Horse riding holidays in Kenya, the Masaai Safaris ride.

Ride Description

Each ride is unique but all share the common elements of small groups, custom made programmes designed on a one to one basis.

On some rides you will have the opportunity to visit the Masaai Mara, made famous for its huge abundance of varied wildlife, particularly the concentration of predators and more so the annual wildebeest migration. Others take you through unique 'Pencil Cedar' forests or though vast unspoiled plains.

The length of time in the saddle on a typical day ranges from 4-6 hours. Although predominantly you are game viewing from the saddle, all the safaris are supported by highly comfortable custom-built Land Cruisers. Using the vehicles not only allows both the horse and rider a well earned rest, they also give you the opportunity to explore further, take photographs and go on night game drives. The nocturnal animals are the other half of the amazing and varied wildlife that you may see.

You will have constant access to the finest safari infrastructure in Africa. This support makes your adventure comfortable and safe. Safari guides accompany our guests on all rides, walks and game drives. They are well trained in the use of firearms which is an added insurance that you will be well protected in the event of any unusual encounter with a dangerous animal.

Equestrian travel provides guests with a whole new way of seeing the environment and interacting with other cultures and peoples. Guests with common love of the horse and riding quickly form bonds of friendship with like minded people from all over the world. The small groups are able to explore wild places well off thebeaten track where local villagers see visitors as a curiosity.

Experienced chefs prepare sumptuous fresh meals throughout the entire safari, cooking traditionally over open fires. Most guests are still amazed at what comes out of a safari kitchen, be it the fresh bread or Zanzibari prawns. The grooms lovingly care for the horses out on the picket line, feed and groom them and make them ready for our next ride.

See Programmes.

Food & Accommodation

The most luxurious mobile tented camp, set up in wild unspoiled areas where privacy is ensured, awaits you at the end of every day. Your trusted and loyal camp crew will happily put up your hot shower or hand you a well earned ice-cold G‘nT!

Your spacious sleeping tent has been designed to offer all the creature comforts, whilst retaining the essence of being on a real safari. Each tent is set up to ensure your privacy, comprising of a large veranda, en suite shower and changing room, and adjacent toilet. Sleep wrapped up in crisp cotton sheets with a hot water bottle in comfortable beds, double if you prefer, leaving you ready for the next days adventure. Outside lighting is by traditional Tilley lamp, gas and Ausram lights are on your bedside table.

The lodges we use are selected with great care. They are in exquisite locations, offer hot and cold running water and are reserved for you exclusively.

The camps are fully staffed with highly trained, cooks, waiters, tent attendants, drivers and game scouts. By the end of your safari, you and youcamp staff will have become friends, and you will wonder how you will ever manage again without them.

Laundry is done on every non-moving day.

Meals are a real delight along this ride with family-style breakfasts outside under the canopy of an old acacia tree, drinks by the campfire and dining under the lights of the famous chandelier in the homely mess tent, that also houses the bar.

You will be amazed at the consistently high levels of delicious food that your safari cook produces for every meal. Cooking over charcoal, he is a master at producing everything from fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast to a perfectly roasted chicken at dinner. Locally produced fresh fruit, salads and vegetables are an important part of the safari menu.

Breakfast is usually eaten in camp. Although, if you are walking with your guide in the early morning, you will experience a memorable moment when you come into a remote clearing in the bush to find your camp cook already there preparing a hearty English breakfast.

Lunch might be a delicious picnic on a hill overlooking the wildebeest migration or by the side of a river.

A full bar travels with you with imported spirits, excellent South African wines and first class local beers and sodas. Whilst inour private camps all drinks, with the exception of Champagne, are included in the cost of your safari. Bottled water and ice are provided.

Special dietery requirements can be catered for; please ensure you tell us in advance.

Activities

Activities on these rides are an integral part of the programme. The Mara ride takes you through vast open plains spotted with acacia trees. Here you can see how the Masaai have survived the encroaching western way of life and fought to protect their unique culture. The Northern Safari enables you to ride past the famous Ngorongoro Crater, 10,000ft above sea level before galloping away across open savanna.

There are numerous opportunities for wildlife spotting of all kinds from elephants and giraffes to a variety of unusual birds. After all, Kenya is home to the Big Five - elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards and rhinos - and these you really won't want to miss. You're guides are very experienced in spotting these animals in their natural habitat. You will also have the opportunity to go on night expeditions to see nocturnal creatures otherwise nestled away from sight.

