Kenyan Safaris and Adventures (Offbeat Safaris), Kenya
Programmes
• Laikipia Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Sosian Ranch)
• Mara Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Deloraine Lodge)
• Amboseli Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Deloraine Lodge)
Programmes
• Laikipia Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Sosian Ranch)
• Mara Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Deloraine Lodge)
• Amboseli Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Deloraine Lodge)
Horses
Type of horses:
TB and TB X, all tried for polo (the best polo ponies all go on safari)
Nature of horses:
Responsive, tough and fit.
Height of horses:
14.2 - 16hh
Weight limit:
95kgs
Tack type:
English. Various saddles, polo, wintec, French Trekking and Australian stock. Mainly snaffle bridles.
Weather
Current Conditions:
Partly Cloudy, 18 C
Forecast:
Thu - Showers. High: 24 Low: 13
Fri - Showers. High: 23 Low: 13
Full Forecast at Yahoo! Weather
(provided by The Weather Channel)
Pricing
Laikipia Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Sosian Ranch)
The price for this Safari is:
January and March departures: £3960 per person
October departures: £4200 per person
Single supplement is £60 per day and is charged for those who prefer not to share accommodation.
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Mara Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Deloraine Lodge)
The price for this Safari is:
January and March departures: £3960 per person
June to October departures: £4200 per person
Single supplement is £60 per day and is charged for those who prefer not to share accommodation.
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Amboseli Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Deloraine Lodge)
The price for this Safari is:
£4200 per person
Single supplement is £60 per day and is charged for those who prefer not to share accommodation.
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Availability/Booking Form
Ride Description
This is well known safari destination with an excellent reputation for offering riding tours of Kenya. Offbeat Safaris combines magnificent game viewing with well schooled thoroughbreds and polo ponies to make for a great safari getaway. Your hosts, Tristan and Cindy (amongst others), have some impressive riding credentials between them with Tristan having led safaris in Africa since the early 1980s. Cindy is one of Africa's top ranked women polo players and acts as an excellent manager of their yard of over 80 horses. They are based at Deloraine, a brilliant example of colonial architecture which was built by Lord Francis Scott in 1920s. This is where you often spend a day or two at the beginning or the end of your trip and it is a very luxurious lodge, offering excellent comfort, facilities and service. Sometimes you will stay at Sosian Ranch, an equally delightful place.
With over 20 years experience in the business, there are few destinations which provide such knowledgeable and experienced guides. Your hosts and their staff share in that riding passion which many of us know so well and they aim to provide a fun, comfortable and exhilarating safari. The guides are top horseman, from a variety of interesting backgrounds, and they have an excellent knowledge of the Kenyan wildlife and landscapes. The horses are thoroughbred and thoroughbred cross, many of which are homebred from their best mares. They are responsive, tough and fit and the best are hand picked for each guest and their chosen safari. Many of the horses are trained for polo and these great polo ponies are often used during the rides.
Most of the safaris are across open plains where you will find black cotton soil with acacia bush. There are many short grass plains which make for excellent for riding and although care must be taken for holes, canters and gallops are taken in these flat areas when appropriate. A good riding ability is important for these trips (children are accepted if very competent) and guests should be comfortable and capable in all paces and able to gallop and react quickly and safely. Rides are through areas where big game wildlife is abundant and therefore riders should be prepared. During safaris guests are accommodated in luxury mobile tented camps.
For those who want to experience the beautiful Kenyan wildlife and the chance to ride through these special landscapes, Offbeat Safaris is an excellent choice. There are several itineraries to choose from or, alternatively, you can decide on a based stay at one of the luxurious lodges or permanent camps. These are great holidays in a special part of the world, accompanied by quality guides, horses, accommodation and delicious food. A top class African experience!
See Programmes.
Food & Accommodation
Luxury mobile tented camps, sometimes with a night or two spent at Deloraine, one of Kenya's most beautiful colonial homes. Sometimes, during the safaris, you will stay at Sosian Ranch in Laikipia.
The mobile camps are welcoming and private, featuring spacious safari tents (10' x 9' doubles) which are furnished for your comfort. They feature comfortable camp beds with bed linen, mattresses and blankets. Towels, soap and torches are also provided and each tent has a gas lamp and a hurricane lamp. The camp usually moves every other night as you travel yet it offers a pleasing standard of accommodation with a very high level of service.
