The Big 5 under the stars

TYPOLOGIES

south africa

+ 5
DIFFICULTY

Medium

MIN. AGE

USD 2,600

A horseback safari under the South African stars.

In the Waterberg region, the high escarpment offers rock formations and open plains, while the low escarpment is warmer and sandier. With nights spent in campaign tents and even one day under the starry night, available between two and three times per month in groups of at least two people, this horseback ride combines adventure, animal watching, challenges, and comfort.

Location

South Africa

Duration

6 Days / 5 Nights

Season

All Year

Horses

Boerperd crosses and Thoroughbred crosses

The Riding

5 – 7 hours per day

Package specifications

Travel cancellation insurance

Breakfast and dinner included

Health care included

Services NOT included

Lunch not included in the package

Baggage protection insurance

Day by Day

Day 1. Arriving at Wildside and spending the night.

We arrive at the Wildside camp, where we will have a late lunch and an introductory tour to get to know the surroundings. In this tour, we let ourselves be mesmerized by the landscape and the ancient sprit of South Africa. In this case, we may be able to see some of the legendary big five. Then, and according to your riding preferences, you will be assigned a horse who will be your partner in this adventure for the following days. On the first evening, our lodging will be a campaign tent with all the conveniences and comfort, but in direct connection with the African air and nature.

Day 2. Climbing among escarpment, a challenge only for a few.

Before breakfast at 9 am, we have the chance to go see the surroundings. Afterwards, we are taken by car to where the horses are, where our saddle adventure awaits to begin: we go forward along the low escarpment during an hour and a half, where we will be able to see most of the fauna in its natural habitat. We will stay for a picnic in Waterberry before starting climbing the escarpment. You will ride with your equine partner -or, maybe, he will lead the way- along one of the steeper paths in South Africa (40° tilt). As a reward for our effort, a natural rock pool with a fantastic view is waiting for us at the top. We will then reach the Boukenhout camp at approximately 3 pm, just in time for tea. This will be our home for the next 4 nights, where we will sleep in tents while listening to the fauna and the breeze, which shows us that Africa does not sleep.

Day 3. Today, we ride.

Once we had breakfast, it's time to start our horseback riding day! Lunch is packed so that we can eat outside the camp. Our horses will take us through a rocky plain valley until we reach a waterfall or a lookout where we can appreciate the sublime landscape of the low escarpment. We stop to have lunch and a well-deserved rest, and, now that the sun is harmless, we return to the camp. There, we will be able to unwind and let ourselves go while having some drinks and watching the sunset, a spectacle that every visitor remembers for the rest of their lives.

Day 4. Lookout at Kgamakutla and dinner by the bank of the river.

After we have a light breakfast, we go looking for tracks and signs that may lead us to the giants of Africa. After two hours of horseback ride, we return to the camp and have brunch. There will be time to bathe in the river or rest under the shadows and unwind. At 3 pm, tea is served. We then go for a ride until we reach that spot in the valley that offers a majestic sunset. We will return to the camp to sit around a fire, watch the shore of the river and have a glass of wine. It is possible for creatures of all kinds to observe us from the bushes, from the bottom of the river, from the deepest spots of Africa.

Day 5. Horseback riding along the plains and sleeping under the stars.

Today we ride through sandy lands, which will give us a chance to speed up. We go to the Ingwe valley, which means translated from the local language “Leopard valley”. An area which hosts an ideal habitat for this feline. There is one way in and one way out of the valley, which gives way to eerie sounds, which we listen to carefully to know what lies beyond. We will ride along a lake, where we may see hippos. The richness of this experience lies on the word "maybe": if things were certain, we would not be in Africa. We will ride along an open land and we will return to the camp for lunch. We will then pack our things: we are going to a place where, if the weather allows it, we will sleep under the stars. We will ride for more than 2 hours, passing through some of the most emblematic places of the valley and high grounds that have incredible views. When we reach the camp, we will have all the amenities we deserve, dinner and drinks, a space to wash and a bathroom, everything we need to enjoy a night outdoors, in the dark of nature.

Day 6. Riding towards the low escarpment.

Time to say goodbye. After breakfast, we go down to the low escarpment on our horses; from there, we embark on a ride towards the settlement. This is a farewell horseback ride: our horses say goodbye, but be assured that, if the experience was up to the task, an unbreakable bond will last between you two. Before departing for the airport, you can have a shower and have a bite.

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