Experience the outdoors as you have never before - on a walking safari or horseback safari through Africa. Similarly, on a horseback safari you will have the matchless experience of viewing undisturbed game at close quarters. Please view our featured horseback safaris below:
Adventure option 01: Horseback safaris in Botswana
On horseback you can venture further into the Okavango Delta and get closer to the wildlife than you can on foot or by vehicle. Imagine being on equal terms with the game, cantering with herds of wildebeest and zebra, watching quietly as your horse grazes while a family of giraffe browse nearby or the unparalleled excitement when your silent progress along game trails used only by the animals brings you upon a herd of Buffalo or Elephant…this is as close to nature as you’ll ever get.
Considered by many to be the ultimate African riding experience, these safaris have everything you could want and more from a horseback adventure – abundant and varied game, extremely experienced and knowledgeable guides and well-schooled, responsive horses.The seasonality of the delta is one of it’s most fascinating characteristics, with flood waters normally rising in May or June. When the water is high, the horses wade from island to island and along the margins the going is good and firm, allowing the rider to trot and canter. At other times of the year, when the water has receded, there are wide open spaces for bracing trots and exciting canters. Rides are tailored to the movement of game in the area, weather, water levels and the guests’ preferences. The horses are a mix of Kalahari, Arab, Anglo Arab, American saddle, Thoroughbreds and Namibian Hanoverians, selected for their hardiness and even temperament. Tack is English or western style and you ride in groups of 6 or 8 guests. The duration of safaris varies between 5 and 10 nights. Minimum riding ability required is mastery of the basic aids. Riders must be able to rise to the trot for stretches of 10 minutes, be comfortable at all paces and be able to gallop out of trouble. It is a great advantage if you are a fit and proficient rider.
Africa Safaris, in co-operation with their Safari Partners can offer stand alone horse safaris or tailor-make a complete Botswana itinerary incorporating a horse safari, giving travelers all the options of this diverse country.
Accommodation:
Situated on a private concession area on the western side of the Okavango Delta lies Horse Camp. The camp is set in Riparian woodland overlooking flood plains dotted with palm fringed islands. Accommodation for ten guests is in large Meru style tents with en-suite shower and w/c. There is a large mess tent, which houses a bar, dining area and lounge. Although the main activity at Horse Camp is exploring the Delta by horseback, other activities include game drives, bird walks, night drives and seasonal canoeing. The horses are much loved, well mannered and in excellent condition. From Arab Crossbreeds to large Hanovarian Thoroughbreds, ranging from 14-16.2 hands, there is a horse to suit everyone. Riders must be competent as on average four to six hours a day are spent in the saddle riding at all paces. Bursting with life, the bush continuously shifts and transforms as you ride from island to island. With rider, horse and game becoming one, you thunder through the shallows, stirring up plumes of cooling spray as a herd of red lechwe drum through the deeper waters. Gallop with one of the many herds of wildebeest and zebra, ride past elephants or simply watch the setting sun whilst listening to the roar of lion. Qualified guides will lead you on this journey, sharing with you their intimate knowledge of the wilderness. Horse Camp closes annually from early January until March.
Adventure option 02: Horseback safaris in Kenya
Our locations for horseback safaris in Kenya are conducted at the Aberdare’s Region, The Mount Kenya Region and our favorite - the Loisaba Wilderness. Horseback safaris in the Aberdare’s & Mount Kenya regions are suggested for travelers who are on a safari featuring either the Aberdare country club, Ark or the Mount Kenya Safari Club. Horse riding activities within these regions generally last between 1-2 hours and are booked as a short leisure excursion.
Horse riding in the Loisaba, however, provides a different game viewing experience within an area of higher wildlife concentration. Recommended stay at the Loisaba is 3 nights and we require participants to possess reasonable degrees of riding skill. Accommodation is provided at the secluded Loisaba Lodge, a haven for the refreshment of mind, body and soul. Experience the unique exhilaration of riding on the plains amongst herds of Zebra, through a graceful forest scattered with giraffe or past a majestic family of Elephant. On horseback it is possible to get unusually close to wildlife and our stable of horses have all been reared from birth in the bush so are quite accustomed to its presence.
Loisaba bestrides the border of Laikipia and Kenya's rugged Northern Frontier District. Only a few miles from the equator, this private game ranch is in country of transcendent beauty where the farm management and the local Laikipiak Maasai and Samburu community work together to preserve the environment and the wildlife that abounds here. The view from Loisaba extends for hundreds of miles - to Mount Kenya, the Lolldaiga Hills and the Mathews Range. They rise from plains where big game ranges free and undisturbed by the incursions of the twenty first century.