Each double tent has a private long drop toilet and hot showers are available. There is a large mess tent which is often used for mealtimes.
Deloraine is a beautiful example of colonial architecture and was build by Lord Francis Scott in 1920. It is set in the middle of a 3500 acre farm and is a wonderful step back into history. Deloraine is located on the western edge of the Great Rift Valley on the lower slopes of Mount Londiani. It is the headquarters of this safari operation and the family home of Tristan and Lucinda (who run the business). Their yard and stables feature approximately 80 wonderful horses and this is a very special and enjoyable place to stay.
If you stay at Sosian Ranch, you will be equally delighted. This is an old private game ranch located on the Laikipia Plateau. This area is rich with wildlife and is known for its ranching traditions. The ranch house was originally built in the 1940s by Italian artisans but has since been renovated to provide comfortable lodge accommodation. Guests are accommodated in lovely double cottages which are set in the tropical gardens and feature large open verandas.
Food on the safaris is pleasantly surprising. All the food is fresh, bread is baked daily on the open fires and the chefs are very talented. Dry ice and cubes are carried and these are self sufficient for one week.
Guests eat a delicious English breakfast with fresh fruit, toast etc. Picnic lunches are eaten out during the day and dinner is a three course meal eaten at the table by candlelight.
Activities
During the safaris there are game drives, night game drives and game walks which are undertaken by riders and non-riders alike.
Other activities available at Deloraine include croquet, tennis, swimming and walking in the magnificent gardens. Sosian Ranch also offers game drives, camel safaris and the chance to experience ranch life. There is a pool for swimming in and a croquet lawn. Guests can also walk to nearby waterfalls and jump from high up in the deep pools below.
Further Details
Languages: English with one guide speaking fluent German, Spanish and French.
Health requirements: Fit & Healthy
Age limit: None within reason (children are accepted on safaris but must be competent)
Tuition: No
Included: All riding and activities, full board accommodation, all drinks (except Champagne) and internal flights plus transfers associated with the safaris. For the 7 day safaris only, a day room in Nairobi is included as guests will have to leave the Mara on the morning of the 8th day.
Not included: Champagne, purchases of a personal nature
Travel Information
Fly into Nairobi before taking either a transfer or internal flight as directed in itinerary.
Airport: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi
Programmes
Laikipia Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Sosian Ranch)
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This is an eleven day riding safari through the unique Laikipia region of Kenya. Laikipia is a beautiful reserve offering sights of many rare species from the back of your horse. It is famous as the last place inhabited by Jacksons Hartebeest and is also the home to Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Grevy's Zebra, Gerenuk and Somali Ostrich (and many others). In recent times the landowners have become more tolerant of game animals and even the larger predators such as lion and hyena, these creatures now being more abundant in certain areas than they would have been 25 years ago. Day 1: Arrive Lewa either by charter or 3 1/2 hr drive from Nairobi. The Lewa Conservancy is a World famous Nature Conservancy on 40,000 acres of pristine country on the Northern slopes of Mount Kenya. It is home to the big five and a host of other species such as Grevy's Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe and other rare species. Lunch is taken in camp, followed by an evening ride. Overnight Private Camp Lewa Downs. Day 2: A full day exploring the ranch looking for game on Horseback (morning ride), game drive / walk before lunch in camp and evening ride. This is a spectacular area of Kenya with beautiful views to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya in the south and the rugged mountains of the Mathews Range, Bodich and even Marsabit on the way to the Ethiopian border. Overnight Private Camp Lewa Downs. Day 3: Your first moving day. The group rides across Lewa to the west crossing the Ngare Ndare River and onto Borana Ranch, another cattle ranch turned conservation area (holidays here are also available on our website). You might meet a variety of game including black rhino and elephant and will see a host of other species including the reticulated giraffe. You reach camp in a grove of euphorbia trees after a picnic lunch on the Ngare Ndare River. Overnight Private Camp Borana. Day 4: A full day exploring Borana by horseback and vehicle. Borana is a step up from Lewa and being on top of an escarpment, you will have climbed the day before and the scenery is still spectacular but different from Lewa. All the species of Lewa are present and a great variety of game is to be seen. Borana