Aardvark Safaris’ guide to mobile riding safaris in Africa
If you can ride and you’re looking for your next adventure, a mobile riding safari in Africa should be at the top of your list. The choice can feel overwhelming, and finding the right ride through your own research isn’t easy. That’s where we come in. Once we know a little more about you, your riding ability, your appetite for adventure, your preferred countries and landscapes, and everything in between (including your sundowner drink order), we can match you with the perfect ride.
Our riding expert, Lucinda, has experienced every mobile safari on this list firsthand and shares her thoughts below.
So, what exactly is a mobile riding safari?
Tanzania Horse Safaris, Tanzania
These are multi-day expeditions on horseback, traversing remote wilderness areas, sometimes covering 300km or more while camping in mobile tented camps or, in some cases, sleeping out under the stars. You’ll typically spend four to seven hours in the saddle each day, moving to a new location every day or two. It’s a personal, off-the-beaten-track experience that takes you into areas no vehicle can reach, with the freedom to follow wildlife wherever it leads.
What is the camp set up like?
Okavango Horse Safaris, Botswana
Each night your tent is set up and waiting, complete with a proper camp bed, fresh linens, and a hot bucket shower under the stars, comfort you wouldn’t expect this deep into the bush. A skilled camp chef serves up delicious meals cooked over an open campfire, and there’s always a cold drink waiting in hand the moment you dismount. Wild by day, wonderfully spoiled by evening
Where are mobile riding safaris available?
Offbeat Riding Safaris, Kenya
Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania all offer mobile riding safaris, ranging from a single night of fly camping during a lodge-based ride to an exhilarating ten-day, crossing of the Namib Desert. The destination may differ, but the magic of falling asleep to the sounds of the African bush, horses grazing quietly nearby, remains the same.
What level of rider do I need to be?
Namibia Horse Safari Company, Namibia
Most mobile rides are designed for intermediate to advanced riders. You’ll be covering significant distances across remote and often challenging terrain, so being riding-fit, balanced and confident is important, for both your and your horse’s comfort and safety. That said, non-riders are welcome on many mobile safaris, following the route on a wildlife drive instead and meeting for brunch, dinner and sundowners.
What wildlife can I expect to see?
That depends largely on where you ride:
In Botswana, Horizon’s Mashatu Tuli ride traverses dramatic, rugged terrain between three contrasting camps, with vast elephant herds often stealing the show.
Horizon Horseback Safaris, Botswana
In Kenya, both Offbeat Riding Safaris and Safaris Unlimited ride across the Masai Mara, which offers the chance to encounter the “Big Five” and other predators such as cheetah on the open plains – a truly bucket-list experience.
Offbeat Riding Safaris, Kenya
Namibia offers the longest riding safari, covering distances of up to 300km in ten days, all by horse. The vast desert landscape is home to desert-adapted wildlife, including elephant, giraffe and oryx. The Nambia Horse Safari Company rides are particularly special as you sleep out under the star studded African sky – this is the perfect end to an adrenaline filled day in the saddle.
Namibia Horse Safari Company, Namibia
In South Africa, Wait A Little’s seven-night Big 5 Ride and ten-day Ride and Dine Safari take place in a private reserve on the outskirts of the Kruger. These often fully booked rides offer a more luxurious alternative to a traditional mobile safari, riding between stunning lodges to track a different member of the Big Five each day. The one night of fly camping is often a highlight for many guests.
In Tanzania, the Serengeti Migration ride with Tanzania Horse Safaris puts you right in the heart of the wildebeest migration, during calving season (January to early April). For Lucinda, cantering among the wildebeest on the open plains and wathcing the predator action unfold was a stand out moment for her.
Tanzania Horse Safaris, Tanzania
What is the best time of year to go?
The ideal time to ride varies significantly by destination and there is always somewhere to ride, no matter what time of the year you wish to travel. We can advise on the best window for each ride based on what you most want to see and experience.
How fit do I need to be?
Riding fitness is different from general fitness. If you haven’t been in the saddle regularly, we’d recommend getting some rides in before you go – your body will thank you. We can advise on what level of preparation makes sense for each specific ride. All the mobile rides listed above are suited to intermediate and experienced riders only.
What should I pack?
Packing for a mobile riding safari requires a little more thought than a standard safari. Luggage is limited, and the right kit makes a real difference to your comfort in the saddle. We’ll provide a full kit list once you’ve chosen your ride.
Can I combine a riding safari with something else?
Santorini, Mozambique
Absolutely, and we’d encourage it. A riding safari pairs beautifully with a few days on the beach, time in Cape Town, a leisurely wander through the winelands, or a more traditional safari. Many of our clients choose to top and tail their ride with one or more of these, making the most of the journey and returning home with a trip that truly covers the best of what Africa has to offer.
What next?
Get in touch with our riding experts to start planning. We’d love to arrange a call to talk through your ideas, answer your questions and help you find the ride that’s made for you.
Sign up for our free Insider’s Guide to Africa. Our team of specialists has travelled widely throughout Africa and the Indian Ocean and can offer expert advice on planning every type of safari from family and beach holidays to riding and primate safaris. Do get in touch – chatting to people in person, by phone or email is what we do best. We listen, we explain, we answer all sorts of questions even those you didn’t know to ask, and finally we make suggestions. Whether this is your first time to Africa or your twenty first, we have a team standing by to help make the planning easy and the journey the best ever. Please get in touch whatever stage you’re at.
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