Highlights
Quick facts
- Horseback Safaris
- 6 days/5 nights
- Intermediate to experienced
- Groups up to 8
- 4 - 5 hours/day in the saddle
- Maun
At a glance
On the Kalahari Ride you can explore this wild, unspoilt area in the same way many of the earliest explorers, hunters and missionaries did: on horseback! The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, located in the middle of the Kalahari Desert, is one of the largest salt flats in the world. It’s a place like nowhere on earth with a landscape of space and remoteness, and the spectacular of otherworldly vistas and unique desert wildlife.
The exact itinerary varies between the wet and the dry season. You’ll enjoy superb riding with incredible scenery, abundant wildlife encounters (incl. ostrich, zebra, kudu, wildebeest, springbok and the elusive brown hyena), excellent guiding and one of the best natural riding ground for the horses. Additionally this ride offers some exciting other activities to supplement the riding.
Thanks to a habituation programme by Uncharted Africa, you’ll have the chance to meet some of the Kahalari’s most fascinating inhabitants, the meerkats, from up close. Also in cooperation with Uncharted Africa, a cultural visit to the Kalahari Bushmen is organised for you. Offering a window into the past, the Bushmen teach us how they have survived in this harshest of environments, using their vast and ancient knowledge of plants, animal behaviour and survival skills. Other activities include a bush walk and a game drive by vehicle.
More information
Three nights are spent at Camp Kalahari, a very comfortable camp nestled amongst the acacias and Mokolwane palms of Brown Hyaena Island, on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. You’ll find a living and dining area featuring an eclectic mix of original African furniture and textiles paired with traditional campaign style pieces and colonial antiques that provide the perfect area in which to relax and enjoy the serenity of this enchanting area. Cool off in the swimming pool or enjoy a siesta in the thatched pavilion.
The two other nights you’ll camp out on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, sleeping in either a tent at the Xau Xai Fly Camp or on bedrolls under the silence of a star-studded sky! The green season itinerary does not include a sleep-out on the salt pans, as they are full of water, but has two nights at the Xau Xai Fly Camp.
There are a few five-night Kalahari Ride set departure dates throughout the year for a minimum of two participants and a maximum of eight participants. Other dates for three nights or more are available on request (no minimum number).
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