Adventure Travel, Horseback Safaris

Top Lodges for African Horseback Safaris

Written by Julie Graham

African horseback safaris are one of the most adventurous and thrilling ways to experience the wild landscapes of Africa. The feeling of freedom while riding through the wilderness and being connected to your environment is indescribable. On horseback, you are able to interact with the great outdoors in a way you would never experience in a safari vehicle or even on foot. Being able to move at pace through wild spaces and witnessing the natural rhythms of nature from high up in the saddle is a truly unique experience.

The team at Ker & Downey Africa are all about creating one-of-a-kind quality expeditions that focus on unique experiences and untouched destinations. Our LuxVenture® trips have been designed to challenge you, connect you and allow you to leave your own personal legacy in Africa. Few trips epitomize LuxVenture® quite like a horseback safari.

We have compiled a list of some of our top lodges in Africa that offer this exhilarating and unforgettable way to experience the wild.

Ol Malo Nomad Camp, Kenya

The mobile campsite at Ol Malo Nomad Camp on an African horseback safari

Ol Malo Nomad Camp set up after a day’s safari

Ol Malo Nomad Camp is a mobile safari located in the Laikipia Plains in Kenya. This small lightweight mobile camp offers groups the unique opportunity to explore the most wild corners of the region by horseback. Helicopters and a team of camels carrying equipment will transport your camp to some of the most untouched wild spaces in Kenya.

African horseback safari at Ol Malo Nomad Camp

A horse and camel at Ol Malo Nomad Camp rest as the mobile camp is set up for the night

Helicopters and a team of camels carrying equipment will transport your camp to some of the most untouched wild spaces in Kenya.

For the more experienced horse riders, this is a unique opportunity to explore the most rugged parts of the Samburu land. This is where you let adventure take the reins.

Experience an African horseback safari at Ol Malo Nomad Camp on our 6 day Horseback Safari in Kenya.

San Camp, Botswana

The interior of a luxury canvas tent with furniture

A luxuriously appointed vintage-style tent interior at San Camp

San Camp is a throwback to early twentieth-century romance. Luxuriously appointed vintage-style canvas tents lie under desert palms, surrounded by the vast open spaces of the Nwetwe Pan in Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Step into the shoes of famed latter-day explorer Lawrence of Arabia on a four-day African horseback safari. Spend your days traversing enigmatic stark landscapes and gazing into star-filled skies by night.

Step into the shoes of famed latter-day explorer Lawrence of Arabia on a four-day horseback safari.

African horseback safari galloping through Makgadikgadi Salt Pans at San Camp

Galloping past a large herd of wildebeest on a horseback safari at San Camp

Nwetwe pan is one of the most iconic of the Makgadikgadi pans with an abundance of meerkats, red hartebeest and seasonal migrating animals. The breathtaking surroundings make for a truly unforgettable experience, and a horseback safari par excellence.

Experience a horseback safari in Makgadikgadi on our 10 day Best of Botswana Safari.

Royal Chundu Island Lodge, Zambia

A view of Royal Chundu Zambezi Island Lodge and the Zambezi River

Royal Chundu Zambezi Island Lodge on the banks of the Zambezi River

Located on Katombora Island in the mighty Zambezi River, Royal Chundu Island Lodge is the ultimate luxury riverside retreat. With only four spacious villas on the entire island, it is exclusivity and privacy at its finest. The river and magnificent surrounding wilderness can be explored in a multitude of adventurous ways, but horseback riding is in a league of its own.

A man and a woman on an African horseback safari at Royal Chundu Island Lodge

Guests of Royal Chundu Island Lodge on day safari on the banks of the Zambezi River

Whether you are a natural, or a novice, there is something for all levels of riders at Royal Chundu.

Whether you are a natural or a novice, there is something for all levels of riders at Royal Chundu. Half-day, full-day, or multi-day adventures are on offer that see horse and rider venturing deep into exquisite riverine woodlands, teak and mopane forests and high above the iconic Batoka Gorge where they can witness extraordinary views.

Experience an African horseback safari in Zambia on our 8 day Horseback Safari in Botswana and Zambia.

Eagle Island Lodge, a Belmond Safari, Botswana

A group of men and women on horses galloping through water at Belmond Eagle Island Lodge

Galloping through the floodplains of the Okavango during a horseback safari at Belmond Eagle Island Lodge

Situated on a private island in the heart of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Eagle Island Lodge is the epitome of timeless sophistication in a wild setting. Beautifully equipped luxury tents offer sweeping views of the wetlands and the wildlife that inhabit this untamed wilderness.

Beautifully equipped luxury tents offer sweeping views of the wetlands and the wildlife that inhabit this untamed wilderness.

An elephant walking past a wooden deck with water in the background at Belmond Eagle Island Lodge

A large African elephant walks past the deck of a luxury tent at Eagle Island Lodge in the Okavango Delta

Horseback safaris at Eagle Island Lodge begin at dawn with a 10-minute helicopter flight over the delta. The exhilarating expedition then takes horse and rider on an adventure through the seasonal floodplains, where they can get up close and personal with wild dog, elephant, buffalo, and hippo in their natural habitat.

African horseback safaris are a once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable and enriching experience. Get in touch with one of our LuxVenture® designers today to start planning the ultimate horseback safari in Africa today.

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