7 Nights Okavango Delta Ride

There are no vehicles on this safari and along with supporting the local community offers a genuinely GREEN experience, making this one of the most environmentally friendly safaris in Botswana.

Recently declared the 1000th World Heritage Site – the unique Okavango Delta is a horse rider’s paradise. As the floodwaters of the Delta spread southwards the wildlife and birdlife follow offering the opportunity to watch from horseback the legendary wild herds of Africa.

This Delta Ride is unlike any other! There is no permanent riding camp. Instead a lightweight mobile camp is transported by a flotilla of mekoros (traditional dug out canoes) poled by members of the local community bordering the Delta. And when the water levels are too low for the mekoros a train of pack donkeys (with their handlers again from the local community) takes over.

The emphasis is on the experience, beauty and top level guiding!

The riding and the horses are fabulous, the wildlife is incredible and the food (cooked over a log fire) is fantastic. The camp is extremely comfortable in lightweight tents with standing room, fully made up stretcher beds, bucket showers and short drop toilets.

There are no vehicles involved and this along with working in partnership with the local community offers a genuinely “Green” experience. This is one of the most environmentally friendly safaris around.

From Maun Airport it is only a 30 minute drive to the southern end of the Okavango where the safari begins. The Delta proper is demarcated by the “buffalo fence” and here you find the horses waiting.

Your luggage will be loaded onto mekoros and transported to camp whilst you mount up and venture on horseback into the unknown!

Each location is exquisite with beautiful tree lined islands...

The feeling of exploring this water wilderness on horseback is indescribable, in particular when you come face to face with your first elephants - an experience very different to viewing them from a vehicle!

Before the sun sets you will ride into your secluded camp on a beautiful, remote island.

There is no set itinerary during your safari with the location of the camp depending on water levels, wildlife movements and the length of your safari.

The longer the safari the more likely the camp is to move. Each location the camp moves to will be exquisite as there is a plentiful choice of beautiful tree lined islands.

Spend the morning on horseback following ancient elephant trails, searching for wildlife...

A typical day will start with an early wake up call and a light breakfast around the camp fire as the dawn breaks.

Mount up and spend the morning on horseback following ancient elephant trails, searching for the large variety of wildlife, enjoying the prolific birdlife and cantering through the recently flooded plains. Herds of buffalo may be in the vicinity, giraffe may saunter by and red lechwe will splash through the water alongside you, whilst kudu peer out from the thickets.

Return to camp for lunch and siesta under the shade of the giant jackalberry or leadwood trees.

In the afternoon enjoy a gentle evening ride, appreciating the tranquillity of the Okavango, listening to the sounds of the bush and the snorting and splashing of your horses.

Dinner under the stars.

Occasionally you (and the horses) may want a rest in which case you can take a tranquil journey in a mokoro, the traditional way of traversing this wondrous water land. Or venture out on foot to look for the smaller creatures that inhabit the bush and to learn some tracking skills before enjoying another fabulous African sunset.

Note: guests need to have quite a high level of experience, confident and competent having ridden regularly for at least a year prior to the safari. We do offer a 3 night ride out of Camp Kalahari/ Jacks Camp/ San Camp where riders do not need to be as experienced and the same applies for the Thamalakane River ride.