May 2023

I was thrilled to receive a video of a Brown Hyena drinking at a waterhole of a landowner in Balule. These animals have been recorded sporadically in the north of the Kruger Park where the lion density is low. I recall reports of another sighting of a Brown Hyena some 12 years ago scavenging around the town of Kampersrus near the Moholoholo Rehab Centre.

The Brown Hyena is significantly smaller than its Spotted Hyena cousin. It is seen regularly in drier areas such as the Kgalagadi National Park in the Kalahari Desert and along the coast of Namibia in the Namib Desert.

I hope that this specimen survives in our area as the lion population is very high as witnessed by our rangers in their reports.

 

GAME VIEWING REPORTS FROM OUR GUIDES

NHLANHLA sent 3 photos of lions taken on Olifants West Reserve:

CHARL sent the following:

GEORGE sent these :

QUINTON saw the following whilst conducting Bush Walks at Marc’s Treehouse Lodge :

ROCKY sent the following :

PATRICK insists the shots he takes in Kruger are superior to those taken in Balule Nature Reserve. You be the judge  :

VICTOR sent these :

RAYMOND sent these :

TOLLI conducted a safari to Hluhluwe and St Lucia as part of our 7 day Kruger/KwaZulu Natal package that is increasing in popularity.

ANDY sent these :

ELIAS (SMILY) sent the following :

PIERO report

I spent just under 2 weeks at the lodges. I had some good game viewing.

NEWS FROM OUR LODGES

TREMISANA LODGE

Nyarai sent the following : 

Winter is finally here. After all these years I am still undecided which season is my favourite out here. Every season in the bush has its little beautiful gifts to give. A cup of delicious hot soup awaits in the middle of the bush before the bush braai. The best way any winter safari day should go. 

 It is getting really cold especially night time . We do get sunshine during the day so a lot of mild sunbathing going on. We provide our clients with blankets during the game drive for that added warmth.

I was away for my annual leave . I really missed being here. I miss the animals, Mama Delina’s freshly baked bread but most of all the sound of the animals at night. Give me that any day and I am a happy soul.

The end of the month was a very busy time for us. We had a big group of Americans that did our six day safari at Tremisana. I met some of the coolest people and made new friends. We had a lot of fun together. Shout out to Paris and Megan.

 I am seated on my desk a lot and I really appreciate the occasional chats I have with my guests. Even the short conversations give me a chance to have a social life. June is definitely going to be colder but with the brilliant animal sightings out who needs to sleep during the day. That reminds me I have long overdue bushwalks to join. Summer bodies are crafted in winter they say. With the delicious food from the kitchen I suspect I will shelf that for next year.

Till next month keep warm and take care.

MARCS TREEHOUSE LODGE

Charl sent the following:

We are about to embark on a very large maintenance job at Marcs Camp the renewal of the main buildings thatched grass roof as well as a paint job for the main building and bar area at the camp. We still have our resident groups of Nyala’s who never disappoint us with frequent visits to the breakfast dam while we enjoying our breakfast.

KATEKANI

Charl sent the following:

The camp has been very busy this month with a few days where we where almost fully booked just one room vacant. We have been fortunate to have very vocal nights at the camp too more often then not being serenaded to sleep with the calls of hyenas and leopards around  the camp.

EZULWINI LODGES

Together with my wife Sandra, I had lunch with Laurence at Ezulwini  Billy’s Lodge. I am pleased to note that his bookings are on the up.

I believe that Ezulwini River Lodge has had a magnificent wine cellar added to the property.

I await an invitation to sample some of Laurence’s wine

DUMELA TENTED CAMP

Charl has done a great job in getting this ready.

STAFF  NEWS

As we grow financially stronger, we have been able to re-engage staff. I am pleased to advise that Daphne and Jane are back on a full-time basis.

After her graduation, Thamia has sought employment elsewhere. She has been replaced by Tuney who has worked in a bakery – so we look forward to some great pastries.

It is with the greatest pleasure that I announce the appointment of Luke Ovendale as our Head Guide. He met his wife, Zanele, at Katekani Lodge where they both worked about 8 years ago. Luke knows the Viva business model and operational procedures and he will do well. Luke now has FGASA level 3 and has gained impressive experience at a 5 star lodge in Balule. Luke and Zanele have a little daughter, Isabella. We look forward to a long and happy association.

Elias (Smily) has been appointed as Luke’s deputy.

I am very pleased to advise that we have appointed Rickus Roets as our Head Mechanic. We look forward to seeing an improvement in the general well-being of all our vehicles.

