Horse riding safari in Botswana's Okavango Delta
Horse riding safari in Botswana's Okavango Delta
8 Days Starting and ending in Maun, Botswana
Visiting: Maun, Okavango Delta
Tour operator:
Tour code:
BOT-OD
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
2 - 8
Age range:
12-80
Special diets catered:
Please advise requests
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
From:
$6599
$6302
Exclusive Tourhub Members Discount: -$297
NB: Prices correct on 21-May-2024 but subject to change.
Tour Overview
We can think of no better way to explore the stunning Okavango Delta than on a horse safari. Travelling responsibly and in a sustainable manner, you’ll have a truly unforgettable experience with your local tour guide. You’ll follow ancient elephant trails searching for a variety of wildlife, cantering through the recently flooded plains.
Recently declared the 1,000th World Heritage Site, the unique Okavango Delta is a horse rider’s Eden: as the floodwaters spread down into the Kalahari sands, the herds and birdlife follow, and horseback is the perfect place from which to observe them.
This Okavango Delta safari is unlike any other. Rather than a permanent riding camp, a lightweight mobile camp is transported by a flotilla of mekoros (traditional dugout canoes) poled by members of the local community, who live on the fringes of the Delta and know it intimately.
When the water levels are too low for the mekoros to navigate, a train of pack donkeys takes over. The emphasis is on the experience, the loveliness of the Okavango delta, and top-level guiding. The riding and the horses are unsurpassed, the wildlife is astonishing and the food (cooked over a log fire) is fabulous.
Our camp is extremely comfortable in lightweight tents with standing room, fully made up stretcher beds, bucket showers and short drop loos.
More departure dates may be available - please contact us for further information.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
Location: Maun
Accommodation Name: Camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Fly into Maun from Johannesburg or Cape Town on either Air Botswana or SA Airlink (SAA). There are daily flights by both airlines.Guest will arrive at Maun and will be met by their guide or transfer driver where they will first be offered a light lunch and refreshments at the Jiko Airport Café where the guests can also change into their riding gear (so we suggest it is easily accessible out of their luggage). Once it has cooled down (approx. 3pm) the guests will be driven to the Xaraxao Buffalo Fence (approx. 35 min drive) on the edge of the Okavango Delta where the horses will tacked up and waiting. From here the guests will then take a short afternoon ride into camp. Your luggage will be loaded onto mokoros (local canoes) and transported there to meet you.
Day 2: Ride
Location: Okavango Delta
Accommodation Name: Camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
There is no set itinerary, with the location of the camp dependent on water levels, wildlife movements and the length of the safari (the longer the safari the more likely the camp is to move). However every location is exquisite, there being a plentiful choice of shady tree-lined islands. A typical day starts with an early wake-up call and a light breakfast around the camp fire as dawn breaks. The morning is spent on horseback, following ancient elephant trails, searching for a variety of wildlife, enjoying the prolific birdlife, and cantering through the recently flooded plains.
Day 3: Ride
Location: Okavango Delta
Accommodation Name: Camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Herds of buffalo may be in the vicinity, giraffes often saunter by and red lechwe splash through the water alongside, whilst kudu peer out from the thickets.
Day 4: Ride
Location: Okavango Delta
Accommodation Name: Camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
No vehicles are involved, and this, along with our working in partnership with the local community, guarantees a genuinely environmentally-friendly safari. Exploring this water wilderness on horseback is absolutely exhilarating, in particular a first encounter with elephants – an experience very different from viewing them from a vehicle. Before the sun sets we ride into a secluded camp on a beautiful, remote island.
Day 5: Ride
Location: Okavango Delta
Accommodation Name: Camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We return to camp for lunch and siesta in the dense shade of the giant jackalberry or leadwood trees. A meditative evening ride is spent listening to the sounds of the bush and the snorting and splashing of the horses, before returning to camp for dinner under the stars.
Day 6: Ride
Location: Okavango Delta
Accommodation Name: Camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Occasionally guests (and horses) may need to rest, which is the perfect opportunity for a tranquil ride in a mokoro, the traditional way of traversing the glittering, lily-lined lagoons and waterways. It is a chance too, to venture out on foot to appreciate the smaller creatures that inhabit the bush – or to learn some rudimentary tracking skills.
