Covering 17,000 km sq, the Okavango is the largest inland delta in the world, a mix of labyrinth trails, palm fringed islands and fertile floodplains. Trapped in the parched sands of the Kalahari desert, it is a magnet for the wildlife who depend on the delta's life giving waters. More than 400 species of resident and migrant birds, lions, elephant, hyenas, wild dog, buffalo, hippo and crocodiles congregate with a variety of antelope and smaller animals - warthog, mongoose, genets, monkeys and bush babies to name a few. To protect this unique environment the Botswanan government has adopted a policy of minimal infrastructure and limited numbers of visitors. With no roads and lots of water, horses are the ideal way of getting around.
The main attraction of a horse safari is the joy of riding good horses over superb country, with just about every landscape dotted with game. The riding is varied, sometimes quietly walking, stalking big game and admiring the bird life, sometimes cantering through the water-meadows alongside galloping giraffe and lechwe. Permanent water and seasonal floods create large plains made for galloping on!
For non riders there is plenty to enjoy: Fishing, mokoro (dugout canoe) rides, walking and game drives are all possible here.
Macatoo Camp is situated on the western side of the Okavango Delta where founder Sarah Jane has created an oasis of luxury in the wilderness. The camp features large, walk-in, twin bedded tents, each with their own en-suite shower and toilet. There is coffee in bed in the mornings and a swimming pool to relax by.
This horse riding holiday is one of our premier rides with exceptional service levels and more than a hint of luxury.
Trip length
Recommended 5 / 7 or 10 nights safaris. Shorter stays available, minimum 3 nights. Join Lucinda Green 24 June and Mark Todd 25 November
No supplement if willing to share. Otherwise:
2012 low season: £195/€235/$299
2012 mid season: £219/€265/$335
2012 peak season: £245/€295/$375
SAMPLE ITINERARY - OKAVANGO DELTA - MACATOO CAMP
After a short game-viewing air-adventure in a Cessna 206, you will be greeted by your guide and whisked off to base camp where the Macatoo Mamas sing their traditional songs of welcome. After a refreshing drink you will be shown to your secluded and very luxurious tents, complete with toilet and washing facilities. Your private verandah overlooks a seasonal floodplain, home to baboon, hyena and elephant. Drinks are on tap, cake and biscuits are there for the taking and we trust you will already feel relaxed and at home.
As well as the horses there are 4x4s are used for night drives, spotting the nocturnal species and for close up photography of kills and predators and, when the water levels permit, you will also go out in boats to put another perspective on the game.
The safari team is inspired each day by the beautiful surroundings to provide the best safari experience possible for the guests. They are enormously privileged to have a huge unspoilt wilderness in which to run the safaris. The Okavango Delta is an intriguing phenomena, with ever changing landscapes due to the seasonal flood waters coming through from Angola. The movement of the game, the dramatic seasonal changes in the flora and the varying interests of the guests ensures that no two safaris are the same, each one is unique.
Day 1 On arrival in Maun, you are met and transferred by plane and a game drive to camp which overlooks a seasonal flood plain lagoon. After lunch under the trees, there is usually time for a rest before the evening ride where you can get to know your horse. Return to a hot shower and candle-lit dinner.
Day 2
Wake up with a cup of tea or coffee in bed, followed by a light breakfast with homemade toast and muesli, then a ride out from camp to stretch your legs and explore. Depending on the season this may involve some galloping, (or even swimming) through the flood waters or pushing-on through seas of tall grass following giraffe, zebra, antelope, elephant, buffalo; whatever's out there. Back to camp for another brilliant lunch outside with the guides, if you're lucky it might be the famous chicken pie, and there's usually some wine to encourage a little nap before tea. The evening ride is deliberately slower-paced for safety reasons and it's a good opportunity to ask questions and take photographs. Leopard sightings are not infrequent, the bird-life is some of the best in the world and towards sunset there is often elephant or hippo interaction to enjoy. A sundowner gin and tonic can be enjoyed out in the bush before riding back to camp to freshen up. There's no guarantee that dinner is always eaten in the same place...
