Offbeat riding safaris, Kenya

Wild and Exotic sample itinerary for the Offbeat Safaris Laikipia or Northern Ride

Day 1: You will be collected either from Jomo Kenyatta Airport or your Nairobi hotel and driven across the famous Rift Valley to Deloraine, a fabulous colonial mansion built by Lord Francis Scott a prominent settler and politician in Kenya, and now the headquarters of your hosts, Tristan and Lucinda Voorspuy.  You will arrive in time for lunch, with a choice of walking, riding, swimming, tennis and croquet available afterwards - or you may prefer to unwind besides the pool with a cold drink. Dinner and overnight Deloraine.

Day 2: Enjoy an early morning ride into the hills behind Deloraine, and then visit Lake Nakuru or Bogoria with a picnic lunch. The journey to Nakuru takes less than an hour, and is broken by a visit to the market place where there is the chance to bargain for souvenirs, or just watch the bustle of this busy African town. Nakuru is famous for its healthy flamingo population, as well as an abundance of other game including black and white rhino, leopard and buffalo. You will return to Deloraine for a three-course dinner in the evening. 

Day 3: Drive from Deloraine, via Nakuru, Thompson Falls and Rumuruti to Sosian Ranch. This is a fascinating journey through African villages, farmland and bush. The delightful and secluded campsite besides the Ewaso Narok River is reached in time for a late lunch, after which there is an opportunity to enjoy an afternoon ride or game drive before dinner. Sosian is a stunning wilderness property recently purchased by a consortium of friends, including the owners of Offbeat Safaris. Although there is a small herd of breeding cattle, camel and sheep on the ranch, most of Sosian's 24,000  acres are given over to indigenous wildlife including healthy populations of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion and leopard. Overnight Sosian. 

Day 4: Today you will be woken at dawn for a magical ride across Sosian ranch, and possible encounters with elephant, buffalo and other game. Return to campsite for a delicious breakfast of fresh fruit, porridge and cream followed by a bacon, sausages and eggs. Afterwards head out in a specially adapted land rover for further game viewing, and the opportunity to get even closer to the big herds of elephant that populate this beautiful ranch. Lunch today is a leisurely affair, taken on your return to campsite during which the wine flows freely, and discussions centre on the morning's adventures. Following an afternoon siesta, enjoy sundowners besides the Ewaso Narok River a few miles downstream from campsite. Here the waters plunge dramatically off the edge of an escarpment into a deep pool to create a delightful swimming spot - the adventurous can leap off the rocks into the cool waters some thirty feet below. Nocturnal game can be picked out by spotlight en route to dinner back at campsite. Overnight Sosian campsite. 

Day 5: Today is a moving day, and you leave camp after breakfast for the five hour ride to Loisaba, although frequent detours may be necessary in order to avoid disturbing herds of big game that favour the dense scrub through which you pass. Lunch is taken under the shady veranda at Il Penguin ranch, the charming home of Nick and Heather Day, before riding on across Loisaba ranch and arriving at a delightful campsite set up beneath a stand of tall yellow fever trees. The nearby dam is a favoured place for lions to congregate, especially in the dry season when the surrounding environs are much favoured by other game needing access to water. After dinner explore Loisaba by spotlight from the safety of a land rover, and watch nocturnal animals such as the African wildcat, striped hyena and aardwolf. Overnight Loisaba campsite. 

Day 6: Today is spent exploring some of Loisaba's sixty thousand acres of wilderness, beginning with an exciting early morning ride before the temperatures heat up, and game has not yet settled down into thicker scrub for the day. Expect to find elegant reticulated giraffe, distinguished by the clean white lines that separate their rich chestnut markings, rare Grevy's zebra with bulb-like ears, and perhaps a lithe cheetah bitch accompanied by her cubs, as well as impala, Thompson's and Grant's gazelle, kudu, Oryx and other plains game. After a couple of hours return for the usual substantial breakfast, and then depart by land rover for the Ewaso Ngiro River, where your guide will select a suitable place for swimming and a late barbeque lunch. As succulent lamb chops are prepared over the fire, enjoy a refreshing dip in the swirling waters, and then relax with an ice cold cocktail before sitting down to a magnificent lunch of meat, salads and quiches. On the way home search for game from the comfort of your land rover, and perhaps enjoy an encounter with one of Loisaba's resident lion prides. Overnight Loisaba Campsite. 

