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The starting point for the Tuli Safari is right over Botswana’s border with South Africa, in the extreme east of the country, on the banks of the Limpopo River. The riverbeds were dry while I was there in October, but when the Limpopo is running, guests and supplies that arrive by road are shuttled across the mighty river in a cable car. You can also arrive in the reserve by plane to the small local airstrip, most convenient and also very atmospheric to go through the easy process of customs under the open airport’s thatched roof. However you reach base camp, you will be treated with the greatest hospitality upon arrival. We were given a cool drink and had the opportunity for a meal and to speak about our riding background so that the best match could be made with our mount for the week. As it was perhaps the hottest time of the year while I was there, it seemed unappealing to dress in the layers of riding clothing, even after the cool shower I took before getting ready. All lack of ambition quickly fled, however, when I got to the barn and saw the beautiful and fit horses ready and waiting to take us out.

The horses are a variety of breed, size, age and experience, from the imposing Shire/Thoroughbreds to my more compact Boerped mount. There were also Fresian, Warmblood and Paint crosses. All have been trained extensively on the flat and are well educated in dressage and also jumping. Many compete in eventing as well as going on safari, and it is a wonderful treat to ride such responsive and well-trained horses. Before heading out on the first ride each rider has a short test run – cantering a triangular shape away from the group and back again. It’s a great opportunity to be sure you are comfortable with your horse, and I was already impressed by how happily they all did this small piece of independent work. The daily riding was somewhat challenging, perhaps especially because of the heat when I was there, but the horses’ fitness was impressive after several days of 5-6 hours of riding, complete with long and steady canters. We also had the opportunity to jump on the trail, usually small logs of the mopane trees downed by elephants. As someone who simultaneously loves to jump and is also terrified of it, it was a huge pleasure to have the opportunity to ride such fabulously educated horses that made it easy and fun. My horse, Ajax, was also rock steady around all the game and hardly even flinched at the movement of nearby elephant or the unexpected flight of a bushpig.

Hyena and Horse

And game we did see! Although it sounds like it may be an overstatement, it truly is not to say the experiences with wildlife were magical. On our first ride a seemingly endless group of elephants passed in front of us; a breathtaking introduction to what would become a common sighting. The next day we watched a cackle of hyenas near their den, neither they nor our horses apparently nervous to observe each other.

We crested a hill dotted with baboons to see zebra, giraffe, and wildebeest on the other side. Cantering through the mopane and acacia we were joined by zebra, and a lone wildebeest then continued to cavort just ahead of us. In the evening by game vehicle we found a single lioness watching an elephant at a water hole and later when darkness fell we found a family of cheetah by spot light.

We were utterly surrounded by animals in the otherwise completely empty wide open spaces dotted with mighty baobab trees and dramatic rock formations.

Given this environment replete with predators, I nevertheless always felt completely safe due to the careful professionalism of our guides and their backup team. West, the lead guide, and Tsoane, the backup guide, were both superb riders and game spotters. They were very knowledgeable of the flora and fauna of the area, and I loved learning about the pheromone defense mechanism of the mopane trees and the matriarchy of the hyenas. Soft spoken, yet with a commanding air of confidence, I would’ve felt comfortable following West anywhere, and did – by horseback, on foot and by vehicle. While they carried rifles, they told us that they had so far never had occasion to use them, but had in the past made good use of the bullwhips they also carried to threaten animals away. It was clear though that they preferred to not get into a position where such action was necessary, as they were constantly carefully evaluating our surroundings, even while the rest of us enjoyed sundowners, watching crocodiles disappear in their pool at the base of a tower of rock. At night someone from the team of grooms would always be keeping watch over the horses inside of protective electric fence, and guests were all escorted to their tents at the end of each evening.

The tents and camps were very comfortable, and you get the chance to use several and thus see different country. There is a permanent camp where we spent several nights, complete with plumbed bathrooms and a pool for total comfort. The mobile fly camps are also comfortable – set up ahead of time by the camp team, so that all you need to do is leave a zipped bag in your camp and they take care of the rest, including setting up individual drop loos and a shared bucket shower. You spend two nights too in an open air camp, within the circle of a former tribal court under the shade of a large mashatu tree. This is also home to several families of vervet monkeys, who provide endless entertainment from the branches above you.

Our camp under the stars (and trees)

The Tuli safari operates in a wonderful location, giving us riders a varied experience with African wildlife. Additionally, the superb attention to detail regarding safety, the training of their horses, and the appointment of camps made the trip truly unforgettable.