Day 7: Ride
Location: Okavango Delta
Accommodation Name: Camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
No two days are the same, but every day is astonishing and joyous, and it is a privilege to share this unique and untouched wilderness with you.
Day 8: Departure
Location: Maun
Accommodation Name: Camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Departure day is a slightly later start with a cooked breakfast and a leisurely ride out of camp back to the Buffalo Fence where the transfer vehicle will meet the guests and drive them back to Maun for their onward journeys. Guests can once again change out of their riding gear at the Jiko Airport Café.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Accommodation as detailed
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Airport Transfers at Destination
Yes
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Fully Guided
All rides will be led by a professional experienced guide armed with a rifle. He will be accompanied by an assistant back up guide
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Meals
Meals as detailed
What's Not Included
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Additional Services
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Insurance
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International Travel
Accommodation
Less is more! The camp on our Okavango Delta Ride is 100% mobile comprising of simple but comfortable lightweight walk-in octagonal tents. There are traditional hot bucket showers and bush loos (1 of each shared between 2 tents).
In the Flood season (July–September) the camp is transported in to and between our different campsites using amekoro flotilla of up to 15 mekoros and the Walk-in tents are used throughout the safari and comprise of standard raised stretcher beds and comfortable bedrolls with linen and towels.
During the dryer months when the main channels have dried up we operate using pack donkeys. During the DonkeySafaris the camp set up changes slightly as we need to lighten the load for the donkeys. The octagonal walk-in tents are set up at a site which is used as a “base camp” and it is from here that we will make use of a “fly camp” smaller lightweight dome tents with low stretcher beds and comfortable bedrolls with linen and towels.
The same bathroom set up applies with 1 shower and loo for 2 tents. The fly camp is usually for 3 nights or less and all other camp facilities are the same.
Check out our Q&As
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Yes, Guest will arrive into Maun and will be met by their guide or transfer driver and transfer to your camp.
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What is the maximum group size?
The max group size is 8 people.
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Do you require a visa for this holiday?
When entering Botswana each visitor is given an entry permit valid for the length of your stay.Please check before leaving your home country whether your nationality requires a visa. These are able to be purchased on arrival.
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Are flights included in this tour?
No, flights are not included.
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes, All rides will be led by a professional experienced guide armed with a rifle. He will be accompanied by an assistant back up guide.
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What is the fitness level required to do this tour?
You need to have a good level of fitness with previous experience of trekking. Extra training before your trip will ensure that you get the most out of your adventure. Areas will be remote and terrain uneven. Expect to walk for 5 – 8 hours a day, not including breaks, with some very steep ascents and descents. You will be walking at altitude (over 3000m but not higher than 5000m).
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Yes, 12 years and above can be permitted. (All children should be accompanied by their parents /guardian.)
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Is there a limit to luggage that can be brought on the tour?
There is a maximum weight limit of 95kgs (in full riding gear) for each rider.Heavier experienced riders over this limit may be accepted but at the discretion of the company and may be required to pay for a 2nd horse to alternate on for the duration of the safari.A
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 2015
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Risk Assessment
YellowWood operates a Safety Management System which encompasses a planned, researched, implemented and reviewed approach to your Health & Safety. A risk assessment is a careful examination of what could cause harm (hazards) and the assessment of likelihood of hazards occuring, as well as the severity of the outcome of a hazard.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for our latest Covid-19 policies
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Experienced Leaders
On all of our adventures you will benefit from the daily presence of an experienced, English speaking local guide. You will also have additional guides at various points during the trip (see itineraries for details).
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
As a visitor to a foreign country, we inevitably leave our mark. At YellowWood Adventures, we are determined that this ‘mark’ will be a positive one. Tourism is not always beneficial and we are conscious of treading lightly in the lands we explore.
Reviews of this operator
1 Dates & Availability
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Wednesday - Wednesday
Jan 01, 2025 - Jan 08, 2025Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
YellowWood Adventures requires a minimum deposit of 400 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of yellowwood adventures charges.
Up to 57 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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