Day 7: Today you ride to the next campsite on Mpala ranch, owned by George Small, who has bequeathed the property to the Smithsonian Institute in perpetuity. This is a long journey of some forty miles through a richly varied landscape of hidden green valleys, sweeping escarpments, wide-open planes and thick scrubland where the cruel wait-a-bit thorn lies in ambush to tear and pluck at the unwary. After riding for an hour or so, breast the summit of a small rise and look out over miles of untouched wilderness to the twin peaks of your destination - the Mpala campsite - shimmering in the heat haze way out on the sunlit plains that stretch interminably ahead. On a clear day it may be possible to make out the silhouette of Mt Kenya peering through the clouds that roll in to cloak the mountain each dawn. Before reaching the Ewaso Narok River where you break for lunch and a welcome swim, you must first dismount from your horse and lead it down the steep Ewaso Narok escarpment on foot. When weaving through the thick thorn country beyond, expect to see huge flocks of vulturine guinea fowl taking to the wing in a shower of iridescent finery, or perhaps the shy gerenuk antelope - it stands on its hind feet to browse - or a Kudu bull disturbed from a secluded waterhole. By late afternoon you reach the charming Mpala campsite and discover tents set up besides the river on a level plain dotted with mature fever trees. Enjoy a well-earned cold drink or two before sitting down to dinner served beneath the stars. Overnight Mpala Campsite. 

Day 8: This morning you leave after breakfast for a gentle five-hour ride to El Karama ranch, home of the Grant family. After weaving southwards through miles of whistling thorn and traversing part of the Segera ranch, you breast the lip of the gorgeous Suguroi lugga, a hidden valley frequently favoured by large and varied herds of game. You may have to follow your guide carefully as he circumnavigates herds of potentially dangerous cow elephants and their young, sometimes passing within metres of these ill tempered grey giants and their huge fanning ears testing the wind for noise. El Karama is reached early in the afternoon, and the Ewaso Ngiro flowing through camp provides a refreshing dip before lunch. After a siesta embark on a game drive in the cool of dusk, returning to the roaring fire of campsite in the dark. Overnight El Karama.

Day 9: This morning you set off after breakfast for the final campsite in the Loldaiga Hills, a five-hour ride eastwards across Ol Jogi, Mogwooni and Enasoit Ranches. As the ride moves into higher ground the landscape undergoes a subtle change to include magnificent cedar trees in the foothills and the paths become steeper and rockier as you climb into the mountains, until eventually the horses are picking their way up a precipitous elephant track that clings to the contours of a dramatic gorge. Lunch is taken besides a waterhole at the head of this steep valley, and from there it is an easy ride to the final campsite in the Loldaiga hills. Here the tents are pitched around on the grassy floor of a small valley surrounded by cedar forest, with peerless views across the plains to the jagged, snow capped peaks of Mount Kenya - now tantalisingly close, although the mountain was barely discernible from the safari's starting point a week earlier on Sosian ranch. Overnight Loldaiga. 

Day 10: The morning is spent exploring the lovely Loldaiga hills by land rover with game sightings that may include the rare Jackson's Hartebeest, as well as the usual elephant, giraffe, zebra and other plains game. After breakfast the energetic may choose to climb to the top of a steep rocky kopi and gaze out across the plains towards where the safari began, before returning to campsite for lunch and then a final ride before night draws in and guests gather around the warm campfire, which dispels the chill mountain air.  

Day 11: Say goodbye to this beautiful campsite and set off to Nairobi after a leisurely breakfast. 

Notes:

The cost of this itinerary is based on two people sharing accommodation on a full board basis for 10 days and is inclusive of all internal transfers.

Laikipia is a unique wildlife area and contains an enormous diversity of wildlife. It is famous as the last reserve of the Jackson's Hartebeest and is home of several rare species such as the Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Grevy's Zebra, Gerenuk and Somali Ostrich amongst others.  In recent years landowners have turned their back on cattle ranching in favour of wildlife conservation, and even large predators such as lion and hyena are more abundant now than they were 25 years ago. 

Please note that whilst the sample itinerary provides an accurate description of what you can expect to experience, campsites and itineraries are deliberately flexible in order to maximise game viewing opportunities according to the seasons and movements of game through the Laikipia region.

Neither Wild and Exotic nor the operators or suppliers can accept any responsibility for changes to itineraries or dates that may arise due to weather or unforeseen circumstances such as changes, disruptions or delays to airline flights for whatever reason. This holiday is subject to Wild and Exotic's terms and conditions, a copy of which will be enclosed with your booking form.

Wild and Exotic sample itinerary for the Offbeat Safaris Amboseli ride

This ride begins close to the border town of Namanga, and crosses through Amboseli national park en route to the Chyulu Hills away to the east, with Africa's highest mountain, the snow capped Kilimanjaro, as a constant backdrop to your adventures. The distance in a straight line is some 90 miles, however you will cover a much greater distance exploring the bush.

Day 1: You will be collected from Nairobi international airport and driven to the first campsite at Lalahroi - meaning swamp of the buffaloes - near Namanga, stopping en route for a picnic lunch, there should be time for an evening ride before dinner. Overnight Namanga.

