Masai Mara Riding Safari

Duration
8 Days
Price
£8,710 pp.
Location
Masai Mara, Kenya
Offbeat Safaris Masai Mara

Trip Highlights

  • Exhilarating horseback safaris
  • Guided game drives
  • Close wildlife encounters

What's Included

  • Guided horseback rides
  • Game drives
  • 7 nights accommodation

The Ultimate Riding Safari

Experience the joys of getting up close and personal to the wilds of the Mara on horseback with one of the top riding outfitters

Our partners have been operating since 1990 and have a stellar reputation for providing unrivalled mobile horseback safaris amongst big game. Riding up close to elephants, lions and buffalo, or galloping with wildebeest and zebra are life-changing experiences. If you are an experienced rider, there is simply no better way to see Kenya than from the back of a well-schooled and fit horse.

The Mara never fails to deliver outstanding game viewing from horseback, all year round. Whether you ride with the wildebeest migration from July to October or avoid the masses and opt for the warm, dry months of December to March the game viewing is always spectacular.

With a traditional mobile tented safari camp that moves with us, supported by a lorry and Land Rovers, this is the epitome of what a true 'safari' is all about. Wildlife is plentiful in all the areas that we ride and your guide is highly knowledgeable and conversant with the habits and likely reactions of the wildlife.

We ride in big game country, on open plains interspersed with bush. The short grass plains are ideal for riding (although you must look out for holes) and long canters are taken. We ride for 4 – 7 hours per day with 2-hour lunch stops, and on our longest moving day, we stop for breakfast on route. Walking on foot is sometimes necessary over rough terrain.

This week-long safari offers the pure bush experience. With 4 different camp locations, you will literally ride from one side of the Masai Mara to the other, covering over 250km.


Trip Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival

This morning you will either be collected from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or, if you have arrived earlier, from your Nairobi hotel and transferred to Wilson Airport for your one-hour flight departing at 10 am to Mara Naibosho. It is a beautiful flight passing over the fertile Kikuyu highlands before reaching the Great Rift Valley.

Flying across the volcano-studded floor of the Rift you will reach the Loita Hills and Naibosho airstrip by 11 am. Your guide will meet you and there will be an hour’s drive to camp. Our Olare Lamun camp is set in a grove of acacia trees near a small stream on the southern edge of the Loita plains. Olare Lamun translates to rhino salt lick in Maa. You will have time for lunch and a camp tour before your first evening ride.

Day 2 Olare Lamun Camp

After an early morning ride we will come back to camp for a light breakfast and then set out for a game drive and walk up the nearby hill, known as Oloiburmut. We will return to camp for lunch. There will be time for a siesta and at around 4 pm, we will head out to visit the local Masai village.

Day 3 The Big Ride

Day 4 Olare Orok

Day 5 Up the escarpment

Day 6 To Mara River Camp

Day 7 Enjoy Mara North

Day 8 End of the adventure

Speak to a Africa expert today

and start planning your tailor-made holiday

Call 0203 111 1315
or

Alistair

Africa Expert

When to go to Kenya

Find out the best time to visit Kenya with our month by month guide.

  • Best
  • Good
  • Mixed
  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

January

January is a great time for wildlife viewing. The landscapes are lush and green after the 'short rains' and newborn animals can been seen. It is hot, but brief afternoon or evening showers cool things down, without compromising your safari. Over on the coast the sea is clear, making it ideal for diving and snorkelling, and the days are warm and bright.

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February

February is an ideal time to visit Kenya, and great for game viewing. The landscapes are green and thriving thanks to the short rains, and newborn animals will be hopping around the plains. There maybe a few afternoon showers which are welcome in the heat, and don't impact on wildlife viewing. Water clarify is excellent at the moment, which is good news for watersports enthusiasts. And if you want to spot a whale shark, now is the time to try.

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March

Still a good option for wildlife viewing and diving, although with the 'long rains' just around the corner, expect wetter and hotter weather.

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April

April brings the start of the 'long rains' which means game reserves and national parks become muddy and harder to drive around. Over on the coast it's hot and wet, so it isn't the best time of year to travel. Some camps and lodges close during this period.

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May

The 'long rains' continue into May, making park tracks difficult to navigate in the mud, and the coast very warm and wet. There will be less accommodation choice at this time as several lodges and camps during this period.

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June

June is a beautiful time of year to visit Kenya, with the rains receding to just light showers, and the long dry season not far ahead. The high grasses can sometimes make it more of a challenge to spot game, but the landscapes are lush and some animals may begin arriving early for the migration. At altitude nights can be cool, but elsewhere the temperature is pleasant.

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July

July marks the beginning of the great migration into the Masai Mara, and with warm and generally dry weather, this is a great time of year to visit. Days are sunny, skies are blue and there isn't too much dust around, so it's a great time for photography.

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August

The migration is now in full swing in the Masai Mara, with lots of river crossing action, so if you want to see those massive herds of wildebeest and zebra, now is the time to come. Game viewing in general is excellent and it's one of the most popular times of year to visit, so some of the main parks do become crowded. Temperatures are warm and dry.

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September

Game viewing continues to be excellent, and the weather is generally dry so this is another ideal month to visit Kenya's parks. The bush is less dense and as animals gather around waterholes and rivers it makes wildlife spotting much easier.

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October

October is a great time if you want to avoid the crowds and don't mind the temperature slowly starting to rise. There may be a few short showers, but game viewing remains excellent with the end of the migration, and it's a good time to holiday anywhere in Kenya.

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November

November heralds the start of the 'short rains' and with hotter temperatures some camps are closed. The Mara however is still open, and despite sometimes stormy skies, game viewing is still good. Fewer crowds and lower prices make this an attractive month to visit. Over on the coast water clarify is good for snorkelling and diving.

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December

The 'short rains' are bringing the landscapes back to life, and as the plains start to become green again, wildlife viewing remains good, and it's a great time for birding. Some camps are closed (mainly in the north of Kenya) but many others remain open. The showers tend to fall in the afternoons and don't impact greatly on a safari. Take advantage of reduced visitor numbers and lower prices.

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