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Viva Expeditions Reviews 505

TrustScore 5 out of 5

4.8

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 92 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the staff for their helpfulness, knowledge, and positive attitude, making their holidays truly enjoyable. The service provided is frequently highlighted as exceptional, with many people appreciating the seamless organization of tours, transfers, and accommodations. Reviewers also loved the excellent locations of hotels and the overall user experience, noting that everything was perfectly planned and allowed them to relax and enjoy their trips. However, some customers mentioned minor issues such as a bit of confusion regarding trips, a desire for more detailed tour information prior to departure, and occasional instances where guides did not hold their names upon arrival. A few also felt that the expectation for tips seemed higher than what the company's guides suggested, and some noted that travel days in safari vehicles were unexpectedly long.

What people talk about most

Staff

Users describe positive interactions with staff. Customers consistently praise the staff for being helpful,... See more

Holidays

Reviewers consistently express high satisfaction with their holidays, often describing them as faultless,... See more

Service

Reviewers mention positive feedback about service. Customers consistently praise the comprehensive and... See more

Location

Consumers consistently express satisfaction with the locations provided. Many reviewers highlight that... See more

User experience

People report positive experiences with the user experience. Customers found that everything went smoothly... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Everything is organised for you. English speaking guides and luxury transport which is ready and waiting to whisk you to the next activity or sight. Great way to maximise your tour without waiting in... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We had many questions during the booking process. Pia answered every one in a timely manner and thoroughly. Then the arranged connections and accommodations themselves were fabulous. We couldn’t have... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This was the a superb trip! Pia had all the details including the small ones like transfers all taken care of. We just had to show up. The itinerary was comprehensive showing us the best of New... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Guides were good - often amazing - remember Vanessa, Luis, Leo, Melanie Sonia gave good information at start of tour. Would have liked detailed tour prior to leaving our home country. Loved Zocalo... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Travel Agency

Written by the company

A passionate team of travel specialists, sending clients on amazing adventures to Latin America, Africa, Antarctica and New Zealand. Offering independent itineraries as well as small group tours, every journey is inspired by a passion for fun, adventure and authentic connection. With extensive first-hand destination knowledge and years of experience, Viva's friendly travel experts make planning your perfect adventure easy. Founded in 2008. Opening Hours: 8:30am - 5pm NZT Monday to Friday.

Why Viva?

Written by the company

We believe that true inspiration and growth comes from real experiences and immersion in the world around us. When you travel with Viva, we take you beyond the sights in the guidebooks, for an authentic connection to the places you visit.

Travel with confidence!

Knowing everything is taken care of and your arrangements are guaranteed.

Knowing everything is taken care of and your arrangements are guaranteed.
* We have our own local operations at key locations * We are with you 24 hours a day, and our team are just a phone call or whatsapp message away at any time. * We are adventure travel specialists, we have been there, we have lived and breathed Latin America, Africa, NZ and the polar regions and we LOVE THEM! And above all we want you to love these places as much as we do!

Contact info

4.8

Excellent

TrustScore 5 out of 5

505 reviews

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Replied to 100% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 24 hours

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Maximise your sightseeing time

Everything is organised for you. English speaking guides and luxury transport which is ready and waiting to whisk you to the next activity or sight. Great way to maximise your tour without waiting in lines or traffic. Guides are locals so can recommend great restaurants to try regional cuisine. Vey knowledgeable about the history of the area and country you are visiting. Can easily tailor the city tours to your interests.

January 20, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks so much Jo - glad you found it so easy for things to be customised to suit your interests. We look forward to planning another adventure for you one day!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Pia was great from the start explaining…

Pia was great from the start explaining things well and was patient with this old man. The trip ended up as planned and there were no problems.

January 14, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Glad to hear Michael, Pia was only to happy to help. Good to hear you had a fantastic adventure on the Ocean Victory to Antarctica, Falklands and South Georgia!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great

We had a great time very informative and once-in-a-lifetime experience

January 3, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks Barry! Great to have your feedback on your Ultimate Antarctica Experience onboard Ocean Victory. Thanks for travelling with Viva Expeditions, we look forward to be of assistance again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My husband and I went to South America…

My husband and I went to South America with Viva! What an amazing experience that was!! Thanks to Flor and her great suggestions and amazing organisational skills which made our trip so memorable and enjoyable! All our accomodations, guides, drivers and transportations in Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Peru were fantastic!
Viva is truly a five star company and we would definitely recommend it to everyone!
Thanks again Flor and the fantastic Viva team in South America!