Day 3 Wake up as normal with freshly-brewed coffee or tea and depending on your whim, either ride out again (perhaps to find the rare semi-aquatic antelope, the red lechwe), or join a guided walks, game drive or perhaps a spot of fishing for bream from the boat. The riders and non-riders can meet up for a delicious champagne breakfast under one of the large baobab trees. After lunch take the opportunity to relax and either swim in the pool or sort out your digital photos. Homemade tea and cake is followed by the sunset ride, exploring the lower flood plains where elephant often gather at a pool. As dusk closes in, it is fascinating to watch them interact in the wild, and being on horseback brings you that much closer.
Day 4
You ride through different country, making our way through clouds of bushman hair grass to plains dotted with fig trees where you may encounter giraffe or shyer antelope while passing through mophane woodlands. The pace increases as you break out onto the flood plains, often disturbing troops of baboons. Return to camp for an afternoon of leisure, or the possibility of hiring a helicopter for an hour to gain access to remote and otherwise totally inaccessible parts of the delta with spectacular photographic results. Finish off the day with a spot-lit night drive.
Day 5
This morning you ride deeper into the heart of the delta, without returning to Macatoo. After six hours in the saddle, on reaching another river system, you will find your fly camp already set up - your home for the night. While the horses take a well-earned rest in the shade, your afternoon may be spent swimming or walking. Fires are lit at night, creating a strong human presence to keep marauding animals away from the horses. Night watches are fun and guests usually join in. To camp out so freely in the Okavango bush like this is a wonderful experience and one that few people experience. Fly camp is basic but very beautiful as you can see from the photos and, of course, your hosts will do their best to provide excellent food, a comfy bed and hot water for the bucket showers after a long day's riding.
Day 6
Having helped to keep watch under the stars, the next morning you splash through water on the vast open plains, home to blue wildebeest and Burchell's zebra. The riding may be fast as you approach deep reedy areas full of bird life open-billed storks, squawker herons, slatey egrets, cattle egrets, pygmy Egyptian geese and many more. After our night at fly camp, you return to Macatoo along the myriad of waterways lined with large trees.
Day 7 Your last full day's riding in this magical place takes you cantering through the shallow flood plains, admiring the deeper pools of lilies. Here, the Cape buffalo can gather in large numbers (anything between a dozen and 2000 individuals) and you will have to creep up on them using the islands as cover. The evening offers a last quiet ride with memorable smells of wild sage and the warm African dust as the sun goes down on your chilled Savannah Dry or Sauvignon Blanc. Your farewell dinner will be a memorable one with another surprise location in store.
Day 8
Sadly, it's time for your last wake-up. For your final ride, you will go along some of the high palm islands which offer great sweeping views of the Delta plains. Maybe take a final exhilarating gallop and run with the game before returning to camp, lunch and perhaps a few tears as you say goodbye to your favourite horse and you are sent off on your next adventure.
Please note: This itinerary only serves as a guide; all scenarios are dependent on the season and levels of the Okavango flood. At times it may not be possible to go on fly camps and during cooler months one longer ride may replace the normal morning and evening rides. Local weather conditions may also affect game movements.
NOTES - OKAVANGO DELTA - MACATOO CAMP
The base camp at Macatoo runs on solar lights with a generator during the day to charge everything, however there is no electricity in the tents at night. For this reason you are strongly recommended to bring a torch with batteries. The tents are mosquito proof and during the winter months of June to late August there are very few mosquitoes around. The mornings in the month of August can be quite chilly so it is advised that you take a light weight waterproof riding jacket and maybe one pair of long rubber and one pair of short boots. Itineraries are subject to change on this horse riding holiday and are dependent on the amount of water laying and where the game is. You will certainly be going to the fly camp for two of the nights on 7 day or longer itineraries in the dry season (not November to February) and the rest of the time based at the main camp in the western Okavango Delta. Drinks are included in the daily rate and tips are welcome in any currency.
The single supplement is only payable if riders are not willing to share, otherwise it is 50%. Charter flights if travelling alone may incur 50% but please enquire if applicable.
WHEN TO COME
We are always being asked "When is the best time to come?". As this is such a complicated issue with many variables such as weather, water levels and game we have listed below some guidelines to help you decide what suits you best!
March / April
Weather: Warm / hot during the day - pleasantly warm at night. Small possibility of rain. Bush is green and lush - grass tall and green. Temperature Day: 25°-35°C Night: 10°-20°C Water: Plenty of rain pools left over from the rainy season - but the floodwater is unlikely to be within riding distance of the camp. Game: Because of the rain and water holes, the game is dispersed all over the country - so not concentrated in herds yet. Possible still to see the plains game: Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala etc. as well as Elephant, maybe Buffalo and big Cats.