The area is a full of impressive rock formations and part of the appeal of this ride is being able to watch the ever changing colours of the landscape and the daytime mirages.

Rides are carefully thought out so that you have maximum opportunities for riding and enjoying the spectacular landscape. However, thoughtful stop offs, like a cool refreshing dip in the heat of the day in pristine rock pools or under a gushing waterfall, help to make you more comfortable.

You may wish to combine your safari with another tour. This may be a safari, in combination with a weekend of polo, bird shooting for the fantastic variety of game birds, deep-sea fish for marlin or tuna or simply relaxing on a stretch of unspoiled coast.

Further Details

Languages: English

Health requirements: Riders must be very confident in the saddle as this is a potentially dangerous environment

Age limit: None but see health requirements

Tuition: Yes

Included: Full board mobile luxury accommodation, professional guide, all National Park and Game Reserve fees, all camping and wilderness concession fees, bar, full compliment of safari crew and grooms, safari equipment and safari vehicles, horses.

Not included: Visas, insurances, staff gratuities, Flying Doctor membership, Nairobi hotel accommodation either side of the safari (if required) and air charters (if required). A single room supplement is £50 per person per night. Prices are subject to change without notice due to circumstances beyond our control

Travel Information

Flights to Kenya operate regularly out of most UK airports. You will either catch an internal flight to the Mara in the morning and will be collected from the airstrip by your host or you may be collected from Nairobi airport.

Airport: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi

Masaai Mara Safari

The Maasai Mara has been made famous for its huge abundance of varied wildlife, particularly the concentration of predators and more so the annual wildebeest migration. Not forgetting the diversity of bird life both resident and migrant. ‘Mara’ means ‘spotted’ or ‘dappled’, a reference to the acacia dotted savannas of Southern Kenya where the Maasai live. They still live, and cling to a culture that has resisted westernized pressure, with their herds of cattle in this unique background. This is what you ride through and are part of! Day 1: Your internal flight to the Mara leaves Nairobi at 10:00am and arrives at 11:00am. You are collected you from the airstrip. Game drive back to camp, hidden away in an Acacia forest beneath the ever prominent landmark of Oloiboirmut ‘white necked mountain’. Lunch, settle in, ready for your afternoon ride. Night drives an option. Day 2: Early morning ride, returning to camp for breakfast. The rest of the day spent exploring this magical area on the horses, by car, or on foot. Again night drives can be very rewarding. Day 3: Your first moving day. After breakfast, you ride through vast tracts of open country, heading for our BBQ and water stop for the horses, beneath the Bardamat Hills. A siesta, before your afternoon ride, climbing through these scenic hills to camp. Set on a bluff offering unparalleled views, this is a new concession we have just negotiated with the local Maasai. Day 4: A day spent exploring this untouched area of Maasailand. Day 5: You move again, carrying lunch in your saddle bags. Riding west, through open country, to the Njaknjiak Gorge for a refreshing lunch time swim in the rock pools. In the cooler hours, head for camp pitched on the Olare Orok stream. Day 6/7/8: Probably the best game viewing area the Mara has to offer. For the next three days, you explore by horse, L/Cruiser, interact with the local Maasai and generally do as you wish. Sundowners, a Mara River BBQ, night drives, are all available options. Day 9: After breakfast, drive to the nearest airstrip for your internal flight back to Nairobi leaving at 11:00am.
Minimum group size:	2
Maximum group size:	8
Ability description:	Riders must be very confident in the saddle as this is a potentially dangerous environment.
Type of ride:	Safari
Total riding time:	4-6 hours per day
Departure dates:	Dates for 2008 - January 5th -13th/17th - 25th/29th - 6th Feb 9th -17th/21st - 29th March 4th - 12th/15th - 23rd/27th - 4th April 8th -16th/19th -27th May - No fixed departure dates June - 3rd-11th/14th-22nd/25th-6th July 8th-16th/19th-27th/30th-7th Aug 9th-17th/20th - 28th/30th -7th Sept 10th - 18th/20th - 28th/October 1st - 9th/11th - 19th/22nd - 30th Novemebr and December no fixed departure dates
Pricing:	See Pricing