Day 2: Today you begin the ride towards Amboseli, heading eastwards parallel to the Tanzanian border. You are likely to see game such as giraffe, zebra, eland, gerenuk, a glimpse of a lesser kudu, impala, wildebeest, Grants and Thompson's Gazelle on your way to the Ngorambuni rocks, where a huge boulder on top of a rocky kopje provides a cool and shaded picnic spot with panoramic views towards Amboseli. After lunch you ride across the dried up lakebed to a campsite at Soit Nado (red rocks), where your tents are pitched beneath a grove of lovely fever trees, some 200 yards from the Tanzanian border, and home for the next three nights. Overnight Soit Nado camp.

Day 3: From this base you are able to ride and drive out from camp in any direction, exploring the defunct Meerschaum mines, the extraordinary landscape of Lake Amboseli Lake, and the surrounding marshes. These provide shelter to thousands of head of game, including large herds of buffalo and the famed herds of Amboseli elephant who spend hours of their day like dinosaurs in the swamp before wandering out onto the desert like features of the lake bed with its shimmering mirage of heat haze. Overnight Soit Nado camp.

Day 4: Another morning exploring the area on horseback, perhaps crossing the border to explore the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro.  We will take a day drive into Amboseli with a barbeque lunch, so will be able to get some close up shots of big game from the landrovers. Approaching large and peaceable bull elephant of 70 lb+ tusk size per side by horse and landrover is one of the more exciting prospects from the Soit Nado area. Overnight Soit Nado camp.

Day 5: Today we move camp from Soit Nado heading northeast across the National Park, skirting the green swamps and passing large amounts of game as you canter across the lake bed, which provides near perfect going for horses without any of the dreaded aardvark holes to trap the unwary. You will break for lunch on the far side of the lake bed, and a welcome siesta beneath the shade of an acacia before riding a further 10 miles to camp at Risa, on the plains between Amboseli and the Chyulu Hills.

Day 6: The ride continues towards the Chyulu Hills, which rise from the plains to a height of 7000ft. These hills are recent volcanoes only 500,000 years old and some of the craters and lava flows are only 200 years old. This evening you will camp at the foot of a small hill, amongst beautiful groves of Balanites and Acacia Tortilis trees with craters rearing up at intervals as if the ride were passing through some kind of magical theme park. Overnight Millennium campsite.

Days 7 and 8:  We will spend two full days at the Millennium camp from where  we will do an early morning stalk accompanied by game scouts, to find fresh signs of the small but closely guarded black rhino population that live in the Lava flows of the Chyulus.  We shall also do some game drives and take an energetic walk up Ol Donyo Sambu, one of the conical craters found towards the western end of the range.  There will also of course be the opportunity for some early morning and evening rides in this stunning scenery with soft volcanic ash as great going for the horses. Overnight Millennium campsite.

Day 9: After breakfast you will fly direct to Deloraine for your final two nights in Africa. Deloraine is a fabulous colonial mansion built by Lord Francis Scott, a prominent settler and politician in Kenya, and now the headquarters of your hosts, Tristan and Lucinda Voorspuy. Here you can choose between walking, riding, swimming, tennis or croquet - or relaxing besides the swimming pool with a cold drink. Dinner and overnight Deloraine.

Day 10: Enjoy an early morning ride into the hills behind Deloraine, and then visit Lake Nakuru or Bogoria with a picnic lunch. The journey to Nakuru takes less than an hour, and is broken by a visit to the market place where there is the chance to bargain for souvenirs, or just watch the bustle of this busy African town. Nakuru is famous for its healthy flamingo population, as well as an abundance of other game including black and white rhino, leopard and buffalo. You will return to Deloraine for a three-course dinner in the evening.

Day 11: After an early last ride and breakfast we can relax in the comfortable surroundings of Deloraine, enjoy the swimming pool, gardens and attendant sports. We will leave for Nairobi after lunch by the pool by vehicle for an approx 3 hours drive on reasonable tarmac road. Arriving in time for your onward transfers as necessary.

Notes:

The cost includes shared accommodation, food and drink (excluding champagne), internal transfers as mentioned in the itinerary and park fees.

The cost excludes international flights, staff tips, single supplements and visa fees. As ATOL license holders (no. 6445) we can arrange your international flights to Nairobi.

The single supplement  charge will be waived for those prepared to share accommodation.

Please note that whilst the sample itinerary provides an accurate description of what you can expect to experience, campsites and itineraries are deliberately flexible in order to maximize game viewing opportunities according to the seasons and movements of game.

Neither Wild and Exotic nor the operators or suppliers can accept any responsibility for changes to itineraries or dates that may arise due to weather or unforeseen circumstances such as changes, disruptions or delays to airline flights for whatever reason. This holiday is subject to Wild and Exotic's terms and conditions, a copy of which will be enclosed with your booking form.