5 Day Katekani Lodge Kruger National Park Safari

Posted By : FERCASTAWAY
Viva Safaris team were amazing.
I booked my safari tour last minute like few days before the start of the safari.
I found them via online and sent them email enquiries and answered me patiently.

From pick up D1 until drop off D5 everything was smooth.
Amazing crew, I almost all love them, haha
From Welcome/Sonny & Lucky who pick up & drop off us
from guides night drive Mark, morning bush walk funny KG & Rookie
cool Andy 2days kruger open game view

my sissy and brother in Katekani who assisted me and take care of me during my stay

definitely worth it, nice itinerary
i wish i can stay longer, maybe till next time
definitely will recommend Viva Safaris to my family and friends

my batchmates were cool too
missing them

yes, saw the big 5
lovely and incredible experience
thanks Viva Safaris again
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Posted On : 2024-05-25 18:05:55

Posted By : TimothyJames_M
They tour aside the facility was run down and the food was horrible. The power was off for 2 hours every night and the water was undrinkable. The staff told us not to drink it and then they charged us for every bottle of water. Completely unacceptable. As far as the safari itself goes the gides were very knowledgeable and very nice. No internet (no power) every night for two hours you would think that the management would have installed a generator.

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Posted On : 2024-03-27 01:02:01

Posted By : RemoK58
Short version: Everthing was perfect.

All the transports are well organised and safe. All the people from VIVA Safari are very friendly and try their best, to give you the best experiance. The food was great and the tented lodge at Katekani was awesome - a lot of space, refreshing privat pool and even a AC, if needed.

At all the stops during Krueger Park or the transfers you are able to pay with credit cards, only at the lodge you will need cash for drinks.
Yes, the programm is packed full, but this is the best chance to see a lot of the animals. But you can skip parts of programm if wished. The bush walk was short and very interessting and easy to do.
The first night in Tremisana lodge is outside of Kruger National Park, there for you can do game-drives on sunset and sunrise, you will have the chance to see lots of animals.

We loved the experiance and our first safari and highly recommend VIVA Safari. There are other plans and camps you can book - for us the 5 days tour and to stay at Katekani was perfect.

Side node to malaria:
During this time (end of summer - more rain) malaria risk is higher. We spoke with the employees, the don't face problems.
We were pre-caution and took the "malaria-medicine" and for sure bug spray.
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Posted On : 2024-03-17 09:50:17

Posted By : natoshal817
Know before you go. Overall the experience was good. However, I feel there is some room for improvement. The tour guides are knowledgeable and patient. The terrace viewing from the dining area was awesome. I would recommend the safari company. However, if you are going to go with this company there are a few things you should know before you go.

PRO: Pick up at Hotel or JNB Airport

*CON: almost 7 hour drive to Tremisana Game Lodge with 7 guests in a 12 passenger van and 8 hours for the return with 12 passengers, which made for an uncomfortable ride. Two men attempted to mug my husband at the rest stop gas station. Be aware of your surroundings. Furthermore, we had 3 different transportation experience. The first van was old, lacked headrest in the back row and the A/C did not work well. The van appeared to be in need shocks as the ride was very uncomfortable and the roads in South Africa are substandard. The second van had a strong odor of mildew. The 3rd can was brand new. The a/c worked wonderfully and it even had USB-C plugs through the back of the vehicle.

PRO: Tremisana Game Lodge has accommodation for families. Full room A/C with Mosquito nets over the beds. This property has a beautiful community pool. Viewing of game animals from the dining patio was wonderful.

CON: The public restroom needed attention, I will spare you the picture. It was very dirty. The Wifi is only available in the bar area not through out the property. The safe did not work in the rooms. There were not enough outlets to charge in the rooms and despite having a variety of convertors, none of mine worked. There was rust around the entry door to the bathroom that has the potential to cause a need for a tetanus shot immediately.

PRO: KateKani Tented Lodges is beautiful and peaceful for couples. A/C above the bed only, indoor and outdoor shower and bathtub, very nice kitchenette with mini fridge and nicely decorated. The public bathroom was very clean.

CON: Our A/C did not cool it simply circulated air. Apparently, our tent had not been rented recently, as we discovered the A/C unit not cooling. We brought it to the staff attention and he discovered a broken line and the freon had leaked out of the system. It seemed to work that night but not the following nights. They did offer to move us but it was late and we were tired. The personal pools are non-circulated or filtered pools. It is not drained between guests either. Our pool was very cloudy likely due to having to use an excessive amount of chemicals to make it presentable. Other pools with in the Katekani were green algae, mosquito infested, biohazards and a breeding ground malaria carrying mosquitos.

PRO: Tree house is rustic and inexpensive. This is ideal for a minimalist or back packers.


PRO: They hosted several Game Drives within the Balule Game Reserve, this is where we saw the most variety of animals.

