35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful trip
Booked the 7 day Tremisani Lodge with Viva Safaris. I chose them due to price and cancellation policy. I was picked of from Jberg airport and it was a 5.5 hour drive to the property in a 14 person van with 14 people in it! If I had known then what I do now I would have caught a domestic flight to Hoedspruit from Jberg. I did that flying out due to a miscommunication and flew Airlink from Hoedspruit to Cape Town. It was only $126 to do this and was better than what I had originally planned which was to go back to Jberg and fly to Cape Town. But you do see some things along the way that you wouldn’t if you don’t take the van. The lodge is not really a lodge but chalets. It is nice but not luxury. The bed was comfortable and the property is beautiful and well maintained. There is a small pool. There are several monkeys that live on property and they will try to steal your belongings/food. This was a common occurrence that everyone except the staff seemed to enjoy. The food was okay but if you’re a picky eater it could be a problem as they serve what they serve and that’s it. Others that were there while I was split their time between Tremisana and Marc’s tree house. They all agreed the treehouse had better food. If I had to do it again I would split my time as well. There are multiple species that come right up to the fence. The lodge is inside the Balule Nature Reserve and you have a planned itinerary each day. Some days it seems daunting due to getting up early and staying out late. We did a bush walk, went to the Olifants River, had 2 bush bbq’s, and multiple game drives. If you have mobility issues you may struggle with getting in and out of the safari vehicles. There is a big set of steps at the property but I never saw anyone use them. The staff are amazing at what they do. Smiley was a group favorite. All of the guides were great. They do a great job spotting animals, explaining animal behavior, and tracking their whereabouts. I went in June so winter in South Africa. I needed gloves, a beanie and several layers in the mornings and at night. They do provide nice blankets. I wished I had brought a scarf. It was warm during the day. I was solo but the others took me right in and made my trip even more enjoyable. I would definitely go again!
Splendid
Booking was a breeze
Transfers were on time
Game drive was on point, we saw a pride of lions and many other animals
Tour guide, Micheal, was an encyclopedia of information
Value for money
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
helpful
I genuinely loved this trip, it was my first safari and these guys made it very special. They were so helpful when it came to finding animals and answering my questions. The truck was very nice and always stocked with cold drinks. We also had older passengers and the drivers were very accommodating. They were so enthusiastic and excited to do their job and make the experience special for me. When I come on another safari, I will definitely be choosing them. I would say this safari is better for adults and older people. I think it is better to do as a group and not by yourself.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tour operator was welcoming but one challenge I faced was change of car while changing the location
The car driver were very welcoming and focused on resolving any issue we faced.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly, efficient: Very good experience
We had a very good experience with this company and I would definitely recommend them. Firstly, the communication with Susan was excellent. She is very responsive over Whatsapp and really helped to navigate the organisation of our trip. We also got to meet her at the start and she was so friendly, caring and an absolute pleasure to be around. Professional, polite and always there to help and support. The safari jeep was fine. Good to have water available. It was comfortable and lots of space. There was an issue with the door one day, but the driver found a solution which did not stop us going on safari and spent his evening getting it fixed. John, our guide was excellent! Knowledgeable, kind, an excellent driver and got us to all the main sights. He was there for us, without being intrusive. We loved both Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara. We saw all the big five and very close up. John was brilliant at getting us to the front when there were numerous jeeps trying to see an animal. The day in the Mara was a dream come true! I would give 5 starts, however the accommodation in Mara was not the best. We were booked on a mid range safari, so knew it would not be luxury, but it was much more basic than we were expecting. The lack of electricity at certain times was a challenge and the food was very simple. No places to really sit comfortably and unwind after a safari. The accommodation at Lake Nakuru was excellent. Overall, I think this is a very good company, who work hard to ensure you have a good safari experience.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Touring Rwanda was a great experience
We were a group of 12 adults on a two week tour of Rwanda in June/July. Gorilla trekking was the primary goal of our tour and Golden Rwanda added many wonderful locations & experiences either side so that we came away feeling that we had really seen & enjoyed a lot more. Our guide/drivers (2), vehicles & accommodations were very good. Really glad we got to see the Nyungwe forest & also lake Kivu. Pace of the tour was mostly good though towards the end I was flagging.
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari in Kenya
Our safari experience was great. The best part was hiring a Spanish-speaking guide and translator (Antony Warui).
100% recommended. He looked after us, protected us, and never left us alone. He answered many of our questions and was very professional. He has extensive knowledge of the wildlife. Hiring him was a fantastic decision, and we plan to recommend him to family and friends. We also want to thank our driver, Peter Kapino, who was very knowledgeable about the area and showed us the Big Five safari animals.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
They organized the tour very well, but their communication to the hotel we stay was not well.
John, our driver the guide for safari was outstanding for finding all animals which we expected to see them in the safari. We enjoyed very much with his guide and his friendship.
However the tour office was not a particularly good for communicating with the hotel and lodge on the first second and third days of the tour as we had to pay the extra on the first day and stayed a standard room instead of a luxury bungalow booked at the Karatu safari lodge on second and third days.
BH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing service
Great service, wonderful cooperation and delicious food
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A really humble and kind operator
It was a lovely experience, we went at the end it May so it was difficult to spot the lions and cheetahs, but we saw a good amount of animals and the Hassan our guide was amazing, he tried his best and explained everything really well to us.