I decided to clean out my wardrobe where I have collected and hoarded coats and jackets going back to my schoolboy days. I encouraged my sons Anthony and Marc to do likewise and we brought a whole lot of jerseys, jackets and shirts, all in good condition, to every one of our men staff.

I included 2 dressing gowns and was speechless when there was a big fight as to who should get these. Raymond and Victor won.

NEWS FOR OUR TRAVEL PARTNERS

Thanks to all those terribly impatient travel agents for your usual painful pressure put on me to supply 2024 tariffs. Despite an ability in Maths and Stats, I am ALWAYS at a loss to accurately predict how prices will increase. The war continues, load-shedding in SA is not getting any better and other unknowns that affect food and fuel prices are way beyond my ability to accurately predict.

I promise you all that you will have the 2024 tariffs on or before 15 June 2023.

We have had a fantastic month of May. Our June bookings are looking good and Nyarai advises that there are already certain days in June when Tremisana is fully booked.

Thanks to each and every member of our staff who really make the Viva Safaris packages so enjoyable. When you read the reviews below, it is clear our staff are happy and do everything in their power to make our clients happy. Well done to you all !!!
 
I include some reviews posted this month on Tripadvisor.

Jacob, a student from Norway, writes that he received free beer – quite deservedly so as he spotted a Leopard on an afternoon drive. He asked us to reverse – and wow – there it was – a magnificent male on a stump. I hope he and his friend Matthias enjoyed the beers !


VIVA SAFARIS

Best Safari Ever!
Jacob C
Amazing experience, wonderful people, delicious food and free beer from the owner difficult spotting of rare animals😍


Exceptional
Jacky G, USA
I can’t say enough positive things about the team at Viva Safari ! I’ve just finished my 1st trip with them and it was flawless! The logistics of every trip are planned seamlessly, the recommended lodges are perfect and every interaction is a pleasure 🙂 I’ve only just returned home and have already reached out again to start planning the next trip!

I especially want to thank all the staff at Marc’s Tree house and Quinton for an exceptional bush walk. He was friendly and never hesitated to answer any questions the whole time

What a great pleasure it was , Thank you


Unbelievable Safari Experience with Viva Safaris
Stuart A, Australia
I researched Viva Safaris online and looked at many other operators but for cost and reviews Viva just ticks all the boxes. We booked the 6 day Safari at tremisana lodge for my daughter Mia and myself as she is studying to be a zoo keeper in Australia and has always wanted to see the wild sights and smells of Africa and all the Animals in a natural environment. We arrived in Joburg and the next day were picked up at our hotel and driven in a 12 seat aircon minibus by Viva Safaris on our 5 hour journey to the Kruger stopping along the way for toilet breaks lunch at a little village in Dullstrome. We swappedu over to another minibus at the restaurant that takes you to the lodge at Tremisana Balule. On arrival we were warmly greeted by Mia the lodge manager who was lovely and showed to our beautiful lodges. We stayed in lodge 5 it was everything you need basic but comfortable and air conditioned for a good night sleep. The facilities are great a pool to take a refreshing dip in a bar and breakfast/lunch area and a night time candle light dinner area it really feels like your on safari it’s got that African feel about it. The food is plentiful and tasty so good comfort food cooked by the Famous Mumma D (chef) bar manager all the food was beautiful home cooked vibe. All the staff are so friendly smiling and ready to answer any questions.

We met our guides Rocky and George these two guys are an asset to viva Safaris we loved them so friendly and enthusiastic friends forever like family.

We set off on our first twilight evening safari shortly after arriving we hoped on our green viva safari open sided Land Cruiser and set off into the Balule bush within 2 hours we had seen 4 of the big five could not believe our luck . We saw lions/ lioness and cubs, big bull Elephant and baby’s, 4 Rhinos family the icing on the cake was the rare leopard sighting it walked down and sat by the campfire waterhole right in front of us for about 10 minutes we were so lucky not to mention the Hippopotamus and baby in the water hole zebra Impala etc etc. we then continued on seeing many Animals it was so much fun as we made our way to the Marula Boma for our Braii(BBQ) under the huge tree, it was yummy African spice chicken and Boreworse sausage cooked over charcoal with tasty salad etc as we sat and enjoyed this experience under the stars a couple of Hyena appeared behind the Braii for photos it

was incredible what an experience, we then continued on our safari under spotlight and saw so many animals the sounds the adrenaline is amazing you really are totally absorbed . Then back to the lodge for a well earned sleep.

