Riding Safaris
Five- and ten-night safaris on horseback in the remote central region of Botswana's Okavango Delta
OKAVANGO HORSE SAFARI
I can immediately see the beauty of watching game from the back of another animal. You are never this close to nature, physically or spiritually, on a mechanised safari. In a car, you're an intruder, isolated from the world by glass and steel. Here, you're part of the landscape.
...The horses provide a first-class viewing platform, meaning you can take in far more of the wildlife and landscape. And a calm horse reassures the jittery game animals. When it drops its head to graze, it signals to its fellow ruminants that it's relaxed, and all is well with the world.
Chris Ryan, 'Big Game at a Gallop', The Sunday Times,
3 June, 2001.
Itinerary
The 10-night itinerary starts from the base camp situated on the Xudum river in the Okavango Delta. The safari uses two other camps in different areas of the 25,000-sq-km private concession. All the camps are situated in big game areas. Camps are chosen for the variety of terrain and species that favour particular areas. Five-night safaris take place on either the first or second 5 nights of a 10-night itinerary.
Day 1:
On arrival at Maun Airport, you are met & transferred by light aircraft and vehicle to Kujwana. Orientation ride.
Day 2:
Early morning game ride in the Xudum area. Wade through lush green malapos that lead you from island to island and, perhaps, surprise a timid bushbuck out his dense cover on a heavily wooded island or enjoy the herds of lechwe & zebra moving across the open spaces. Afternoon and evening game drive.
Day 3:
Ride east towards Beacon and Lion islands, two very large islands which are cut off from Kujwana by the Xwaapa river. The area is criss-crossed with game paths through a chain of rain pans. Mapane forests and acacia woodlands provide food for kudu and giraffe. Breeding herds of elephant enjoy the security of the dense forest. If the pans are holding water, zebra, wilderbeest and buffalo will also be found. Afternoon bird walk.
Day 4:
Move to Moklowane Camp, a 30km ride northwest through open floodplains and scattered islands towards the Matsebe river system.
Day 5:
Morning game ride with a picnic breakfast. Moklowane Camp is on the Matsebe river system and features wide, open floodplains interspersed with Moklowane palms - favourite food of elephant and baboon. In the afternoon, we take to mokoros, the traditional dug-out canoes.
Day 6:
After a dawn game ride and breakfast, there is an optional game drive before lunch. Ride again in the afternoon as the wildlife stirs from the heat of the day.
Day 7:
Ride 30 km northeast towards the Kiri River. The fly camp is on the border of the Moremi Game Reserve. (The term "fly camp" comes from the days when you moved your fly sheet off your tent to make a temporary camp. We use two-person dome tents.) Afternoon game and bird walk.
Day 8:
A full day's ride exploring this area on the edge of the permanent water - papyrus beds, deep lagoons, hippo and lechwe.
Day 9:
Ride northeast towards Moremi Game Reserve, which forms seasonal marsh land and hosts a variety of exceptional bird life and is good for buffalo and elephant. Afternoon and evening game drives.
Day 10:
A full day's ride (40 km) through a variety of game areas, fording the Xudum River at numerous hippo channels. Arrive Kujwana at sunset.
Day 11:
Flight times permitting, early morning game ride. After breakfast, game drive en route to the airstrip for light aircraft transfer to Maun.
Kujwana Camp is southwest of Chiefs Island in the Okavango Delta. The camp accommodates a maximum of 8-10 guests in spacious safari tents with en suite bathrooms (bush style).
Moklowane Camp is an 8-bedded tented camp in the open flood plains which receive flood water 3 weeks earlier than Kujwana.
Kiri Fly Camp is in the permanent water line of the delta. The site moves according to water levels. The camp consists of walk-in dome tents, private ablutions, mess tent, etc.
2003 Departures:
March 1, 14, 27 ; April 9 & 22; May 2 & 21 ; June 3, 16, 29 ; July 12 & 25; August 7 & 20; September 2, 15, 28; October 14, November 3 & 16.
Price:
10-night safari
Low Season (March - 1st June, November): GB£2725 per person sharing
High Season (June - 31st October): GB£3095 per person sharing
5-night safari
Low Season: GB£1425 per person sharing
High Season: GB£1610 per person sharing
Price includes: all accommodation, meals, drinks, guiding, riding, game drives, walks & mokoros, concession fees, return air transfer from Maun
Not included: staff gratuities and items of a personal nature
Contact us
or phone (44) 20 7226 1004 for more information
