From: $ 5,510

Offbeat Safaris Laikipia Ride

Day 1 - Private Camp Borana
Arrive Borana either by private charter flight or 3 1/2 hr drive from Nairobi. Borana is a cattle ranch turned conservation area in pristine countryside on the Northern slopes of Mount Kenya with beautiful views to the snow-capped peaks of the Mountain in the south and the rugged mountains of the Mathews Range, Bodich and even Marsabit on the way to the Ethiopian border. 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. We will have lunch in Camp in a grove of euphorbia trees.

Day 2 - Private Camp Borana
A full day exploring Borana by horseback and vehicle, and a picnic lunch on the Ngare Ndare River. Borana is on top of an escarpment and the scenery is spectacular. A great variety of species is to be seen. Borana is home to our hosts Nicky and Michael Dyer, who own and run Borana Lodge.

Day 3 - Private Camp Loldaiga Hill
Our first moving day takes us with a picnic lunch (in our saddlebags) to the west. We cross from Borana onto Ole Naishu 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. We cross Ole Naishu onto Loldaiga Hills a 55,000-acre ranch owned by Robert Wells and probably one of the most beautiful farms in Africa. We reach camp at the head of a beautiful valley surrounded by cedar forest where we stay again for 2 nights.

Day 4 - Private Camp Loldaiga Hills
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, we shall be on the western edge of the Loldaiga Hills with spectacular views of the Laikipia Plateau below, which we will be crossing over the next four days.

Day 5 - Private Camp El Karama Ranch
We leave Loldaiga Hills and today cross four ranches on our way to El Karama home of the Grant Family. We 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 we see some cattle fencing and we will have a picnic lunch here on the banks of the Nanyuki River. After lunch we cross onto El Karama ranch 13,000 acres of pristine game country and find our camp on the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River.

Day 6 - Private Camp El Karama Ranch
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.

Day 7 - Private Camp Sosian
A long day's ride to Sosian. We cross the Ewaso Narok River and traverse Segera ranch to the Northwest. Our route takes us 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 that is widespread but rare among the northern savannahs of Africa. We 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 us to our camp by the Ewaso Narok River, below Sosian’s waterfalls.

Day 8 - Private Camp Sosian
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, we can look back at the Loldaiga Hills over which we passed and Mt Kenya now appears a good distance away.

Day 9 - Departure
A last ride followed before breakfast at Sosian and our transfer back to Nairobi in time for the International return flights.

END OF TRIP

Offbeat Safaris – Amboseli Ride
This ride begins close to the border town of Namanga, and crosses through Amboseli national park en route to the Chyulu Hills away to the east, with Africa’s highest mountain, the snow capped Kilimanjaro, as a constant backdrop to your adventures. The distance in a straight line is some 90 miles, however you will cover a much greater distance exploring the bush.

DAY 1: You will be collected from the Aero Club at 10.30 and driven to the first campsite at Lalahroi – meaning swamp of the buffaloes – near the border settlement of Namanga, stopping en route for a picnic lunch. Depending on what time you reach campsite, there may be the opportunity for a short 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 and 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 Kilimanjairo. We 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 70lb+ 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 leave behind Soit Nado campsite, and head 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 overnight at our camp at Risa, on the plains between Amboseli and the Chyulu Hills. Overnight Risa Camp.

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: From Millenium camp we can take an early morning stalk to find fresh signs (and perhaps a rhino itself) of the small but closely guarded black rhino population that lives in the Lava flows of the Chyulus accompanied by game scouts. We will also do game drives/rides and can also take an energetic walk up Ol Donyo Sambu one of the conical craters found towards the western end of the range. Overnight Millennium campsite

DAY 9: Early morning ride before Breakfast and transfer to Ol Donyo Waus for flight back to Nairobi.
END OF SAFARI

DAY 1 - Mara River Hippo Camp - You will be collected from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or if you have arrived earlier, from your Nairobi hotel, and transferred to Wilson Airport for your 10 am flight to Mara North in the Masai Mara. Your guides will meet you and drive you to your first camp, set up on the banks of the Mara River adjacent to a teeming hippo pool. Lunch will be served and you will have a little time to relax before meeting your horses and setting off on your first gentle evening ride (about 2 hours).