*CON: Very busy schedule with little time to enjoy the property you choose

PRO: When booking 5 days, there are 2 full days in Kruger National Park

*CON: There is no guarentee to see all the Big 5 during your safari. As it seems that nobody has developed an electronic way of documenting the daily or hourly sightings. We spent the second day chasing the possibility of Lion sightings. Additionally, our first Kruger day they put 10 people on a safari truck that accommodated only 9 guests. Leaving someone to sit in the cab of the truck with our guide. Leaving that passenger unable to see anything. I was one of the guest left in that position. I quickly advised the office that this practice was unacceptable and it was rectified to my satisfaction for the second day in the park.

PRO: Booking with Viva Safari offers a variety of accommodations, knowledgable guides and transportation to and from Johannesburg. The tour guides especially Rocky, KG, Andy and Victor were exceptionally patient with all of our quests for pictures.

Despite everything listed above, I would still recommend booking with Viva Safari. Why, because most of these things listed can be improved. It was hard to find a company that will do the driving for you. I can tell you that it was good to have safety in numbers.

Below are the advisories I would make to future guests.

* Air Conditioning is inconsistent due to loadsharing electricity accompanied by scheduled Black-Outs in 2 hour increments up to 4 hours a night.
* Viva Safari doesn’t use a generator or have solar to enhance their guests experience.
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Posted On : 2024-02-02 15:44:10

Posted By : Liz P
I won’t be able to fit how amazing this experience was into words but here goes … if you are thinking about booking with Viva Safaris, absolutely do it , not only do we have zero complaints but it was an experience of a lifetime .
From a practical side, the trip was great value for money, included everything you could want , you get to see so much in a short timeframe , the schedule ran like clockwork and everything and everyone were very professional .
But from a personal side, some things money can’t buy, and that is the knowledge of all the guides , the helpfulness of everyone that works there and how they make you feel like part of a family .
Their hospitality and kindness and all the small touches were like no where else we have ever visited , everyone was so special in their own right , people skills cannot be bought and there are really some special people working there .
We had a lovely stay for 1 night in Tremisana and then onto Katekani for 3 nights , only wish it was more .for the price the trip cost I really wasn’t expecting it to be so comfortable, to be fed so well and for everything to be so perfect !
We also did a lovely trip to Mohololo Rehabilitation Centre which I found excellent and very educational .
If you want to , you will learn a lot from everyone here.
You guys have some great people , please don’t change !! We can’t name everyone but particularly we have to thank Smiley of course for his fun spirit and his knowledge , Andy for his wonderful manner and also great knowledge. Victor and Sully for being absolute gentlemen, Mama P and Mama J at Katekani for making us feel like part of a family and looking after us so well, these guys all work so hard and yet they are smiling all the time !
We even were invited for lunch with the managers , how nice is that , that they sat and ate with us , the hospitality as I said , is unbelievable .
But have to say a big “fair play” as we say in Ireland , to Nadine , one of the guides,she took us on one of the drives and I found her to be a superstar , I could sense her compassion for the animals , her knowledge , and her passion , which at the end of the day is what it’s all about in my eyes .
Thank you all for a wonderful experience we will remember it forever 🇿🇦 from liz and Karl, Ireland x
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Posted On : 2023-09-11 08:13:07

Posted By : 646snehak
Great experience start to finish! We booked the 5 day safari and were able to see tons of animals during our drives and morning walks. Our guides Andy and Luke were excellent at answering all our questions and spotting so many animals. The hosts at both the lodges were incredibly kind and attentive, and made wonderful food for us. The lodges are clean and comfortable as well. Our itinerary provided before the experience was slightly different than what we ended up doing for one of the days, but it ended up being wonderful as it was a visit to the wildlife rehab center. Highly recommend this for couples as this was a great honeymoon getaway for us.
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Posted On : 2023-07-20 05:03:12

Posted By : linjiel2018
Did the 5-day safari trip to Kruger National Park with Viva Safari with a big family of 7 during the winter month of June. Initially, I had concerns about the legitimacy of the safari company I booked with, but I chose to book through TripAdvisor to ensure reliability. Turns out my fears were unfounded. Viva Safari is a well-run and organized company, with warm and trustworthy people who prioritized our safety and satisfaction.

Journey started with a long 6 hour drive from Joburg with a rest stop in a small town for lunch. The lunch spot was on a street lined with a row of cafes, was a lot better than I expected with decent food.

Tremisana was cute. Rooms were definitely cozy and definitely could use some sprucing up but it was like the introductory safari experience for our 5 day package. Situated in the bushes, the compound is surrounded by an electric fence to keep the animals out. Lions and Hyenas were roaming the area at night right outside the camp. The first dinner in the bush under the star filled sky was quite the experience with the meats on the grill. Truney, our host at Tremisana, was an absolute gem. Her warm and friendly demeanor immediately put us at ease. Made it fun for the kids.

Moving on to Ketakani, we stayed at their tented lodge for the next 3 nights. The tents were quite open to the air outside so taking showers was a painful experience but that’s what you get for booking the place in the middle of winter, I could imagine summer would be a lot more fun. Rooms are spacious and you get serenaded by Hyenas during the night. The compound is open so we were warned there might be animals lurking nearby but ultimately only a bunch of monkeys came to greet us. Place was manned by Shawl who runs the tight ship in Katekani, he looks like he could wrestle a bear so we felt safe during our stay.