is home to your hosts Nicky and Michael Dyer, who own and run Borana Lodge. Overnight Private Camp Borana. Day 5: Your next move takes you with a picnic lunch (in your saddle bags) to the west again. You cross from Borana onto Ole Naishi ranch and climb the first ridge of the spectacular Loldaiga Hills. These form a northern extension of the Mt Kenya Massive and consist of large rocky Kopje's interspersed with Cedar forest. You cross Ole Naishi onto Loldaiga Hills, a 55,000-acre ranch owned by Robert Wells and probably one of the most beautiful farms in Africa. You reach camp at the head of a beautiful valley surrounded by cedar forest where you stay again for 2 nights. Overnight in Camp Loldaiga Hills. Day 6: Some spectacular rides and a picnic lunch by land rover to the northern areas of the ranch will fill today's programme amply. At one point you shall be on the western edge of the Loldaiga Hills with spectacular views of the Laikipia Plateau below, which you will be crossing over the next four days. Overnight Private Camp Loldaiga Hills. Day 7: You leave Loldaiga Hills today and cross four ranches on your way to El Karama, home of the Grant Family. You drop down a hidden valley on elephant and buffalo tracks with little dams before crossing Enasoit ranch and then onto the specialist cattle ranch of Mogwooni, home of the Kenyan family. This is one of the few days you see some cattle fencing and you will have a picnic lunch here on the banks of the Nanyuki River. After lunch you cross onto El Karama ranch (13,000 acres of pristine game country) and find your camp on the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River. Overnight Private Camp El Karama Ranch. Day 8: A full day exploring this ranch by horse and vehicle and a good chance of a game walk along the river before lunch. There is a host of game including Grevy's Zebra, the rare endemic Jackson's Hartebeest, elephant, giraffe and hippo in the river. Overnight Private Camp El Karama Ranch. Day 9: A long day's ride to Sosian. You cross the Ewaso Narok River and traverse Segera ranch to the Northwest. Your route takes you up the spectacular Sugoroi river valley before crossing rather monotonous black cotton plains, covered in whistling thorn (acacia Drepanolobium) which is home to the Patas monkey, a chestnut coloured long limbed primate which is widespread but rare among the northern savannahs of Africa. You reach the Mutara River and follow this pretty valley down before crossing onto Sosian ranch for a late lunch at the edge of the lovely Suguta Swamp. A short ride after lunch brings you to Sosian Ranch House where you exchange our tents for the comfort of the lodge. Overnight Sosian. Day 10: A full day riding, driving and enjoying this re-habilitated cattle ranch which boasts a wide variety of game including, Jackson's hartebeest, Grevy's Zebra, Elephant, Hippo, Buffalo, Lion, Giraffe and all the other species. From certain points you can look back at the Loldaiga Hills over which you passed and Mt Kenya now appears a good distance away. Overnight Sosian. Day 11: A last ride followed by lunch by the pool at Sosian and your transfer back to Nairobi in time for the International return flights. Your hosts reserve the right to change this itinerary to suit weather and game movements. This is only ever done with the guests' best interests at heart and they will always try to stick to the programme advertised. |
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| Accommodation: | Luxury mobile tented camps with two nights at Sosian Ranch. |
| Minimum group size: | 4 |
| Maximum group size: | 12 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate and above. You should be comfortable at all paces and able to gallop out of trouble in big game country. Children are accepted if very competent and confident. You must be fit to walk over tough terrain and lead your horse if necessary. |
| Type of ride: | Safari |
| Total riding time: | 4-6 hours a day |
| Departure dates: | 2010: 8 - 18 October |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Mara Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Deloraine Lodge)
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An eight day riding safari across the incredible Mara plains ending with two nights at the outstanding Deloraine Lodge. This is a chance to experience the Mara ecosystem, a habitat for many species of fascinating African wildlife, including big game. Luxury mobile tented camps, well schooled horses and beautiful landscapes make for a thrilling safari holiday. Day 1: You will be collected from your Nairobi Hotel or directly from the airport and transferred to Wilson Airport for a 10.30 charter or 10am schedule flight to Siana Springs. It is a beautiful flight passing over the fertile Kikuyu Highlands before reaching the Great Rift Valley. You fly across the volcano studded floor of the Rift before reaching the Loita Hills and Siana Springs Air strip. You will be met by your guide and there will be an hour’s drive to camp. You reach our camp 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) in time for lunch. There will be an