A riding safari seen through teenage eyes
My trip to Botswana can only be described in one way: life changing
After finishing my GCSEs, I had the privilege to stay at African Horseback Safari’s Macatoo Camp for five days. In this short time, the stress I had carried for all those months melted away. Seeing elephant herds strolling metres away from me and a leopard basking beneath the Okavango Delta sunset, I was completely taken out of my former exam headspace.
Vibrant sunsets reflected in the waters of the Okavango Delta
It’s hard to pick highlights from so many incredible moments, and impossible to choose a single favourite, but cantering alongside a herd of zebra (nearly in tears as I watched them pass) is a memory I keep replaying. Feeling my horse Orapa breathing beneath me, I felt part of the scene in a way I can’t fully describe. While writing my mind raced back to the hyena pup we visited almost every morning; Eddie the elephant, the notorious pony nut thief; and the wildebeest galloping through the water which eventually earnt them pride of place as my favourite animal (though I was teased for choosing one of the “ugly five”!).
Amelie’s beloved wildebeest
Having grown up around horses, it’s only natural for my main priority to be their welfare, so I was delighted to see the attention and care given by the whole team of grooms and guides. The stables have a wonderful variety of horses, I rode two Arab crosses, Nxabega, and my favourite, Orapa, a little bay gelding. Both were a joy to ride and seemed to relish the splashy canters as much as I, especially Orapa, who bunny-hopped through the water to avoid getting his face wet. I was also lucky enough to have Chief as my guide and Tseppo as the back-up rider. Their knowledge of the animals and their home was outstanding. Working together, they were able to navigate any situation whilst being our photographers and cracking jokes.
Amelie, Claire (mum) and two camera-shy horses
Cantering alongside my mum through the water with the biggest smile on my face, watching the intimate relationship between a giraffe and her calf, the memories I made will last me a lifetime. When friends and family ask me about my favourite part, I can never think of a single answer that doesn’t send me down a rabbit hole of memories because honestly, the entire five days – start to finish – was my favourite part.
Giraffe and calf seen through the ears of Orapa
What next?
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What an amazing experience you had Amelia ! I loved reading your blog . Riding along with galloping zebras – unreal ! What a wonderful way to destress from your exams & to have shared the experience with your mum. lucky girl !
Think it helps to be a confident horsewoman and definitely the best way to see the animals up close but for us we were very happy safely inside our safari jeep especially with lions about .