December 9, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback, we are happy to hear it. We look forward to helping you with future travels.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Victoria Falls

We went to the Victoria Falls from pick up to drop off. Zambezi Cruise, Tour of Vic Falls and helicopter ride were world class and professionally planned. Highly recommend

December 28, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks so much Jodi!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Cruise Booking

I contacted Viva to help me select an Antarctic Cruise and Viva really were very helpful in making the process easier. Thanks Flor.
As a result, I booked the cruise I chose through them, and had great follow up when necessary.
Our Cruise was absolutely fantastic and we had unique experiences that will last a life time. Antarctica is a wonderous environment with the icebergs, the wildlife and the sense of isolation and to experience being there is a privilege.

December 9, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Great to hear you had a fantastic time in Antarctica onboard the Seabourn Venture, and Flor made the booking process easy! Thanks for your feedback, we hope we can assist you with future journeys!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Thank you for the great experience

Thank you for the great experience. It was great to get extra help with bookings and automatic updates and reminders.

December 18, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks so much for your feedback!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great variety of experiences

Great variety of experiences - all we wished of. We visited Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya - safari and hiking. Rwanda was unexpectedly beautiful - country and people. Safari in Tanzania and Kenya was hectic but satisfying (we went in low season which we recommend). Hiking 8 days amongst Maasai people in Tanzania was the amazing and humbling.

Our 5 week trip was all joined up thanks to Tanya. The app was very useful. Accommodation was of a high standard and guides were of high standard too.

Generally we trusted that things would happen as planned - just one day not turned out to be as expected due to pick up no there.

One thing to improve experiences is to be fully informed of how long travel days are - we found time and distances in safari vehicle was unexpectedly hard. Also our hiking across rift valley and through Maasai country was amazing and away from crowds and usual tourist routes. We loved the 'cradle of mankind' theme of the hike. However, we would have loved a stronger connection/guidance/information around this theme as we were doing it -it was a was not narrated well.

Overall, Viva has delivered again a wonderful trip - this is out third time we have used Viva for complex multiple weeks travel experience - and we would not hesitate to use again .

December 18, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thank you so much for your wonderful indepth review and helpful comments, I will share this with our Africa team for their review. Also, your 3rd trip with Viva! Thank you so much for your support. We wish you a wonderful festive season and year of adventures in 2026!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

UK - NZ,

NZ - amazing trip, all was made so easy and hassle free. Bryony made the trip for us. :)

November 26, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks so much Daniel, great to hear it! We hope we can help you with a future adventure!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Guides were good

Guides were good - often amazing - remember Vanessa, Luis, Leo, Melanie Sonia gave good information at start of tour. Would have liked detailed tour prior to leaving our home country.
Loved Zocalo hotel in Mexico City

December 10, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Hi Jan, thanks for your feeback, glad to hear you had a good time in Mexico, we will let the guides know. Hope we can help you with another adventure in the future.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The Viva Experience

The Viva team gave excellent service. The hotels were centrally located, the tours and guides were on point. Great communication via WhatsApp.

November 20, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks Maureen! Looks like you had an amazing itinerary with the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica and more! Thanks for travelling with us. We hope to be of assistance again in the future!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This was the first time I had…

This was the first time I had experienced travel disruption and Tanya handled it quickly meaning I could carry on enjoying my holiday
I would recommend her to my friends

November 6, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks very much, Patricia. We’re glad to hear Tanya was able to help so quickly. We really appreciate your referrals.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Viva cancelled the booking of apartment…

Viva cancelled the booking of apartment originally booked in Buenos Aires and replaced it with Sub standrad apartment. When we complained about the same, our agent in NZ with the help of your local support team could manage to transfer to another hotel, but Viva did not want to absorb the cost but forced ourr travel agent in NZ to bear the extra cost inspite of the fact that it was Viva's fault & they did not take responsibility. This leaves a bad taste & not good Customer Outcome.