evening ride. Overnight Olare Lamun. Day 2: A full day to explore this remote area with abundant game. Drives, rides and walks may be taken from camp. Overnight Olare Lamun. Day 3: Your first moving day and you break camp in good time as it is the longest ride of the trip covering nearly 50kms. You ride across rolling open plains and the game generally becomes more plentiful as you approach the Mara ecosystem. You should see herds of zebra, topi, giraffe, wildebeest, gazelle and there is a good chance of seeing elephant and buffalo as well. You reach your camp on the edge of the Masai Game Reserve on the Olare Orok lugga late afternoon. From camp you are likely to hear lion and hyena at night and the abundance of game is apparent everywhere. Overnight Olare Orok. Day 4 & 5: Two full days of morning and evening rides from camp with the option of driving into the game park for some good photographic opportunities. From the landrovers you can get much closer to lion, elephant and buffalo than we are able to do from the horses. Overnight Olare Orok. Day 6: Another moving day. You head west across the Mara plains and reach the Mara River on the Park boundary. You hopefully ford the river (unless in complete flood) at one of the famous wildebeest crossings and then head south west across the Mara Triangle where you have your picnic lunch before ascending the Soit Olololol Escarpment to reach your camp in a forest glade overlooking the whole Mara ecosystem. Overnight Soit Olololol. Day 7: You ride South West along the top of the escarpment enjoying glorious views to the east on excellent going for the horses. You hopefully see the beautiful Mrs Ross’ and Schalows Turaco as well as much plains game. You descend the escarpment on foot along a rocky cattle track and have a picnic lunch under some acacias at the foot of the escarpment. After lunch you ride back through the Mara Triangle at the foot of the escarpment before ascending on a game trail. Many bachelor buffalo herds are a feature of the afternoon. Overnight Soit Olololol. Day 8: You descend the escarpment again and ride across to the same wildebeest crossing on the river. You head in a North Western direction and after lunch, you find your final campsite set up on the banks of the Mara River. Close by there are some hippo pools and their grunting at night is a special feature of this camp. Overnight Mara River. Day 9: Leaving camp after breakfast with a picnic lunch you drive to Deloraine via the impressive tea growing area of Kericho. You arrive in time for tea and an evening walk around the beautiful garden. Overnight Deloraine. Day 10: An early morning ride before breakfast is optional. Also day trips to either Lake Nakuru or Bogoria famous for their flamingos can be arranged with a picnic lunch. Overnight Deloraine. Day 11: Transfer back to Nairobi. Leaving after lunch. Your hosts reserve the right to change this itinerary to suit weather and game movements. This is only ever done with the guests' best interests at heart and they will always try to stick to the programme advertised. |
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| Accommodation: | Accommodation is in luxury mobile tented camps with the last two nights spent at the luxurious colonial lodge of Deloraine. |
| Minimum group size: | 4 |
| Maximum group size: | 12 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate and above. You should be comfortable at all paces and able to gallop out of trouble in big game country. Children are accepted if very competent and confident. You must be fit to walk over tough terrain and lead your horse if necessary. |
| Type of ride: | Safari |
| Total riding time: | 4-6 hours per day |
| Departure dates: | 2010: 6 - 16 August, 20 - 30 August, 18 - 28 September, 8 - 18 October |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Amboseli Safari (8 Day Tour + 2 Nights Deloraine Lodge)
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An eight day Kenyan safari with two additional days at the beautiful colonial lodge of Deloraine. This ride crosses through Amboseli national park, towards the Chyulu Hills, with Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. You can enjoy some breathtaking canters on the dry lake beds, passing by the abundance of game as you enjoy your Kenyan experience. The distance in a straight line is around 90 miles but you will cover a much greater distance than this as you explore the bush and your spectacular surroundings. Day 1: You will be collected from Nairobi international airport and driven to the first campsite at Lalahroi – meaning swamp of the buffaloes – near Namanga, stopping en route for a picnic lunch, there should be time for an evening ride before dinner. Overnight Namanga. Day 2: Today you begin the ride towards Amboseli, heading eastwards parallel to the Tanzanian border. You are likely to see game such as giraffe, zebra, eland, gerenuk, a glimpse of a lesser kudu, impala, wildebeest, Grants and Thompson's Gazelle on your way to the Ngorambuni rocks, where a huge boulder on top of a rocky kopje provides a cool and shaded picnic spot with panoramic views