Horseback Safari
A safari on horseback is an incredible experience because it allows you to get extremely close to game. While wild animals may be nervous of human beings on foot or in a vehicle, they are more relaxed around horses because the horses disguise your smell. Traveling on horseback also allows you to explore beyond the reach of roads and offers many of the advantages of walking (such as the silence). There are many horseback safari options in Eastern and Southern Africa, offering everything from lessons and 1-2 hour rides to 10-day horseback camping adventures in the bush. Specifically, you’ll find shorter riding opportunities in Kenya and South Africa, and have excellent multi-day trip options in Kenya, Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia.
Some of our favorite properties that offer safari on horseback are Ol Donyo Lodge, Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill, Borana Lodge, Ol Pejeta Safari Cottages, and Lewa Wilderness.
Explore the breathtaking fields and mogotes of Cuba’s Vinales Valley traveling on horseback. In Ecuador, enjoy riding endless trails upon a mighty Zuleta hors at Hacienda Zuleta in the mountainous Ecuadorian highlands. Horseback riding is a staple in South America. Visit an estancia outside Buenos Aires, home of polo and the eponymous gaucho. Traverse the wild landscapes of Patagonia by horseback or the languid Lake Districts in both Chile and Argentina.
In Australia, horseback travel can be done as an outsourced activity across the country, but our favorite and most exclusive horseback riding is reserved for guests of One&Only Wolgan Valley. While exploring New Zealand, take a day trip to Dart Stables from Queenstown!
When you think of South America, gauchos on horseback safari probably pop into mind. Ride through the Andes with vineyards behind you, on an Estancia stopping for a picnic lunch or through the dramatic landscapes of Patagonia. There are plenty of opportunities to hop on horseback!
The Ecuadorian highlands are magical and often not on the radar for most trips to South America. One of our favorite ways to discover this area is traveling on horseback! We especially love riding to the condor research center at Hacienda Zuleta.
Ranching culture in Uruguay is strong, and much like American cowboys, gauchos have ascended to folk hero status. (But hey, at the end of the day, someone has to keep tabs on the country’s millions of cattle!) Saddle up with a gaucho guide—possibly on a surefooted Criollo, a breed emblematic of Uruguay—to experience the beauty of the pampas.
