My husband and were the oldest in our group of 6. Was not a problem. Initial accommodation was adequate for whole experience. Day 2 after a morning walk we were transferred to Mark's Tree Tops.
Very rustic but adequate for what it is.
All staff we interreacted with were more than pleasant. Shannon in particular was an excellent guide and found us the elusive elephant. The "cranky elepu6666hant" . What a heartstopping experience.
From pickup to drop off, we had an incredible experience. Friendly knowledgeable staff. We saw 4 of the big 5. If you want to learn about this amazing place, eat amazing food, and meet great people, this is for you. I think many other guests forgot we were actually in the bush and not at a country club, and unfortunately did not have as great a time.
Great safari outfit. Check out Tremisana lodge review for details.
Incredible experience. Great value for money. Will definitely be back again.
Recently had a great experience with Viva Safaris at Kruger National Park and some private game reserves. Everything well planned and all staff very pleasant and helpful. Stayed 1 night in Tremisana Lodge which was spotlessly clean though shower room could benefit from updating perhaps. Did not spoil our 1 night stay though and the staff were friendly and helpful. Had 3 nights at Katekani Tented Lodge which was fantastic - setting, accommodation, food and the staff - all brilliant. Special thanks to the on-site staff, Luke and Ellie, who were really helpful with a medical problem I had and nothing was too much trouble for them. Fantastic safaris too with helpful and knowledgeable guides. Wonderful holiday and amazing experience. Highly recommend Viva Safaris.
Well recommended but could be more efficient in the ways things get done and you are transported to and fro. S heckle would be better and improved by dropping Marx's Tree house Camp which I still loved but .. I'd rather have 2 days in Kruger as the trade here and don't want more than 3 nights otherwise. Do Tremisana (very nice) and 2 nights Kruger. Staff at Viva is otherwise caring and helpful and kind and simply wonderful if who you have to mention in the highest regard both REX the Man and his 2IC the comedian tracker/spotter all round good guy Elias.
Some would say the price for 3 nights is expensive? It is but you always get only what you pay for in life. Pay and just swallow. Years from now, who recalls the money spent? You remember travel destinations for the experience and the adventure you enjoyed, or the emotions that have your insides turned out and your heart in your throat.
And I'm here for 7 months and 4 more safari adventures to go, including the Serengetti and Maasi Mara! LIONS AND WILDEBEESTS ANYONE?
You get to see different animals, go from one lodge to the other. Transport on time, food is wonderful, very educational. Had a great time with my family
Overall it was OK but a lot to be improved:
- Game drives are shorter than what is advertised, because they always start late and end earlier or in time
- There are a lot of down times when there is nothing to do
- The bush walk is ok but by the looks of it, not a lot of wildlife is spotted. Content in the bushwalk in Tremisana and Marcs Tree House overlaps as well
- Our tour was a Kruger tour and we only went to Kruger 1 day of the 4. Kruger is 100 times better than Balule
- In Kruger, our guide Nikku (not sure how it's spelled) kept trying to keep up with the other guides and that caused us to see the animals for 15 secs only rushing unnecessarily to take a picture, even when for most of us it was the first time we ever saw a buffalo. We were the first to get to lunch and he arrived 20 min later from the time he asked us to be back in the 4x4
- On the way back to Joburg we only had 15 mins in the canyon. When stopping in Dullstroom we would have liked to have a stroll or at least chose the place to eat as we were paying
If you are not Ok with driving I would suggest to take this tour, otherwise self drive + kruger it's the best bet in my opinion and could prove a lot cheaper.
This was a discount safari however it's really badly run they picked us up 2 hours late and instead of just admitting they were going to be late so we could do something else they just kept saying they would arrive in 15 min.
Did a last minute 3 day safari with them. Their website is nice, you can chat with them and get an immediate response. The tremisana was quite an ok accommodation, no mosquito problem, just naughty monkeys that jump on your roof but no problem. However, the second night at the treehouse was like insect city. The walls are not actually closed and it is right next to the water, so there are plenty of bugs you can sleep with. The mosquito net over the bed has a giant slit so quite useless. If you can, try to stay in tremisana for your safari
An excellent African safari adventure. Guides were all knowledgeable and very friendly. The big 5 all found. Staff very friendly and inviting. Grounds and meals very nice. A great value overall
Thank you for a stunning safari experience will be back again with viva safaris in 2018 looking forward to visiting katekane lodge
We did the 4 day tree house experience.it something different and we really enjoyed it.feels like you deep in the jungle