Laikipia Safari

The ranch land of the Laikipia plateau covers 25000 square kilometers, and is unmatched in Kenya in terms of wildlife diversity. You will ride undisturbed through this spectacular scenery save for delicious barbeques or refreshing swims. The ranches, all privately owned, have until now depended on livestock as their income. There has been a massive commitment by the ranchers to conserve this ecosystem. Fences have been uprooted and wildlife has the freedom now to roam this big landscape. Communities that border this area are the Laikipiak Maasai and Samburu. In turn they are following the lead of conservation, and the last part of the ride is staying with them at Tassia and Il Ngwesi. Day 1: Leave Nairobi and lunch in camp. Your first camp is set up in a beautiful glade of Yellow Fever Trees on Mugie Ranch owned by the Hahn family. An afternoon ride and night game drives after dinner are often productive. Day 2: After breakfast you move to Loisaba skirting the 'Kirimun’ plains and visit Nick and Heather Day’s ranch house for lunch and a refreshing swim. After lunch you ride to camp on Loisaba ranch where you stay for two nights. Day 3: A whole day exploring this stunning ranch, either on the horses, walking or in the Landcruisers. Day 4: A long ride today via Kisima ranch to your camp on the Ewaso Narok River which forms the Eastern boundary of Sosian ranch. Lunch will be in your saddle bags today and after a long day in the saddle, a swim in the waterfalls at camp is a great refresher before an evening drive. Day 5: You move again today with lunch in your saddlebags across Segera ranch to El Karama ranch. Camp is situated on the Ewaso Nyiru River and the waterfalls below camp are again enticing after another long ride. The Grant family own this ranch and produce some of the best bred Sahiwal cattle in the country. Day 6: A dramatic ride today to your next camp high up in the Loldaiga hills. After crossing El Karama, Ol Jogi , Mogwooni and Ensoit ranches, we start to climb into the Loldaigas hills. Covered predominantly in ‘Pencil Cedar’ forest, the cooler climate and views from here are very contrasting to the plateau below. You spend two nights here. Day 7: Spend the day how you want, either riding, walking or driving around this amazing ranch which is owned by Robert and Fumi Wells. Day 8: Your last move with camp to Borana ranch, home of Michael and Nicky Dyer. Lunch in saddle bags, you then drop out of the Loldaigas and cross neighbouring Kamwaki ranch before you reach camp, set up in a glade of ‘Wild Olive’ trees, by a seasonal dam. Day 9: Today you leave the tented camp behind, and ride to Tassia, a community run lodge on the Lekurruki Conservation Group Ranch. The Mukogodo Maasai are your hosts here and after lunch and a swim in their stunning pool, the rest of the day spent discovering the beauty of this area. Sundowners should not be missed! Day 10: Our last day on the horses, and after breakfast you ride to Il N’gwesi Lodge on the North Eastern edge of the Community Group Ranch. Again you are hosted by the Maasai and arrive in time for lunch. The views of the Northern Frontier District are simply unbelievable from here. Relax, have a swim, or scout the water hole which is frequented by wildlife. An evening walk down one of the sand rivers, is one of the many options for you on our last night in the bush. Day 11: After breakfast, return to Nairobi or for your onward reservation.
Minimum group size:	2
Maximum group size:	8
Ability description:	Riders must be very confident in the saddle as this is a potentially dangerous environment
Type of ride:	Safari
Total riding time:	4-6 hours per day
Departure dates:	Dates for 2008 are - No fixed deaprture dates for May, June 3rd - 14th/14th - 25th/25th - 6th July 8th - 19th/19th - 30th, No fixed departure dates for November and December
Pricing:	See Pricing

