4 Day Classic Kruger National Park Safari

Posted By : Lillie M
Viva Safaris exceeded all my expectations for my first safari. Initially I was really worried about safety and the food, but after the first 3 hours I knew everything was going to be just fine. Previously, we stayed at a five star hotel in Capetown and I was not able to eat much — the meals we had at Viva Safaris were home-cooked, tasty, nutritious, and best of all did not make me ill like when I was in Capetown. Their breakfasts and dinners were very filling and what I am used to: egg, bacon, beans and toast, or protein, rice, and vegetables for dinner with a soup to start. The photo is of the first dinner that they held outside at a nearby campsite.

In the first sunset drive, we were able to see hyenas, lions, an elephant outside the resort, baboons at the entrance, loads of impala, and even a giraffe. I remember feeling like if I had to leave, I would already feel satisfied.

The bush walk was not as physically straining as I thought it would be, the walk had to have been a little more than a mile and the rest of the bush walk was a drive. We saw many hippos near the river.

The day at Kruger was gorgeous. I have never seen so many animals living freely and happily. We saw a buffalo, rhino, leopard, cheetah, over 50 elephants, a warthog, hippos, zebras and ginoos, giraffes, Cape buffalo, and many exotic birds.

My advice to other first timers would be to keep an open mind and to dress for all sorts of weather. I found that I didn’t use the warm weather clothing I packed because of the rain and the windiness of the drives. Boots or sneakers (that you aren’t afraid to get dirty), tall socks, layers and water resistant outerwear were all useful to me — and don’t forget Lots of SPF and bug spray.

Thanks to Rocky who was our first tour guide he knew so much about the animals. Thanks to Luke who was our very knowledgeable tour guide for the bush walk and Kruger. Luke was able to answer so many of our questions about the animals and their behavior. I think the sign of a great safari tour guide is their ability to sight an animal from far away. Luke was able to sight a leopard on a tree in the distance.
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Posted On : 2024-03-25 07:06:04

Posted By : Christine_M
The entire experience was amazing! Viva Safaris has a great team, and we had many memorable experiences during our stay. No need to worry about seeing animals...so many sightings and unique encounters! Stayed at Tremisana Lodge, which is lovely.
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Posted On : 2024-02-16 22:29:00

Posted By : Eike_S
Incredible Experience! Everything was perfect - From organization of the Pick-Up in JoBurg, over the Safaris and dinners. Whole staff and guides were very attentive, not only for surrounding animals but for the whole experience and everyone’s needs. Personally just very happy to have seen the Big 5 and many more beautiful creatures of the wild life. Definite recommendation for young and old, couples, solo-travellers and families. Big thank you to Viva Safaris and Viator.
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Posted On : 2024-01-21 03:22:07

Posted By : ARCHIT_S
Absolutely amazing. Their were a lot of acrivities that happened for all the 4 days we were at the resort. The resort is in the middle of a game reserve, which means 24*7 access to the african wildlife. The highlight was the meticulous attention to the dietary preferences. Being vegetarians, separate items were cooked for us by MamaBella and god, they were absolutely delicious. The food spread was amazing. The guides and rangers were experienced and left no stone unturned to help us view the Big5 (we were able to cover 4/5 xD). The pickups and drops to and fro from the city was seamless.
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Posted On : 2023-12-19 07:20:28

Posted By : HB224
Excellent service. This is my first safari and I did the 4 day, 3 night tour at Tremisana lodge and saw lions eating a buffalo at night, Cheatah from a far, 2 rhinos, and alot of giraffes, zebras and even a family of elephants. An unforgettable experience.

The team of tour guides, cooks, and ofcourse people managing the lodge were all kind, inviting and helpful.
Special thank you to Tuney, Nadine, Smiley, Lucky, King George, Victor, George and other managers on site. Can’t forget the ladies that cooked, every dinner was tasty and you can tell they made it with love.
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Posted On : 2023-10-02 08:38:20

Posted By : peach_293
We did the 4 day, 3 night Tremisana Lodge tour and it was such a fantastic and well organised trip. The Viva Safaris crew are incredibly knowledgable about the animals, reading and interpreting the environment, and ensuring we had a great experience. The homemade food was great and the lodge was peaceful. Big thanks especially to guides Victor, Luke, Lucky, and Charl whose expertise really made our safari tours memorable.
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Posted On : 2023-08-10 18:06:33

Posted By : D3784OIms
We chose the 4 day Tremisana Lodge safari. The booking process was made smooth and easy by Patricia who gave us very good advice about weather, booking flights, etc. It was a competitive quote.
Patricia was friendly and responsive at all times and provided contact details for the team who would be taking over on the day of the safari. Prompt pick-up, high quality vehicles, professional staff who take pride in their work (everyone - from guides to drivers to catering staff and cleaners!) and clean, air conditioned accommodation inside the game reserve.
Balule Game Reserve is a gem - we had our best game viewing here! Would highly recommend Viva Safaris to all
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Posted On : 2023-06-21 14:18:32

Posted By : Meghan57201
I did the 4 day-3 night Tremisana Safari with Viva and I am so glad I did! The staff from Viva took great care of me from the transfer drivers, safari guides and drivers, and all of the Tremisana team.

