Description
Offbeat Riding Safaris can be entirely private and tailored exactly to your desires and specifications. In addition, Offbeat Riding Safaris have several group riding safaris departing between January and October. These cover a range of locations from the Maasai Mara in southern of Kenya to the Laikipia in the north and can also incorporate the Amboseli National Park. The rides vary in length from seven to ten days and all comprise some mobile camping while some also include a couple of nights at the 'bush' homes of Sosian or Deloraine.
Sosian is a privately-owned game ranch on the Laikipia Plateau while Deloraine is a private home on the western edge of the Great Rift Valley, 45 minutes from Lake Nakuru National Park.
The tents used on mobile safaris are spacious 10ft by 9ft tents with twin camp beds, mattresses, sheet and blankets. Towels, soap and torches are provided and there is a gas lamp and hurricane lamp in each tent. In addition, each tent has a private loo and showers are always available.
Offbeat use well-trained, quality horses that are used to the varied terrain as well as the wildlife, including big game, that you are likely to encounter. Their guides are very experienced to ensure a safe and highly enjoyable ride. Guests should be comfortable at all paces and be able to gallop out of trouble. You can expect to spend between four and six hours in the saddle each day with a generous break for lunch. Set departures take a minimum of four and a maximum of 12 riders.
Accommodation
The accommodation during your Offbeat Riding Safari will combine a mobile tented camp for some of the nights together with some nights staying in the private houses of Sosian or Deloraine. Each safari can be tailored to suit the guests requirements.
Childcare
The Offbeat riding safaris are not suitable for children due to the fast nature of the activity posing a potential hazard to their safety.
Facilities
Horses, camping equipment and tack are all provided, but we recommend that you bring your own riding helmet and boots. All the safaris are lead by experienced guides who will adapt to the needs of each guest.
Activities
The main activity on Offbeat Riding Safaris is game viewing from horseback. The rides can be fast, so we only recommend Offbeat Horseback Safaris for very experienced riders. There are also opportunities to do some game walks if required.
Services
All the safaris are lead by experienced guides who will adapt to the needs of each guest.
When to travel
Offbeat Riding Safaris don't take place in April, May or November. The tourist season is in January and February, when the weather is hottest and driest. At this time, the animals in the wildlife parks tend to congregate more around the watercourses, making them easier to spot.
Northern and eastern Kenya temperatures vary from highs of up to 40°C during the day to less than 20°C at night. Rainfall in this area is sparse and, when it does occur, is often in the form of violent storms. July is usually the driest month, and November the wettest.
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Best time to visit
Good time to visit
Average time to visit
Not applicable
Location and directions
Laikipia and Northern Kenya, Kenya
Offbeat Riding Safaris cover a range of locations from the Maasai Mara in the south of Kenya to Laikipia in the north and can also incorporate Amboseli National Park.
How to get there
8.5hr international flight. You will be collected from your Nairobi hotel or directly from the airport in the morning and transferred to Wilson Airport for a flight to Siana Springs, in the Maasai Mara. It is a beautiful flight passing over the fertile Kikuyu Highlands before reaching the Great Rift Valley. You fly across the volcano studded floor of the Rift before reaching the Loita Hills and Siana Springs Airstrip. You will be met by your guide and there will be an hour’s drive to camp.