towards Amboseli. After lunch you ride across the dried up lakebed to a campsite at Soit Nado (red rocks), where your tents are pitched beneath a grove of lovely fever trees, some 200 yards from the Tanzanian border, and home for the next three nights. Overnight Soit Nado camp. Day 3: From this base you are able to ride and drive out from camp in any direction, exploring the defunct Meerschaum mines, the extraordinary landscape of Lake Amboseli Lake, and the surrounding marshes. These provide shelter to thousands of head of game, including large herds of buffalo and the famed herds of Amboseli elephant who spend hours of their day like dinosaurs in the swamp before wandering out onto the desert like features of the lake bed with its shimmering mirage of heat haze. Overnight Soit Nado camp. Day 4: Another morning exploring the area on horseback, perhaps crossing the border to explore the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro. You will take a day drive into Amboseli with a barbeque lunch, so will be able to get some close up shots of big game from the landrovers. Approaching large and peaceable bull elephant of 70 lb+ tusk size per side by horse and landrover is one of the more exciting prospects from the Soit Nado area. Overnight Soit Nado camp. Day 5: Today you move camp from Soit Nado heading northeast across the National Park, skirting the green swamps and passing large amounts of game as you canter across the lake bed, which provides near perfect going for horses without any of the dreaded aardvark holes to trap the unwary. You will break for lunch on the far side of the lake bed, and a welcome siesta beneath the shade of an acacia before riding a further 10 miles to camp at Risa, on the plains between Amboseli and the Chyulu Hills. Day 6: The ride continues towards the Chyulu Hills, which rise from the plains to a height of 7000ft. These hills are recent volcanoes only 500,000 years old and some of the craters and lava flows are only 200 years old. This evening you will camp at the foot of a small hill, amongst beautiful groves of Balanites and Acacia Tortilis trees with craters rearing up at intervals as if the ride were passing through some kind of magical theme park. Overnight Millennium campsite. Day 7 & 8: You will spend two full days at the Millennium camp from where you will do an early morning stalk accompanied by game scouts, to find fresh signs of the small but closely guarded black rhino population that live in the Lava flows of the Chyulus. You shall also do some game drives and take an energetic walk up Ol Donyo Sambu, one of the conical craters found towards the western end of the range. There will also of course be the opportunity for some early morning and evening rides in this stunning scenery with soft volcanic ash as great going for the horses. Overnight Millennium campsite. Day 9: After breakfast you will fly direct to Deloraine for your final two nights in Africa. Deloraine is a fabulous colonial mansion built by Lord Francis Scott, a prominent settler and politician in Kenya, and now the headquarters of your hosts, Tristan and Lucinda Voorspuy. Here you can choose between walking, riding, swimming, tennis or croquet - or relaxing besides the swimming pool with a cold drink. Dinner and overnight Deloraine. Day 10: Enjoy an early morning ride into the hills behind Deloraine, and then visit Lake Nakuru or Bogoria with a picnic lunch. The journey to Nakuru takes less than an hour, and is broken by a visit to the market place where there is the chance to bargain for souvenirs, or just watch the bustle of this busy African town. Nakuru is famous for its healthy flamingo population, as well as an abundance of other game including black and white rhino, leopard and buffalo. You will return to Deloraine for a three-course dinner in the evening. Day 11: After an early last ride and breakfast you can relax in the comfortable surroundings of Deloraine, enjoy the swimming pool, gardens and attendant sports. You will leave for Nairobi after lunch by the pool by vehicle for an approx 3 hours drive on reasonable tarmac road. Arriving in time for your onward transfers as necessary. Your hosts reserve the right to change this itinerary to suit weather and game movements. This is only ever done with the guests' best interests at heart and they will always try to stick to the programme advertised. |
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| Accommodation: | Accommodation is in luxury mobile tented camps with the two last nights spent at the luxurious colonial house of Deloraine Lodge. |
| Minimum group size: | 4 |
| Maximum group size: | 12 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate and above. You should be comfortable at all paces and able to gallop out of trouble in big game country. Children are accepted if very competent and confident. You must be fit to walk over tough terrain and lead your horse if necessary. |
| Type of ride: | Safari with two based days. |
| Total riding time: | 4 - 6 hours a day |
| Departure dates: | please telephone the office for dates |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |