FISH RIVER CANYON TO ORANGE RIVER - NAMIBIA

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This horse riding safari holiday in Namibia has a combination of dramatic canyon landscapes, spacious desert planes and the mighty Orange River. This offers both inaccessible countryside and real wilderness areas as well as fast riding without limitations. The Fish River Canyon area is internationally recognised as one of Africa's most magnificent sites and is the second largest canyon in the world. This trail crosses over three parks: Fish River Canyon Park, Gondwana Park and Aussenkehr Park, which is home to a small Namib Feral Horse population.
The riding is at all paces and this is for adventurous and fit riders with a love of nature and camping.

Trip length 2012: 11d/10n/9 days riding Ride price detailed prices price promise 2012: double pp £3,599/€4,359/$5,559 Departure dates 2012: 14 April; 30 Aug Approximate riding time per day 6 - 8 hours but some days may be even longer Riding ability required Intermediate onwards, confident at all paces, must be fit. Min age 12. Group size 5 - 12 Meeting point (getting there) 2012: WIndhoek Airport, Cape Town on request for groups Transfer Road transfers included from meeting point. This is around a 5 hour transfer. Flight guide London - Cape Town return £500 - £750 return. See below for flight info. Single supplement detailed prices No single rooms available (on some or all nights). Riders must be prepared to share. 2012: £199/€245/$309

SAMPLE ITINERARY - FISH RIVER CANYON TO ORANGE RIVER

Day 1:
You will be met at Cape Town International Airport and transferred by road north for around 5 hours to Springbok for your overnight stop. Arrive at guest house, refresh and enjoy the first meal of the holiday with your fellow riders and guides. 

Day 2:
After breakfast the group leaves Springbok and dirver an hour north to the border of Namibia. From the border it is around a 3 hour drive heading towards the Fish-River-Canyon area. The group will arrive by lunchtime at Mule Station, our overnight stop. Meet your guides and friendly crew, and after lunch meet the horses and go on a short trial ride to familiarise horses with riders. That evening at Mule Station, pack bare necessities for the next 2 nights into a small bag. Roads are inaccessible for the larger safari vehicles that meet up with us again on Day 5.

Day 3:
The morning ride follows the 4x4 track to a place called Koelkrans (cool cliff) next to the Fish River where we take the welcome opportunity for a swim. In the afternoon we ride back out of the canyon to one of the most spectacular camp sites, called Horse Shoe Camp.

Day 4:
From the edge of the canyon, down zebra paths, along rocky tributaries down to the Fish River. Ride along the river to a lunch spot at Sandy Beach, the last opportunity to swim in the Fish River. We make our way up and over the mountain on a steep track, to the unexpected oasis of Canyon Outpost in the Gaap River.

Day 5:
A long, fast exhilirating day’s ride across the black limestone plateau during the morning and then through endless savannah into an area strewn with granite boulders and dotted with charismatic Quiver trees, to arrive at Mountain Camp. Enjoy the luxury of en-suite bathrooms, beds with linen and a very special evening at Mountain Camp.

Day 6:
We visit the Main Viewpoint overlooking the Fish River Canyon before lunch, back at Mountain Camp. Winding through milk bushes across the plains to Kanebis, you will most probably spot some game along the way and enjoy the evening stories around the open campfire.

Day 7:
Ever changing scenery awaits us, a ‘Smarties box’ of geological formations and depending on rainfall, this day could deliver good game viewing. Camping against a rock wall at Fourie se Gat (a hole dug by Mr. Fourie) and enjoy an unforgettable sunset.

Day 8:
Enthusiastic riders can ride along a dirt road through granite outcrops. Alternately, travel by motor vehicle to Ais-Ais hot springs along this same road, to spend the morning relaxing in warm water while your horse runs loose to the lunch spot at Mnt. Elena. The topography unfolds into wide-open plains and the afternoon ride will cross some of the best riding plains in the world, to our camp in the dry Gamkab River.

Day 9:
Riding over endless plains we can roam freely in a vast environment, to isolated sand dunes in Aussenkehr Nature Park, then on again to a camp surrounded by stacked boulders which could only have been the work of giants.

Day 10:
The last ride. Stunning contrasts again; ride from the wide-open plains, where we could encounter the Wild Horses, into the very narrow Kings Throne canyon and on to a viewpoint, surprisingly revealing the Orange/Gariep River flanked by vineyards in an otherwise barren landscape. Another canter and some strolling through the vineyards to finally untack at Norotshama River Resort, on the banks of the Orange River.

Day 11:
Depart on a 9-hour road transfer back to Cape Town. Flights should depart Cape Town airport at around 8pm or later.

Please note:

Itinerary routes and accommodation are subject to change, due to circumstances unforseen and beyond our control.

NOTES - FISH RIVER CANYON TO ORANGE RIVER

The weight limit for this ride is 13 st/187 lb/85 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
Transfers from Cape Town; full board and lodging at homesteads and lodges and good fare while camping on the trail; scenic drive to the main lookout point at the Fish River Canyon; transfer from Norotshama Lodge via Klein Aus Vista Lodge with an excursion to the Wild Horses and transfer back to Windhoek.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Drinks at lodges and homesteads; souvenirs; tips for local guides and crew; flights, if applicable, from Rosh Pinah or Lüderitzbuch.

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