6 Day Budget Kruger National Park Safari

Outstanding adventure, kindness and lots of great laughs.

From start to finish I had an amazing experience on Safari with Viva. Staying at Tremisana Lodge was fantastic. All the drives to spot wildlife were fantastic, the guides helpful, kind and they all had a great sense of humour. The food and all the staff was exceptional. The Barbeque, going to Kruger, the accommodation, the laughs. You were really made to feel like you were part of their family. Thank you for the kindness, the warmth and friendliness and all the laughs. I enjoying seeing the big 5 and learning about all the animals I got to see. I strongly recommend Viva Safari 100%. Thank you.

Response from the operator: Hi there Thanks for an equally outstanding review ! You use the word "fantastic" often and we really are so pleased that you so enjoyed our safari package. Best of all is the genuine manner in which you express your appreciation of the kindness, warmth and friendliness you experienced. No wonder that you had great laughs with our fantastic crew ! It is wonderful to read that you saw the Big Five and loved the accommodation and food. We appreciate your recommendation 100%. Be well

via Tripadvisor

Awesome! Very good value.

This was a 4.75 out of 5 experience and it was done on a budget. If you're high maintenance and tend to complain about minor details, I suggest you spend (a lot) more money. For everyone else, this is A+. Staff was awesome, rooms were comfortable (even the tents), food was solid and the game drives always yielded something. The 5 nights get you two full days in Kruger (long but awesome), a visit to the very cool Moholololo (animal rehab/zoo/education) and several other walks/drives around private reserves. From what I can tell, 4 nights gets you the same minus Moholololo and less than 4 nights = only 1 day in Kruger. Only caveats is that you spend a lot of time sitting in jeeps/vans being driven around. This is good/bad depending on attitude toward exercise but it gets repetitive. The transfers from/to Johannesburg are long days. With no families around (September) the whole experience felt like an awesome summer camp for adults. They light a fire at night and have a bar but everyone is too tired and breakfast is too early for things to get loud or messy. Recommended.

via Viator

Incredible

Amazing once in a life time experience. The guides where amazing, finding all of the big five as we bounced around in a open top land cruiser. The accommodation, while basic, adds to the adventure. Plus elephants and hyenas often walk right up to the electric fence.

Response from the operator: Hi Trent Thanks for a good review. We love the title "incredible" and are so pleased that you appreciated the safari experience. Those ellies and hyenas add a touch of adventure to the safari. Be well