DAY 2 - Mara River Hippo Camp - We begin the day with an early morning ride, crossing the Mara River for the first time, returning to camp for a light breakfast. After breakfast a game drive will be on offer, driving provides better photographic opportunities than from a horse and exploring more of this Northern part of the Mara has much to offer. We will return in time for lunch and a siesta before setting off on an afternoon ride. We will be back in good time to shower and maybe set off in the vehicles once more for a sundowner and a short night game drive before supper.

DAY 3 - Escarpment Soit Olololo Camp - We leave camp after breakfast at about 9am, heading south towards the park boundary where we meet the river again at one of the famous wildebeest crossings. We cross the river and head southwest across the Mara Triangle, meeting the car with our picnic lunch at around 12:30. After lunch and a siesta, we set off at about 16:00 and ascend the Soit Olololol Escarpment. We reach our camp at about 17:30 on the edge of the escarpment and spend the night overlooking the whole Mara ecosystem.

DAY 4 - Olare Orok Camp - We descend the escarpment after breakfast at about 9am and ride across to the same wildebeest crossing on the river. We head in a westerly direction and descend into the enchanting Olare Orok Valley with a picnic lunch and siesta from about 12:30-15:30 on the way. Reaching our camp in time at about 17:00 in time for tea, there should also be time to do an evening game drive and sundowners, before supper under the stars.

DAY 5 - Olare Orok Camp - Here we will have a full day of exploring this glorious area on horseback, car and possibly on foot. You will have excellent photo opportunities, getting close to buffalo, elephant, lion and maybe cheetah or leopard.

DAY 6 - Olare Lamun Camp - Our third moving day and we break camp in good time as it the longest ride of the trip covering nearly 50kms. Setting off at 7.00am, we have a picnic breakfast stopping from about 10-11am. We continue until 13:30 where we break again for lunch and a siesta after reaching Ol Kinyei Conservancy. At 16:00 we head to our last camp, arriving at Olare Lamun (the rhino salt lick) nestled in a grove of acacia trees by a small stream at the southern edge of the Loita Plains.

DAY 7 - Olare Lamun Camp - After an early wake up we will set off for a morning ride before returning to camp for a light breakfast. We will then set out for a game drive and beautiful walk up the nearby hill called Oloiburmut, returning to camp for a lunch and a siesta. At around 4pm we will drive or ride to visit the local Masai Village.

DAY 8 - Departure Day - Our last morning ride before saying goodbye to our horses. After a final breakfast, you will drive to the airstrip and fly back to Nairobi around 11am, landing into Wilson at 12noon. We will organise for a taxi to pick you up and take either you around Nairobi to do some shopping/visits, or to a Hotel day room (included), before taking you on to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in time for your evening flight home, or your onward destination.
END OF SAFARI


US Dollar ($) Rates are Per Person Per Night Sharing Valid from 01 January 2021 to 31 December 2021

Number of Riders: Rate:
1 rider $4,510
Each of 2 riders $2,280
Each of 3 riders $1,700
Each of 4 riders $1.420
Each of 5 riders $1,310
Each of 6 riders $1,215
Each of 7 riders $1,115
Each of 8 riders $1,085
Each of 9 riders $1,060
Each of 10 riders $1,035
Each of 11 riders $1,020
Each of 12 + riders $1,010

Included in Tailor Made Riding Safaris:
All conservation & park fees ($155 per person per night)
Full board accommodation
All drinks (except Champagne) Any Extra Transfers
Walking
Laundry
Local airstrip transfers
Game drives (day & night)
Amref Flying Doctors Membership (Air Evacuation to Nairobi)

Not Included in Tailor Made Riding Safaris:
Internal flights & transfers
Single Supplement: $100 per night (if not willing to share)
All riding Returning to Deloraine after a safari can be organised on request Game drives (day & night)

NB: Laundry Closed Seasons: April, May & November Local airstrip transfers Minimum 5 Nights