The guides, Smiley and George, were instrumental in making our time unforgettable. Their expertise, professionalism, and infectious enthusiasm for the wildlife made every game drive an exciting adventure. They shared their knowledge generously, pointing out various animal tracks and explaining their behaviors, which enhanced our safari experience. Both made tremendous effort in helping us track down the big 5s. Charl was another great guide who took us out for the last walking tour. Learned a great deal about the flora and fauna of the plains. Amazing staff. Whole lot of fun for not a lot of money, great experience for the whole family.
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Posted On : 2023-07-06 08:26:22

Posted By : Trip46830748545
The accommodation at Katekani Lodge was very spacious and comfortable for me and my wife. It was basically a suite within a tent. It had a private outdoor patio and small pool though we were not able to use it as we were out the whole day and by the time we returned to the lodge, it was already late and temperature outside was already cold. No complaints whatsoever with the Katekani Lodge itself. It was a very nice place to stay.

I was actually not aware when I booked this trip that the first night would be spent at Tremisana Lodge (not Katekani Lodge). It was my fault, not theirs, as I had not looked at the details of the trip. However, we given the Guest House 1 at Tremisana Lodge which was also like a suite with a bedroom and a separate huge living room which was comfortable. Meals at Tremisana Lodge, however, needs a lot of improvement both in taste, quality and quantity. There were so many guests at the Tremisana Lodge that it felt like they were rationing the food during meals. Katekani Lodge, however, was an entirely different story. The only guest at the Katekani Lodge was me and my wife when we were there. Margaret was the cook at Katekani Lodge and she took good care of us. Every meal we had with Margaret tasted good and served on a buffet table for us (unlike the Tremisana Lodge where our servings were portioned so that maybe our plate would contain more food than we cared to eat or contained less food than we wanted). We are very grateful to Margaret at Katekani Lodge for cooking those tasty meals for us.

What is memorable for us is that during our first day when we were at Tremisana Lodge, we had a sunset drive where within the first few minutes we spotted an elephant near the Lodge. A few minutes later we also spotted a Lion lazily walking along the path of the off-road vehicle. We spent quite a few minutes watching and taking pictures of the lion while it was lazily lying down the middle of the road and doing some of its roars.

The trip to the Kruger National Park the following day was an 8-hour ride on the vehicle driving around the park hoping to get a glimpse of the animals in the reserve. We did see some of the animals (elephants, giraffes, hippos, ostrich, hyena, lions, many kinds of birds). Our original booking was only for a one day Kruger park visit with a different activity for the next day. However, our schedule was changed by the tour company about a month before our trip and we were informed that instead we would have a 2nd straight day of the 8-hour Kruger visit in the vehicle. After experiencing the first day riding on a vehicle for 8 hours and looking for animals, we did not feel like doing the same activity again. it was an exhausting 8 hours sitting on the vehicle scanning for animals (specially if one is in the middle seat). We requested for a different activity (visit the animals in the rehab center). Luckily there was space available for the Rehab center trip that day and we learned quite a few things about the animals at the Rehab Center. This trip to the rehab center was a visit that was worth it as we would rather just have stayed in our Lodge rather than spending another 8 hours riding around Kruger Park for a 2nd straight day. If we have to do a safari again, we probably would not do this kind of safari again where we would just ride a vehicle over paved roads and search for animals who may visible from those paved roads (We assume that being wild, most animals would stay away from the roads with passing vehicles anyway).

The other thing where the company could improve is to give us a heads up of the upcoming schedules. Most of the guests (including us) were asking each other what time or where our next activity would be but most did not know. We were told about the schedules only at the last minute.

This was our first time on a safari so we didn’t know any better. But we did meet a couple from Germany on this trip who just came from a few safari trips in different African countries before they joined this trip in Kruger Park. What I learned from them is that you should do your own research if this is the right safari trip for you (or not). If one wants to watch animals in the wild, then there are lots of available options where one can stay in an area where animals live and letting them come to your camp and watching them in the wild where you stay (rather than one needing to ride a vehicle searching for animals near the roads). There are, of course, tradeoffs as one may need to camp away from modern conveniences vs staying in accommodations with all that we are used to like internet access, electricity and paved roads. To each his own.
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Posted On : 2023-07-05 03:22:18

Posted By : alexandriab180
Absolutely incredible experience. Definitely worth the money! You are guaranteed a very authentic bush stay. Although this cost a little more than some of the other accommodations I would recommend it 1000 times over! The lodges are lovely, clean and Margaret at Katekani makes your stay. The food every night is also very nice. Our days at kruger were unreal, all of the rangers are knowledgeable and make your experience fun. We saw so many amazing animals which we were really grateful for. Everything was well organised, from being picked up in Johannesburg to the itinerary every day. It was a great start to our 3 week trip travelling around South africa and a must if you're thinking of going!!
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Posted On : 2023-06-04 13:38:06

Posted By : Caroline M
Everything was great of the 5 day katekani Lodge. A big shout out to the service with Margaret and Mandla who were wonderful with food, breakfast and hospitality. The wonderful Bush walk and conversations with Shawn were awesome. We will definitely come back.
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Posted On : 2022-12-22 00:49:11