My main goal was to see lots of animals, and that was more than I imagined! I saw 4 of the Big 5 (just missed the illusive rhino, though we did spot one at the gas stop on the way from Joberg). I loved the structure of the 4 days and would recommend this for most people. Any less and you will miss out on sightings, but it was enough to leave wanting more.

First night we had our evening drive and bush braii, we had a delicious dinner and spotted a female lion we were able to get pretty close to, plus an elephant. At dinner listening to the hyenas under the bright stars and then spotting one on our way back to the lodge was so cool.

The next morning was the bush walk, we spotted our first hippos and giraffe. We saw these animals again but it was totally different to try to catch up to the giraffe on foot- I was surprised by my own reaction when I gasped aloud, it just is so graceful.

In the afternoon we had a couple hours to relax by the pool, that was the only day when I had time for a dip and I loved watching the monkeys playing nearby. That night was our sundowner drive. Halfway through we returned to Tremisana and dropped off a couple who were transferring to Marc's, then went back out again. The evening drive allowed our incredible spotter/guide-in-training Rocky to show us cape buffalo and a leopard across the river! I don't know how he first spotted it, but I was so glad to have binoculars to get a better view!

Day 3 was the Kruger day and it was also incredible! From Tremisana you drive in the open-air vehicle over an hour to Orpen Gate, so make sure you have sunglasses and a long-sleeve layer, and bring over-ear headphones if you have them. We saw plenty of elephants, impala, zebras, giraffe, wildebeest, kudu in the morning. Patrick was pretty down until after lunch when we spotted a male lion, a cheetah, an ostrich, and warthogs. He kept at it right until the park closed.

After all of that, I had no expectations for the early morning Day 4 drive, but we spotted Ezulwini the elephant early on. Towards the end, our guides got the call and drove as fast as possible to a pack of wild dogs! I hoped to see the dogs but they are very rare so I was ecstatic to see them.

Our return finished with a quick stop at the beautiful 3 rondavels in Blyde River Canyon which was a great way to end.

Before booking, I was concerned about what it would be like as a solo female, but I had a great experience, felt totally safe at all times, and befriended several people. The size is small enough that you see people again and again, but large enough that you can still meet some new people each day.

My room at Tremisana had air conditioning, which was very nice in the heat of March. It does cool down at night enough that the treehouse would probably be fine to sleep in, but I appreciated the a/c. Tremisana rooms all have their own toilet and shower as well so for me that was more comfortable, but the people I spoke to who stayed at Marc's liked hearing the animals there at night so that's something to consider.

I would definitely recommend Viva and in general I am so glad I opted for a guided safari rather than doing a self-drive. The guides shared so much knowledge and spotted so many animals I would not have seen in the tall March grasses.

If you're going: bring the spray-on kind of bug repellent! You get dirty in the vehicles and trying to use the lotion at the end of the day in the vehicle made it hard to get it all over, and if you are prone to mosquitos like me, they will find you. Of course sunscreen, cash for tips/drinks (you will need to buy water plus any alcohol you want), binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens if you have it.

Special props to Rocky and King George (Shinagaroumafata?) for making everything so fun and for their great teamwork.
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Posted On : 2023-04-09 21:09:53

Posted By : Edward_C
We had such an amazing time with Viva Safari. This was our first safari ever and it really raised the bar quite high. Viva Safari's staff were incredible, kind, entertaining, and so wise about the animals and the environment. Not only did we see the big 5 (Rhino, Leopard, Lion, Buffalo, Elephant) but we learned so much about each of them and all the other animals we saw (hyena, impala, bush buck, hippo, bush chicken, wildebeest, Tawny eagle, vulture, lilac breasted roller...). The accommodations were decent, the food was delicious, and there was ample water and refreshments throughout our stay. We had so much fun and learned so much from our guides Victor and Smiley. We opted for the 4 day safari. Some people did 3, others did 6+. There are many options, which makes Viva even more appealing. They picked us up and returned us to our hotel in Johannesburg at the beginning and end of our safari as well. These rides as well were wonderful and included a great lunch stop in Dullstroom at a restaurant called Mayfly.

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Posted On : 2023-03-16 13:15:16

Posted By : echyzstuf
We did the 3 night/4 day stay at Tremisana Lodge. This worked out perfectly for our plans, picked up at our hotel in Johannesburg and drove to the Lodge with some other passengers in a spacious van. Plenty of bathroom stops and a stop for lunch on the way. Arrive to what we can only describe as what one would expect in a safari lodge, not trendy and out of place, but just as you would like it to look. We wore our "insect shield" clothing and had no real issues with mosquitos. The staff is helpful and they do try to accommodate all food restrictions, the soups were OUTSTANDING and delicious! Food is plentiful, but bring your own snack items, although they do have a bar.

We saw so many animals, almost all of the Big Five except for the leopard. The bush walk is very interesting, you learn a lot of tidbits. I would highly recommend using Viva Safaris for your safari, they are flexible and affordable. We made a lot of friends among the other guests, and had lovely conversations with them during our stay.
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Posted On : 2022-10-21 11:17:24