via Tripadvisor

Overall amazing experience, highly recommended

Overall amazing experience, highly recommended and one of the best trips in my life!! I really loved Marc's Treehouse Lodge which was stunning- the lodge was rather an experience than an accomodation, and it was gorgeous! The tents are located near the river, in a game reserve- in the night you can hear hyenas calling, lions roaring and thousands of insects and birds- such an incredible feeling to fall asleep with all these animals around. Tremisana was very good too, but little bit old and basic, nice but not as unusual as Marc's was. The way to the lodge was quite long (>7h) but the landscapes are fantastic and you can take beautiful pics. The first sunset drive was amazing- we have spotted lots of stunning animals and the pictures from my camera came out GREAT. Balule Nature Reserve is very good for animal sightings, its easy to spot the BIG 5 (even though we have not seen the leopard, but it's just a bad luck, because most of the Viva Safari's clients have seen it; although we have seen lots of rhinos which I was very looking forward to, and I loved it!!). The boma BBQ was very nice and we even had a hyena that came to boma looking for some food- astounding experience!! The bushwalks were amazing ), so were the guides (credits to Smiley/Hakuna Matata, Joshua and Quinton)- very informative, you can really experience the bush and get some knowledge about it. Moholoholo Rehab Centre was very interesting, it was shocking to get the knowledge about pouching and poisoning the rhinos. The game drives were usually stunning too, but unfortunately we had no luck in Kruger- no predators at all, but the safari was nice anyway. Although I think the full-day Kruger safari is organised at the wrong part of the day- you leave the lodge at 8:00 and arrive at 10:00 or later so you miss the early morning, where most of the animals are active and easier to spot. Then you are driving around noon and afternoon when its superhot and many animals are just hiding looking for some cooler places. Then around 17:00 starts another very good part of the day to spot animals as the sun goes down, but unfortunately you leave around 16.30-17:00 so you miss another great part of the day when animals are most active. Therefore I think the full-day Kruger isn't really good organised. I've seen many reviews from people complaining about that and Viva Safaris claiming in the answers that in this area of the park, the time you do the game drives is the best part of the day. I find this statement not true, and even our safari guides repeated many times that during our drives (between 10:00-16:30) it is way too hot and it might be hard to spot animals, which in fact was true, as sometimes we were driving an hour without seeing anything. Obviously I am very aware that safari sightings are never guaranteed, Kruger is a HUGE area and you need a lot of luck too, but basing on 2-days safari in Kruger we did, I think it should be organised other way, e.g. to leave the lodge earlier so that you don't miss the morning drive. I think the menagement was little bit hectic too- very often we were waiting for other clients from other lodges and sometimes we were late. Unfurtunately guides at Tremisana were sometimes late too- at one of our game drives we started with a 20min delay, then drove away just to get the information that we need to be back because 2 more clients are left at the lodge and someone needs to take them- eventually the game drive lasted 1h 15min instead of 2h. I need to mention one more thing which I found bad- on our first day the driver (Salomon the 1st I guess) was stopped by the guardians at the highway gate- it came out that Viva Safaris has not payed some fees (?) and we were stuck there for almost an hour! The driver did not say anything to us, except of that he has a problem and Viva paid the fees but the money were not transfered yet (but he told us about it after an hour of waiting and we were really confused and stressed out as no one knew what was going on). Then he was taken into the car by the guardians and just drove away with them leaving us alone in the middle of nowhere and wihout any explanation. We didn't know if he is arrested or what. Later, to speed up this process one of the clients paid the fees with his own money so that we won't miss our sunset game drive. I find that very unprofessional and whatever Viva Safaris paid or did not pay the client shouldn't be the one to rescue with his own money. It was very bad that the driver did not tell as what was going on for about an hour and left as alone driving away with the guardians. We almost missed our sunset drive and actually we were late for it, starting the game drive when the sun was already gone. Many clients were frustrated and the atmosphere was very tense. After that everything was just perfect and rest of the trip was an amazing experience. Although I suggest changing the pick-up time for earlier during the autumn/winter when the days are quite short- Viva Safaris collect people around 9.15-9.45 from Joburg, the drive to the lodge is about 7 hours, then after coming to the lodge you need to check in and order the drinks for the boma, and the sun (in autumn) goes down at 17:20 which means the schedule is very tight that day and even the small delay may result in missing the sunset and starting the sunsed drive after the sun is already gone. I suggest to collect people earlier, e.g. 8-8:30 to avoid situations like this. I also did not like the way back to Joburg with Salomon the 1st tbh- I told and written down 3 times the drop off location and he actually drove us to the another hotel. Thankfully I was aware of it and quickly recquired the change. Then he made some inapropriate comments (suggesting that I find black people dangerous and he will "take us to a place where we can't see them") when I asked if the area is safe (not only my thought, other clients shared my opinion). I found that improper as I have never said anything about anyone, just asked if the area in which our hotel is located was safe and if we can go out. Even though I pointed out some disatvantages, overall I think that trip with Viva Safaris was AMAZING, would love to do it again and I will remember it till the end of my life and I highly recommend it. Kruger is a beautiful place, with amazing landscapes, so beautiful and wild, I only regret not seeing any predators. The prices are very good for what they offer, and the quality for that price is great. I especially loved Marc's Camp which was the coolest thing I have ever slept into!! If you are hesitating about choosing trip with Viva Safaris- you should go for it, especially when you are looking for a budget but still very good safari.

Response from the operator: Hi Wojtek Thank you very much for all the reviews you have posted on Tripadvisor, SafariBookings and elsewhere. We are thrilled that all reviews on Viva Safaris, Tremisana Game Lodge and Marcs Treehouse Lodge received 5/5 ratings. You must hold the record for the number of words written on any reviews posted since 1991 when we started operating !!! We are pleased that your title indicates that the overall experience with Viva safaris was amazing and that you highly recommend us. We are very happy to read that it was one of the best trips of your life ! I shall not respond to the many positive statements that you have made and thank you very sincerely for these. I shall respond to 2 issues that you were concerned about. The Transport Board, like most South African state entities, is in disarray. We have applied for permits and have been told these will be issued once a backlog of 3 years is eliminated. We have a letter that allows us to travel while we await the issue of our permits, for which we have paid. Our driver was stopped and, despite showing the letter, was fined R2500. This unfortunately is the level of corruption and disorganisation all operators have to live with. As far as the morning departure for Kruger goes, I respond as follows: By law, our drivers cannot drive for more than 9 hours per day. This law exists to protect you, our valued guests ! The Kruger day usually takes 10 hours, from around 08h00 to 18h00 and there is a 1 h lunch break at Satara Camp. Our transfer vehicles operating return trips from Johannesburg to Dullstroom and Tremisana to Dullstroom usually take 9 hours, from around 08h00 to 17h00 and there is a 1 h lunch break at Dullstroom. Other safari operators that enter Kruger at around 07h00 leave by 15h00. Our experience is that the Satara = Orpen road is more productive in the late afternoons than in the mornings. Another advantage we have is that by 09h00 when we do get to Kruger, our guides have the benefit of receiving reports of sightings from other guides who have arrived earlier. Thanks for concluding your review by stating that you had a great value for money experience and that you strongly recommend Viva Safaris. Be well

via Tripadvisor

Excellent experience

Everything was perfect ! Excellent organization, very nice people. I have no words to describe this experience, it really was beyond my expectations.

via Viator