Offbeat Riding Safaris

Transcription

1 Offbeat Riding Safaris Masai Mara & Rift Valley - Kenya Riding amongst Africa s animals on horseback is an ac ve, exhilara ng and adrenalin fuelled safari. You are no longer an arm-chair traveler, becoming a real par cipant, riding right amongst the wildlife that abounds in Masai Mara eco-system. The riding safari ou i er, O eat Safaris, is one of Africa's top horseback safari operators with over 25 years experience organising mobile riding safaris in Kenya s Masai Mara, Amboseli and Laikipia Plateau. The Mara ride travels from east to west (or vice versa) across the Mara Plains including a ride up onto the Soit Olololol escarpment for those classic views across the expansive wilderness. Finish off your safari with a night camping on the Mara River before chartering up to the Ri Valley for two nights enjoying the colonial elegance of Deloraine House, the home of O eat Safaris and Tristan and Cindy Vorspuy. It is a journey like no other and one you will never ever forget. A Safari Overview: Day 1 & 2 Day 3 & 4 Day 5 & 6 Day 7 & 8 Day 9 & 10 Day 11 ex Nairobi Charter to Olare Lamun Mobile Camp for 2 nights Olare Orak Mobile Camp for 2 nights Soit Olololol Mobile Camp for 2 nights Mara River Mobile Camp for 2 nights Charter back to Ri Valley, Deloraine House for 2 nights Return to Nairobi by road Why we like it Gameviewing on horseback Camping Safari It s an adrenalin rush The Masai Mara It s People Note: camps sites and order subject to change

2 Itinerary con t - Offbeat Riding Safari From Nairobi, the flight will take you over the fer le Kikuyu Highlands, the Great Ri Valley with it s volcano studded valley floor, before reaching the Loita Hills and Siana Springs Airstrip on the Eastern side of the Masai Mara eco-system. Your safari guides will meet you off the plane and transfer you by game viewing vehicle to the first camp on your riding safari, Olare Lamun Camp, for the next two nights. The camp is located in a grove of acacia trees by a small stream at the southern edge of the Loita Plains at Olare Lamun (the rhino salt lick). Se le into the camp with a light lunch and a lazy siesta before mee ng your horses and se ng off for a sunset ride. The riding safari camp is a mobile tented camp - meaning it is erected and dismantled each me you move from one site to the next. The camp has between 4 6 mobile tents each with an en-suite toilet. The camp has shared bucket shower facili es which are most welcomed a er a day in the saddle. The tents are setup in a twin/double configura on, comfortable and spacious enough for your a ernoon siestas. Informal meals are hosted in the mess tent or around the campfire. Delicious English breakfasts, lighter lunches and three course home-cooked dinners are served each day and are prepared by the cheery camp staff on open fires. There is also a library mess furnished with comfortable chairs, a wri ng desk and a fully stocked bar. The first day will be spent familiarising yourself with the horses and exploring the environment around the camp. This will include a visit to a local Masai Village allowing you to experience their hospitality and develop an apprecia on for how the Masai live and co-exist with the wildlife in the area. The Masai Mara holds one of the greatest and most diverse concentrations of wildlife remaining in Africa today and is the theatre for the annual wildebeest migration. More than 1 million wildebeest and over 200,000 zebra move into the Mara in a quest for new grasses and remain on the move in the Reserve until the end of September when, depending on the rains, they slowly move back to the Serengeti. Because of its open plains the Masai Mara is also one of the best places to see lions and cheetah, as well as some spectacular scenery. The park is also home to one of the great tribes of Africa - the Masai, and their lives and traditions are closely interwoven with the management of this area. 2

3 Itinerary con t - Offbeat Riding Safari On your second morning you will set off early with a picnic lunch in your saddle bag and ride for nearly 50kms to your next camp loca on, Olare Orok, which is located on the edge of the Masai Game Reserve. Whilst on the ride, the mobile camp will relocated to this site for your two night stay. The ride will travel across the rolling open plains and the game generally becomes more plen ful as you approach the Mara ecosystem. You can expect to see and ride up to herds of zebra, topi, giraffe, wildebeest, gazelle as well as the odd elephant and buffalo. On arrival in camp, your horses will be fed and put to rest for the night whilst your party of riders can enjoy sundowners in camp, before refreshing yourselves for drinks around the camp fire followed by dinner. From camp, morning and evening rides occur or if you d prefer to rest from the saddle, game drives in the camp 4 x 4 are an alterna ve op on. Sigh ngs on horseback are quite different to those in vehicle. On horseback you are acutely aware of the presence of game via your horse s natural reac on and ins ncts. A vehicle experience on the other hand, enables you to get much closer to certain animals such as lion, elephant and buffalo. On the forth day, set off early heading west across the Mara plains, reaching the Mara River on the Park boundary. Unless in full flood, you will be able to ford the Mara River at one of the famous wildebeest crossings, o en having to wait un l the resident hippos move on, making way for the line of horses and riders. From the river, head south west across the Mara Triangle for a picnic lunch and siesta for both horse and rider! A er lunch, it is back in the saddle to ascend the Soit Olololol Escarpment reaching camp in a forest glade with breathtaking views overlooking the whole Mara ecosystem. Spend the next two nights at Soit Olololol Camp so you can explore the escarpment area. The outride from Soit Ololol involves travelling along the escarpment before descending down a rocky and steep track onto the plains so you can explore the eco-systems at the foot of the escarpment. A er lunch and a siesta, you will make your way back up the escarpment for sundowners with views over the vast Mara Plains. Descend the escarpment again returning to the wildebeest crossing on the Mara River. Heading in a North Western direc on you ll arrive at the last camp, the Mara River Camp, located right on the banks of the Mara River. Hippo pools are close by and evening choruses of grun ng hippos a feature of this camp. This will be your last evening in the Mara before flying back to Nairobi or carrying on to Deloraine House (see over), the base of the O eat opera on. * Note the rou ng of the ride is subject to change at any me.