Through Loisaba roam elephant, lion and leopard alongside the rare northern species that thrive here - gerenuk, Grevy's zebra and reticulated giraffe. It is a setting little changed since the Great Rift Valley split Africa in two, creating the escarpment on which the lodge is built. Luxurious yet in harmony with its surroundings, full of adventure yet an oasis of calm, Loisaba is a tranquil and life-enhancing haven for wildlife and visitors alike. At Loisaba your whole being is stimulated: for an invigorating and refreshing experience, it is unequalled. Revive your mind, rejuvenate your body and revitalize your soul.
Loisaba is made for adventure: guests enjoy complete freedom to choose how they spend their time so the only barrier is your own imagination. Trek through the bush with camels, mountain bike down the escarpment, raft, horseback-ride or drive through the wild canyons of the two great rivers that span the vast property. Constructed from stone, local timber and thatch, the Loisaba is perched high on the edge of the plateau looking south towards Mount Kenya. Each room has large French windows that open onto a private deck cantilevered off the escarpment. The views are legendary, and a water hole a few hundred feet below draws continuous wildlife. All the furniture in the lodge is handmade at Loisaba. The lodge has a swimming pool, tennis court, bocce court and croquet lawn. The spa offers massage and beauty treatment and a romantic open-air bubble bath, all with a tranquil view of the un-spoilt Karissia Hills.
In addition to horses, motor-bikes, camels and Land Rovers, the ranch owns a helicopter, an aero plane and a micro-light so there really are no limits to what you choose to do: heli-camp, then surf the remote sand-dunes of the Northern Frontier District, rock-climb on the soaring pinnacles that reach up from the valley floor or just play a little tennis and lie by the pool. We can assure you that you will see the most extraordinary natural wonders - spectacular animal life that is wild, free and exhilarating to observe and a kaleidoscopic variety of birds, both endemic and migratory.
Adventure option 03: Horseback safaris in South Africa
Located between the azure waters of the Indian Ocean and the lush waterways of the World Heritage Greater Saint Lucia Wetland Park, Phinda's 17000 hectares span seven unique ecosystems. Game drives are only one aspect of the Phinda experience. There is little that can compete with the "Flight of the Fish Eagle" air safari - soaring over a bay where the diversity of species rivals Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Or floating past pods of hippo in a canoe or river boat. Scuba diving, snorkeling and deep-sea fishing are just a hop away. And in the evenings, immerse yourself in the ancient culture of Southern Africa's warrior tribe, the Zulu.
Horseback safari itinerary
[*please add a total 4 days of return transportation between the USA and South Africa]
DAY 1- 3: Phinda Resource Reserve
You will be met at Johannesburg International Airport and transferred to a private lounge to await your charter flight directly to Phinda Game Reserve¹s airstrip, at approximately 1100 hours. A warm welcome to Phinda by your guide, followed by a safety briefing. Later, the guide will brief you on the history of this exceptional reserve, and its seven distinct eco-systems, and advise you on the Phinda explorations on offer. Three overnights at the Phinda lodge of your choice on a full board basis, including morning, afternoon & night game-drives, interpretive nature walks accompanied by your experienced ranger, white rhino tracking on foot, canoe trails on the Mzinene River, and a fascinating community visit to a neighboring Maputaland village to see community-based conservation in action. Community projects include education, healthcare, water reticulation, skills training, environmental awareness, sports and cultural development, small business development, and community equity in tourism.
Overnights are on a full board basis including activities.
A list of South African Phinda Adventures:
- Horse Riding; Horseback safaris are conducted at False Bay Park, along wide curving paths, pockets of Sand Forest, and on the vast shores of False Bay Lake, where the water laps gently at your horse¹s hooves.
- "Flight of the Fish Eagle" a thrilling air safari over the St Lucia Wetlands, Lake Sibaya, the forested coastal dunes and the clear blue Indian Ocean.
- Beach Adventures; explore the unique beauty, splendid isolation and species diversity of the wild Maputaland beaches, led by a knowledgeable ranger, and enjoy a lavish beach picnic.
- Scuba Safari; explore an underwater kaleidoscope that rivals the Great Barrier Reef. You may encounter moray eels, leatherback and loggerhead turtles, whale sharks, giant potato bass and a profusion of reef fish, breathtaking in their array of colors.
- Turtle Drives; Search for leatherback and loggerhead turtles, led by your beach guide, and if you¹re lucky you might see a mother laboriously digging her nest and laying each egg, one by one, until the last egg has dropped and the nest is safely covered by sand - a truly magical experience. Turtle Season extends from November to mid-January.
DAY 4: End of tour
One last Phinda activity and your Safari Guide will take you to Phinda¹s bush airstrip for your charter flight back to Johannesburg International Airport.