October 23, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thank you for sharing your feedback.

We would like to provide some context, as we always aim to be transparent with our travellers. Your original quote included one of our preferred hotels, which we work with regularly and personally inspect to ensure consistent quality (we do not contract apartments in Buenos Aires). At your request, we sourced an apartment instead. Unfortunately, several months later the apartment provider cancelled the reservation due to the property becoming unavailable for short-term rental. We immediately informed your agent and again offered our preferred hotel, but an apartment was still preferred, so we secured an alternative apartment for you.

Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, we understand that the apartment did not match your personal preference. Our local team and your agent acted quickly to support you and arranged a move to a hotel as requested, but advised the hotel to be billed to Viva without our agreement. As there were no issues or faults reported with the apartment itself—and the request to move was based on preference rather than a service failure—the additional hotel costs were not expenses that the apartment provider or Viva were able to absorb.

We truly regret that this situation left you feeling dissatisfied, as it is never our intention for any guest to feel unsupported. We appreciate your feedback and will continue to review our processes to ensure the best possible experiences for all our travellers.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Excellent place to visit

Everything went smoothly apart from 2 of our trips being cancelled due to weather.
Kiwi spotting was excellent. Accomodation was excellent. Food at the pub is great.
There was a bit of confusion about our trips. Our hosts kept asking what company each tour was booked with and this was not very clear. There are more than one company operating various tours.

October 14, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

HI Susan, thanks for your feedback, glad to hear you had a good trip. On Stewart Island we work with the local experts for each trip (when you are doing a tailor made trip, like yours, if its our small group tour, then there is one guide for the tour), eg a specific one for kiwispotting, another for the star gazing, so you have the experts for each,. Aplogogies if this was not clear enough on the documents., we will look into it to see if we can improve. Thanks again for your feedback!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

South America

Everything was well organized, every pick up and drop off was on time. All guides were knowledgeable and pleasant.
We can't fault our experience with Viva

September 11, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Wonderful to hear! We are happy that we were able to organize your trip to Galapagos, Peru, the Amazon and more - what a great adventure. We hope to be able to help with another trip again soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The guides were all very good and…

The guides were all very good and helpful. Very forthcoming with history and site knowledge
Drivers were punctual helpful and drove safely
Accommodation was excellent and in good locations
We did some communication problems due to our telecommunications companies lack of roaming packages for some countries while this is not vivas problem we did have issues receiving boarding passes on WhatsApp and email in areas with poor wifi
Perhaps sending them while we were still at the hotel would have been better
However we wouldn’t hesitate to use viva again and have already recommended them to friends

October 25, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks so much for your review, great to hear you had a great trip to South America, including the Galapagos!
In regards to communication, sorry to hear your roaming package wasn't working very well. We usually use e-sims ourselves when travelling in South America, so we might try and recommend those to travellers. Thanks for your referrals, we very much appreciate it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

100% adventure and no stress

I had a pretty tight window between flights to organise a tour so I thought I'd go for it, and the team at Viva Expeditions were so helpful and responsive getting an itinerary set up for me. If I'd had to figure out the logistics myself I'd probably have given up and missed out on some really cool experiences, so I'm very thankful they were able to make it work!

September 21, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thank for the feedback Jillian! Glad we were able to help with the logistics for for your South America adventures - hope we can assist you with future trips soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Our trip through Southern Africa

Our safari trip through Southern Africa was amazing! The camps and lodges recommended by Viva were first class and really looked after us. We saw all the big 5 and many more animals besides. When we realised that there was always someone there who knew where we needed to be, when, and helped us through the formalities, we could truly relax and enjoy the experience. This has been on our bucket list for years, and the experience exceeded all our expectations. If there was any room for improvement, it might be in the online guidance we read before the trip, which was a bit general rather than about the lodges we were visiting. And where the camps gave guidance about tips, the expectation seemed a bit higher than the Viva guides. But overall we had a fabulous trip.

August 25, 2025
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Hi Susan, thanks for your wonderful feedback, glad to hear you had a fantastic safari and saw lots of incredible wildlife. In regards to the tipping guidelines, they are definetly just our recommendation and you are welcome to use these rather than the local requests, or whichever you prefer, these are not compulsory. We hope you can travel with Viva again soon.

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