4 Deloraine House Rongai in the Rift Valley - Kenya Deloraine House was built in 1920 by Lord Francis Sco, a prominent early se ler and grand example of early Kenyan colonial architecture. It is set in the middle of the 5000 acre commercial farm at on the lower slopes of Londiani Mountain on the western edge of the Great Ri Valley near Rongai. Tristan and Cindy Voorspuy, the safari ou i ers for the O eat Riding Safaris, live on the property and operate the safaris from this base. There are 3 large double rooms with en-suite bathrooms in the main house and 2 extra rooms for families that have to share bathrooms. Adjacent to the house is a co age with are 3 double rooms with en-suite bathrooms. All meals are taken in the dining room and guests become part of a house party atmosphere. The gardens are magnificent, boas ng a croquet lawn, tennis court and swimming pool. There are eighty horses on the farm and although some are used for safaris, there always plenty of polo ponies to ride - the farm and the mountain providing more than adequate countryside to explore. Lakes Nakuru, Bogoria and Baringo are within easy reach. During you re your me at Deloraine we highly recommend taking a half or full day trip to Lake Nakuru Na onal Park which covers an area of 188 km2 and is world famous for its spectacular flamingos. The park also has rhinos within in. Why we like it Built in 1920 by Lord Francis Sco Rich colonial history Stunning gardens O eat Riding s home base Picnic safaris to the Ri Valley Lakes 4

5 2016 Departures Dates 6 to 16 August 8 nights Mara + 2 nights Deloraine House 20 to 30 August 8 nights Mara + 2 nights Deloraine House 3 to 13 September 8 nights Mara + 2 nights Deloraine House 17 to 24 September 7 nights Mara 24 September to 01 October 7 nights Mara 07 to 17 October 8 nights Mara + 2 nights Deloraine House 21 to 31 October 8 nights Laikipia + 2 nights Sosian Pricing Season From USD $6,230 per person - 7 night Riding Safari in the Mara only From USD $8,900 per person - 10 night Safari (8 night Riding Safari in the Mara or Laikipia & 2 nights at Deloraine House or Sosian) Single Supplement - $135 per night if you are unwilling to share Min 6 riders Max 12 riders per departure Inclusions: 10 night safaris include all internal flights & transfers ex Nairobi. 5 & 7 night safaris include all internal flights & transfers plus a day room in Nairobi if required. Full board accommoda on and all drinks (except Champagne) included on all safaris. Park entry fees and ac vi es on the riding safari. Exclusions: Day trips to Lake Nakuru/Bogoria when at Deloraine All other arrangements accommoda on in Nairobi and elsewhere in Kenya, interna onal & regional flights and extra ac vi es, gratui es, visas, insurance 5

6 Facts Offbeat Riding Safaris Type of Horses: Well schooled thoroughbred and thoroughbred cross. Many are home bred out of the riding safari stock. Horses are available for all rider abili es. Riding Ability: You should be comfortable at all paces and able to gallop out of trouble. You will be riding in big game country. You should be fit enough to ride between 4 and 6 hours a day. Weight limit is 95 kgs. If you are over, advise your agent of this. Length of Rides: 4 to 6 hours in the saddle. Picnic lunch is carried in your saddle bag on moving days. 1 ½ 2 hour lunch stops. Some walking on foot is necessary over rough terrain. Size of Rides: Minimum of 4 and maximum of 12 on set departures. Tack: English. Various saddles including polo, wintec, French Trekking and Australian stock saddles. Mainly snaffle bridles. Terrain: Most of the rides in Masai land and the Northern ranches are on fairly open plains (black co on soil) interspersed with bush. They are short grass plains ideal for riding. Care must be taken for holes but canters and gallops are taken on open plains. Other Ac vi es: Game drives, night game drives and game walks are undertaken on every safari whether riding or not. There is no lack of ac vi es on safari. Clothing List: Comfortable riding gear. Riding hats are op onal and not provided, however for insurance purposes helmets are mandatory. Laundry is done in camp on non-moving days. Jackets are required as the evenings are cool. Rain coats are recommended for the odd shower. Hiking/riding boot combina ons with knee high chaps are recommended for maximum comfort when riding and walking. Refer to detailed Safaris Unlimited what to bring list. Game: Is plen ful and everywhere. You will ride where dangerous game abounds. Your guide is knowledgeable and conversant with the habits and likely reac ons of the game, in any situa on you should do as he/she says. Weather/Season: There isn t a winter or summer due to the rides occurring on the equator. There are two rainy seasons November and April/May. The ho est months are February/March, September/October but there are no hard and fast rules on this. We ride at an average of This makes for a cool climate and also means there are very few mosquitoes. Informa on required: A ques onnaire needs to be filled out by all riders prior to departure and includes such things as your age, weight, height and riding experience. Special drink requirements and any dietary restric ons or allergies and so forth. More detailed informa on is available and shall be forwarded on confirma on. On confirma on, you are required to fill in a ques onnaire. 6