May
Weather: Cooler at night, but still pleasantly warm during the day. Very unlikely to rain. Bush still green but grass getting shorter. Temperature Day: 20°-30°C Night: 5°-10°C Water: The Okavango annual floodwaters normally arrive in May or June - so are within riding distance for a couple of weeks before they actually reach camp. The floodwaters bring long shallow water canters on the flood plains and deeper channels to cross. As water levels rise, motorboat replaces vehicle game drives and mekoros are also in use into November. Game: When the water arrives initially the bird life is great as they feed off the shallow water areas. Game comes to drink from the water, with the Buffalo and Lechwe moving in as the water levels increase. However, there is a lot of water - so much of the game is still dispersed.
June / July / August
Weather: This is the winter and can be chilly / cold in the early morning and evenings - warm in the middle of the day. Bush: getting drier except around the edges of the islands where the green shoots start to come through. Temperature Day: 20°-25°C Night: 3°-5°C Water: The water is at its highest levels, so plenty around to ride through and go boating on either in the motor boat or mokoro (canoe). Game Large herds of Lechwe forming in the wetlands and perhaps Hippo and Crocodile in the area. Good potential for Buffalo sightings with Impala, Tsessebe, Kudu etc. moving inland on islands.
September / October Weather: Winter is over and it gets progressively hotter building up to the first rains, which clear the hazy days and the skies are big and beautiful. Trees come into flower and then leaves go green and fruits grow. Evenings are warm and the plunge pool gets a lot of use! Bush is dry and grass short. Temperature Day: 30-45°C Night: 15°-25°C Water: The floodwater normally stays around the camp area until October - but this, of course, depends on how big the flood was to start with. As the flood plain water recedes, drinking pools of water remain - hopefully until the next rains come! Game: The game now tends to concentrate as the water sources lessen - often big herds of Buffalo, Elephant and with shorter grass more plains game can be seen. More likely to see wild dog as well as the cats who favour dry savannah such as Cheetahs. Young Giraffe and Lechwe, Hyenas more evident cooling off in the pools.
November / December / January / February
Weather: The rainy season is any time from November - but impossible to say exactly when and how much. Normally the rain comes for an hour or so every day and then often goes away for a week or more before it rains again. It is warm to sticky hot before the rain and cooler after each rain. Bush turns green with the rains and many of the trees and flowers come into bloom while the sunsets become increasingly dramatic. Temperature Day: 30°-40°C Night: 15°-20°C Water Depending on the flood level, there will be some water around with the rain topping up the pools. Game Very good until the first rain when it disperses again - the young Antelope are born at this time and are very entertaining to watch.
The weight limit for this ride is 15 st/209 lb/95 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.
FURTHER DETAILS
As we are specialists in our field we have extensive knowledge of all our products from details of accommodation and meals to number/size/type of horses to pace of riding ... and much more.
Should you wish to receive further details of this ride please click here.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
All accommodation is in private classic style tented camps, all meals, snacks, tea and coffee, all drinks (reasonable amount), daily laundry and ironing and all safari activities including riding, guiding and 4WD backup.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Visas, travel and medical insurance, transport to and from home to Maun and Maun to camp airstrip, personal items, airport taxes, gratuities and purchases from the 'Bush Boutique'.
Why not spoil yourself with a few days on a tropical beach after your safari? We recommend one of our Mozambiquan Beach Extensions as an ideal way to round off a safari.
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Reading List
We're avid readers here at Unicorn Trails and have selected several books connected to this ride. If you're interested in reading more about the area before you travel, or want to get into the cultural background, here are some suggestions that may inspire you. Click on the links for more information.
What you see on our web site is exactly how much your invoice will come to and this will not change once booked. Unlike some other companies the prices on our web site are fully inclusive of often hidden extras such as: VAT, Sales Tax, state taxes, city taxes, service charges, non-optional tips, fuel surcharges which can add 20% or more to the advertised cost. Prices are available in £ sterling, Euros and US$. Once invoiced, prices are guaranteed against adverse currency fluctuations. Contact us for package prices which include flights from the UK and see each ride for exact details of all items in individual itineraries.
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