HORSE RIDING IN TSAVO

Roam the plain of Ol Donyo Wuas in the foothills of the Chyulu Range on horse back. On the way, you are likely to come across some of our spectacular bull elephants browsing in the forest before you emerge onto the plains where you have a good chance of meeting zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, Oryx, gazelle, cheetah and even lion.

Duration of the safari is 8 days.

Itinerary

Day1: Nairobi

Arrive at the Airport, met by a Representative from Beyond Safaris and be transferred to House of wane/Hogmead Nairobi-BB

Day 2 –Nairobi -Tsavo

Safarilink schedule or private charter to the Chyulu Hills from Wilson airport in the morning where you will be met by your guides, Patrick and Nicola, who will be accompanying you for the next five days. After lunch and a siesta you can go for an afternoon ride to choose your horses and get a feel for them and the terrain. The first evening is usually spent in the comfort of Ol Donyo Wuas lodge.

Ol Donyo Wuas lies in the foothills of the Chyulu Range, halfway between Tsavo and Amboseli in a concession area of 300,000 acres, communal Masai owned land, which is also part of the Amboseli eco-system.

The open plains, rolling Chyulu Hills and snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro invoke images of Africa as it was in the earlier part of the last century; abundant game and Masai herdsmen living as nature determined they should in this unspoilt corner of Kenya.

The lodge consists of eight cottages and a beautiful, centrally positioned mess/dining room. All cottages have en-suite bathrooms, electric lighting and a veranda with panoramic views of the plains and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Richard and Anna Vivian are your hosts and a friendly crew of Kenyans is there to organise the daily activities, to ensure everything runs smoothly, and to provide high standards of cuisine and personal service.

Day 3

LENKILORITI– After a delicious breakfast at the lodge, you and your guides set out on a four hour ride to an area of the ranch called Lenkiloriti. On the way, you are likely to come across some of our spectacular bull elephants browsing in the forest before you emerge onto the plains where you have a good chance of meeting zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, Oryx, gazelle, cheetah and even lion. En route to your camp, you skirt the lava flows which line the plains. After a late lunch and a bit of a rest, it is into the lava flow, on foot, to track down some of the last wild black rhino in Kenya. Lenkiloriti is also an exciting place for a night game drive, when you can look for leopards and lion on the prowl.

Day 4

KOPJES. This morning, you ride to the Kopjes, which are huge granite outcrops in the middle of the plains. This is about a 5 hour ride so you can begin early and get there for a late lunch or take a picnic with you and get in for tea. The day’s terrain will be mostly the classic, quintessential short grass plains dotted with thorn trees, which allows you plenty of opportunity for long canters. After a ride, walk or gamedrive in the afternoon, you can climb up on top of the kopjes for a magnificent sunset, which allows you a 360 degree panoramic view, dominated by Mount Kilimanjaro

Day 5

CRATER CAMP on your fifth day, after breakfast, you set off on your horses for a full day’s ride up into the Chyulu hills. This is a more technical ride which will take you to the Crater Camp. The ride up is quite steep through wooded areas, which pass lava tunnels and caves to explore on the way. The suggested afternoon activity is to climb up the magnificent volcanic crater next to the camp for another breathtaking view. Otherwise, you are welcome to ride again or just relax in camp. Upon returning from sundowners you will find hot water for showers and a campfire to sit around whilst dinner is being prepared.

Day 6

MIST FOREST CAMP. Crater to Mist Forest Camp – Depart early morning and climb up on to the central ridge line of the Chyulu Hills. This takes you through rolling grass lands and skirts the central indigenous forests. Views are spectacular of the famous Tsavo National Park to the East and Mount Kilimanjaro to the West. You can expect to see eland, hartebeest, reed buck, bushbuck and klipspringer. You will arrive at Mist Forest Camp (Quentin’s camp) for a late lunch. Riding through the mist forest you will be able to see huge Strangler Figs creating cathedral-like arches, some of which you can ride under. Buffalo live in these forests and you are likely to hear leopard at night. Very chilly as you are at about 7000 feet

Day 7

Spend the morning riding back to the lodge, arriving in time for lunch. In the afternoon you can relax by the pool or siesta and overnight at Ol Donyo Wuas