staff in our lodges was very friendly and accommodating! All in all we had a really unique holiday!
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely breathtaking, trip of a lifetime with Francis!
After getting quotes from 10+ travel agencies, I went with ACZ because Joshua was very prompt and professional with communication from inquiry to booking. Pricing was comparable/competitive with other agencies.
I joined a 3-day Masai Mara Group Safari in February 2018, staying at Mara Sopa Lodge and it was the trip of a lifetime! Francis was our driver and guide throughout. He was alway smiling and making his best effort to make our trip enjoyable. We were incredibly lucky to see the big 5: a black rhino, leopard, cheetah, lions, elephants, giraffes, buffalo, hippos, zebras, gazelles, impalas - and many up close! Nothing could have prepared me for the breathtaking beauty of the Masai Mara. Francis knows everyone in and around the park.
Note that the drive from Nairobi to the Masai Mara is 5 hours, the last 2-3 of which are on unpaved/bumpy road. A new road is currently in construction (finished by end of 2018?). The all-day game drive is quite long (~10 hours) and you are in the van the entire time except for lunch and bathroom breaks. The Mara Sopa lodge was great, comfortable rooms with delicious food. We also visited the Masai Village - they naturally get many tourist visitors but I found it to be a very informative and memorable visit, learning about their culture and way of life.
Overall, I can't recommend enough ACZ, this won't be my last time to the Masai Mara, I highly recommend it!
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