Northern Maasailand Safari - Kilamanjaro

This seven offered offers experienced riders superb game viewing in Tanzania; including the big five and a many other smaller savannah and plains game. In addition to fabulous game viewing guests have the privileged use of the facilities at the Polo centre; including the ponies and a health spa. Day 1: Arrive Kilimanjaro. Overnight Arusha. You will be met by our knowledgeable safari guides who are a wonderful resource and will constantly attend to your needs. They have many years experience and can answer all specific questions about the environment, local people and wildlife. Day 2: Drive to Lake Natron Sidai Lodge. Sidai Lodge. Lake Natron Sidai is a permanent lodge in northern Maasailand located on a small range of hills within the Great Rift Valley. The lodge looks onto the majestic volcanoes of Ngorongoro, Lengai, Kitumbeine and Oclai which rise to altitudes of 10,000 feet above sea level. This unique landscape is home to several remote Maasai clans who still maintain their traditional nomadic lifestyle. The lodge itself is built to blend in with the landscape and has every amenity, including hot and cold running water, flushing loos and electric light whilst maintaining the untamed aura of Africa. Day 3 & 4: Horse Back Riding & Game Viewing. Sidai Lodge. Ride through magnificent bush country, stopping to socialise with the local Maasai in the friendly atmosphere of their manyattas. The terrain is ideal for good trots, canters and gallops across wide open savannahs. During rides you will have opportunities to view zebra, giraffe, Thompsons gazelle, Grants gazelle, gerenuk, lesser kudu, buffalo, fringe eared oryx, and many of the brilliantly coloured birds native to the area. Day 5 & 6: Horse Back Riding & Game Viewing. Lake Natron. Natron Camp. Day 6: Horse Back Riding & Game Viewing. Lake Natron. Natron Camp. Day 7: Drive to Ngorongoro Crater where you will overnight. Often referred to as “the eighth wonder of the world,” the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world, almost 20 km wide, 610-760m deep and covering a total area of 264 sq km. The origin of the name Ngorongoro is uncertain, but legend has it that it named after an old Masai herdsman - Ngorongoro - who lived in the Crater and made cowbells for his beloved herds of wandering cattle. An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbours grasslands, swamps forests, salt pans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery, the Crater is also Tanzania’s most visited destination. Quite apart from the “big five” (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo), all of whom can often be spotted in a morning, the Crater also hosts up to 25,000 large mammals. Most are grazers, of which zebra and wildebeest comprise almost half, and the rest are gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and warthog. As a result of these extraordinarily large numbers of herbivores, the Crater also hosts one of the densest predator population in Africa, most of which are lion and spotted hyena. Finally, the Crater supports a large elephant population, most of which are bulls due to the relative paucity of food for the breeding herds. Certain animals such as giraffe, topi and impala, are notable by their absence. Only two seasons exist in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, wet and dry. From November to May is the wet season when virtually all the annual rain falls, and the dry season extends from June to October. Day 8: Drive to Arusha. Depart Kilimanjaro.
Minimum group size:	2
Maximum group size:	8
Ability description:	Experienced riders only.
Type of ride:	Safari
Total riding time:	Varies as described in the itinerary
Departure dates:	5th - 13th January 2008, 17th - 25th January, 29th January - 6th February, 9th - 17th February, 21st February - 1st March, 4th - 12th March, 15th - 23rd March, 27th March - 4th April, 8th - 16th April, 19th - 30th Aprill. MAY, NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2008 - No fixed departures please enquire for tailor made itineraries.
Pricing:	See Pricing

Acacia Camp

From the beginning of 2008, Acacia Camp will provide seasonal accommodation; complete with five double tents based in the Olare Orok valley. The camp is aptly named, courtesy of the spring system that flows past camp and feeds these spectacular trees. Acacia offers the very best of the Maasai Mara, and is the grand finale to any of our Kenyan safaris. A selection of horses will also be based here, so riding will still be a main feature of your safari if you so wish. For those not wanting to ride, the game drive Land cruisers will also be on hand. The diversity in topography so close to camp, plus the wildlife, allow for wonderful photographic opportunities. The Maasai, whom your hosts work closely with, are a big part of the camp set up, and bring with them an aura of nostalgia. For those of you who would prefer just to ride for two or three days, the opportunity is offered by this programme. For those of you who have longed to be able to ride in Kenya whilst having the company of non riding family, this programme provides the perfect option. At last you can have the best of both worlds. Along with riding and game drives, the bush walks are not to be missed. Being small, private and flexible means your guides can organize for a game drive to meet up with the riders for a bush breakfast or barbeque lunch. Sundowners on a rocky kopje and a night game drive provides the perfect end to the day for riders and non riders alike. Acacia will have its own private airstrip to allow for private charters to fly in and out. Alternatively, low level flights from camp around the Mara can be arranged with Robert, a close friend of your host. If you would rather take it slower then balloon rides are also a possibility. We are also very happy to help you book a further extension, be that at the coast, or perhaps the Laikipia safari. Please do not hesitate to contact the office for further details.
Minimum group size:	2
Maximum group size:	8
Ability description:	Experienced
Type of ride:	Safari
Total riding time:	Flexible as detailed by the programme
Departure dates:	Please contact the office for 2008 dates
Pricing:	See Pricing

Masaai Safaris, Kenya

Overview

Programmes

Horses

Pricing