Day after day experience after experience I could go on for hours but every single experience and activity was professional well organised and an experience we will never forget.


TREMISANA LODGE:

I took a trip with my old man, and this is how it went
Z O
As soon as myself and my father got off the safari truck from getting picked up at the airport, we were greeted by an elephant whale just less than 50 feet away completely hidden behind some bushes that made me jump a little. wasn’t expecting to be greeted by one so soon as the expression goes “i just got here” but what you can be expecting when you first arrive is nothing but hospitality from the cooks, gardeners, and the guides at the lodge. On my 4 day and 3 night stay at this beautiful place i found that the best times were enjoyed were with the other guests and the guides having a beer sharing stories and enjoying being in the moment of where you are. I had the privilege of doing the 3-4 hour walk through the bush with 2 very intelligent guides. as we walked they shared deep knowledge and experience about anything we came across and made it very exciting and humorous to be with them. Also, during the walk you can understand that your safety is #1. During our walk we came across a rino and its baby. We didnt see it but we heard it, the guide told us it was best if went the other way, so we did. As for myself and my father who i went on this trip with. im 23 and hes 63. we both really enjoyed our time here together as he spent almost 10 years in this type of country because he was born in Zimbabwe. i was born in America and never had to opportunity to leave the country for the first time, since covid halted my travel plans to come sooner. So with that in mind this trip could not have been a possibly better turn out. i am extremely thankful for the cooks for being able to atone for my food allergies as i understand it can be a little difficult when cooking for a group. on the first night for dinner they took us out at night to a special tree where we were welcomed like family to the lodge and felt very personal, and the rest of our private game lodge trip was as such. for my first trip to Africa i wanted it to be special and meaningful. So when the next time your looking to book a place for a game lodge in the African bush, the sign outside says best bang for your buck or something along those lines. they’re not wrong. By the end of this trip i wondered what would see on our last drive around? well you know at the beginning when i mentioned the elephant? The one guide said it was good luck, and the other guide we were with was named Lucky on the last drive, he spotted a fresh set of lion tracks/ leopard tracks, one could only guess what they lead to. Once again thanks to all the people i met on this trip, it was a blast that i will forever have stories to retell again and again to all about my trip to the African bush and who i met when i was there. but the story wont end hear, as i will be making a return to this place!!

PS- When you hear the drums… its time to feast !!


MARC’S TREEHOUSE LODGE:

AMAZING experience, amazing staff, experience I will always remember
Wojtek K
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. First night and going from reception to the tent may be little bit scary though, especially if an animal rustles in the bush or makes noises nearby, but you should be safe, there is nothing to be worried about. But watch out for your feet- sometimes you can meet snake crossing the camp (we have saw one but not venomous one). I recommend bringing a flashlight due to load shedding (between 19-23)- during that time it is completely dark and it might be a frightening experience. Tents are pretty comfortable, I would only prefer to have some more light though. We had tent number 8 which was located near the river, at the end of the camp and I loved it. Toilets are okay, seem to be little bit old, but they have amazing bush vibe with thatched roof and walls. Sometimes you can find frogs, geckos or big spiders inside- for many people it may be dreadful, but for me it was so fascinating and I simply loved it. During our stay some of the showers had no hot water which I found to be a bad experience as I really hate cold, but eventually we menaged to find shower with hot water and it was okay. Another disadvantage is lack of light in the toilets- it’s quite dark there, the light is pretty weak. The kindness of the staff is just overwhelming!! The ladies are so nice (all of them- there were three- Margaret, Mama and the third one, but sadly I don’t know her name). They were just so nice, polite, warm and funny- love it, you can really feel like at home away from home! The food was so good!! Breakfast is served at the lapa near the waterhole with turtles and nayalas and it was always delicious, but the dinner was what really made us fall in love with this place. Every evening me and other clients were wondering what would be prepared for dinner, and the ladies have never dissapointed us- every time the food was just so delicious! And always a three-course meal including soup and sweet bread (the best I have ever tried!), main course and dessert. They were so polite and kind that they prepared chicken espeically for one of the guests who told that usually do not eat pork. Besides, the table is decorated with african napkins and tablecloths, candles and sometimes flowers and there is always campfire next to the boma, which is so cool! They really try to do their best to satisfy the clients. The guides are amazing and very nice to talk with- Quinton is such an amazing person, so polite and elegant and the bushwalk was very informative, you can learn a lot about the bush and I really loved the bushwalk with him. Highly recommended, I even attended the bushwalk twice, because it was so stunning. With the other guide (sadly I don’t know his name) we had a very interesting conversation about rhino pouching and it was great as well.

Overall staying at Marc’s was one of the best experiences in my whole life and I loved the animals sounds and closeness to wildlife, that was exactly what I was looking for, even though I think the camp is definitely not suitable for everyone, especially for those who are afraid of spiders, insects and other small animals or do not like sounds of animals nearby or feel unsafe because of it. For this people I would suggest other lodge (e.g. Tremisana), because Marc’s is little bit like a survival experience, which may be not comfortable for someone (but for me it was). Thank you so much and hope to visit Marc’s again!! 🙂


KATEKANI LODGE:

Just great
Maria Jose R, Costa Rica
ROOMS: Lovely and espacious rooms. Very clean. Had a private little pool, bath tub and two showers (one indoor, one outdoor)

FOOD: Top quality food.
Margaret is an amazing chef. We enyojed every single meal. Bravo!

STAFF: Nice and kind staff. Very hard working and attentive.

Great price/quality


Posted on SafariBookings reviews:

Excellent and amazing safari experience!
Heinz H, USA
Viva Safaris gave my family of four (two children ages 18 & 14) an unforgettable safari! From start to finish it was absolutely amazing. I don’t even know where to begin, but we had such a wonderful experience. All I can say is if you’re planning a safari in South Africa, don’t hesitate booking with Viva Safaris.

Viva was easy to book with and quickly responded to a few of the questions I had when planning. We were picked up and dropped off at our hotel in Joburg which was very convenient. We chose the 4 day/3 night Tremisana Lodge because it provided a nice mix of safari adventures including the bush walk, multiple game drives on the surrounding reserves, and a full day at Kruger National Park. Just an hour after arriving to the lodge, we were already on a sunset game drive which ended with a delicious bush braai – cookout/bbq dinner in the bush!

We had our own chalet which slept the four of us comfortably. The grounds on the lodge were nice and had plenty of areas to find a place to relax and take in the views. We were constantly fed – breakfast every morning, lunches and dinners. We were never hungry! Even during our bush walk, we were given a little baggie with an apple and crackers, which I though was a nice touch. We were given bottles of water here and there as well, including on arrival. My wife and I enjoyed a few drinks from the bar for dinner or after dinner on each day. Some of the others we met during our safari also stayed at Marc’s Treehouse or the luxury lodge and said they enjoyed those too. We chose to only stay at Tremisana for the four days just so we didn’t have to keep unpacking/packing, etc.

The most special part of our stay were all the Viva Safaris employees we interacted with. Everyone there (and I mean everyone) from the kitchen staff to all of the guides that took us on our game drives, and the ones I met at the lodge (who we didn’t drive with) were awesome! That truly made our experience and stay special – genuinely great people who we’ll miss.

And speaking of the safari guides, our unforgettable safari experience is probably all owed to them! We rode with George, Rocky, Victor, and unfortunately, I can’t remember the names of our two guides on our first night, but all of them were great! They were informative, funny, and made sure all of us were being taken care of on all the game drives. My family and I thank them so much for such a great experience!!

And lastly, we were able to see the Big 5 and just about every other animal that you would expect to see on an African safari. It’s weird because at times it seems like you can be driving around for hours and see nothing, but then all of a sudden you start seeing animals everywhere! Spending a full day at Kruger N.P. greatly enhances your chances of spotting a diverse group of wildlife.

Some of our safari highlights:

– Seeing two black rhinos during our bush walk!
– At Kruger, seeing a leopard resting in a tree with his half eaten impala hanging on the
branch in front of him – only to find out later we were approximately 5 km from
Mozambique!
– The entertaining monkeys at the lodge
– Seeing a lion to complete our Big 5 on the final morning, the sunrise drive before
heading back to Joburg. Saw the male lion and two cubs only about 5-10 minutes from
our lodge! Shortly afterwards, we found ourselves in the middle of a herd of
elephants. Very close to them, big and small. And to think this was (again) our last
game drive before saying our goodbyes. Talk about putting the icing on the cake of
an incredible safari!

I’m sure there are many other great safari companies in South Africa, but all I can say again is my family and I truly enjoyed our safari with Viva Safaris. I can’t imagine another better all-around safari experience than the one we just had!

 

Until next month,

With kind regards,
Piero
General Manager
Viva Safaris