By Megan Barrett

Flying in on a helicopter it’s easy to see where the Okavango Delta begins, a startling oasis of green surrounded by stark desert. As we entered the delta from Maun, the pilot pointed out the “buffalo fence” designed to keep livestock and wildlife separated, but noted how elephants cannot be counted upon to respect the boundary.

Botswana boasts the most concentrated population of elephant anywhere in the world, and they were nearly ever-present during the safari, starting with the glimpse of them from above.

Entering the delta by helicopter

Landing at Kujwana camp, we were greeted by the camp staff who would provide consistent hospitality throughout our 10 nights (upon leaving at the end of our stay we joked how it seemed so strange to no longer be offered drink and food during all our waking hours!). Kujwana is the permanent base camp from which the Okavango Safari operates, with facilities for horses, guests and staff year round. On the edge of a river, it affords lovely views over the plains that become flooded during the water’s high season in the summer months. The camp is incredibly comfortable, with lounging spaces and a pool, a dinner and bar tent, and spacious personal tents with en suite bathrooms The camp also offers a charging station and some wifi access; affording every comfort of home and then some! We were often visited by a young bull elephant who seemed quite interested in the camp scene, and vervet monkeys who dashed about and chattered from the trees and dining tent roof. Each morning we’d be awoken at 5am with a tray of tea and coffee brought to our tents, then we watched the sun rise over the delta while eating breakfast together, so we could next mount up early enough to beat the October heat.

The horses have wonderful lives in the delta, grazing in the rich green grass and being carefully protected from predators. Many are home bred, most descending from an Saddlebred stallion who, although now retired, is still the herd leader. These “Botswana Warmbloods” are beautiful, with great size and temperaments.

The outfitter also uses Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Friesian crosses, Clydesdale crosses and local African breeds. The tack is of wonderful quality, and never have I been so comfortable riding, as I was fully pampered with a seat saver and well-fitted equipment. Morning rides followed the trails of buffalo, giraffe, and of course, elephant, and although we were there when the delta was at its lowest point, we still crossed wet areas which are home to lechwe and reedbuck antelope. I know I was not the only member of our group to be giddy with childlike joy when we took these crossings at a canter, getting a cooling splash as our horses moved like they were flying.

We’d have some breaks from riding, to both walk and for some refreshment, before returning home to camp for lunch. The food was excellent and would be followed by a long siesta of napping or relaxing in the pool. We’d be fed yet again for tea at 4pm before going out for an evening game drive with sundowners before our evening candlelit dinner and well-earned rest.

Stories and Sundowners

I had some of the most exciting moments by horseback of my life riding in the delta – elephants shaking their heads and flapping their ears at us, considering a mock charge, or even more terrifying to our horses, ground birds startling up from beneath their hooves. One morning in the path ahead I saw a feline character: “A leopard!” our guide, Rodgers, told us, and we trotted behind him as he went to get a better look. He saw that there were two, and they went off into the tall grass to our left. Knowing that a leopard is not likely to be aggressive toward a horse in the way that a lion would be, Rodgers ventured into the grass to try to flush one out and away from us so that we could get a better look.

Video from Sascha Abramson’s GoPro

We waited tensely, with reins shortened, eager to see what Rodgers would find. While he had been focusing on the leopard he had seen crest the small hill, he hadn’t realized the second was right beside his horse, laying low until he ventured right near it. Out it sprang from the tall grass, with a deep and rumbling roar as it burst towards and quickly by us. The horses had scattered, but upon hearing Rodgers telling us to look quickly, I turned in time to see the elusive form streak past. The whole group burst into adrenaline fueled laughter as Rodgers began recounting the event, telling the story that would be relived often during the rest of the trip.

Another morning we had just dismounted to walk the horses to rest them a bit when Rodgers spotted a wild dog up ahead. He excitedly bade us to all mount up again and off we went on the trail – they are infamously hard to find and seeing this group on the hunt was an exciting spot. We followed them for as long as we could, getting a good glimpse of several in an open meadow before they disappeared in the search of their own quarry. On an afternoon ride we encountered a huge herd of about 300 Cape Buffalo. They’re intimidating creatures, as they trot inquisitively toward items of interest with their huge horns hanging. We stood and observed each other for a few wonderful long moments before the herd took off, and we cantered along beside them.

We spent a long morning game drive on a futile quest to find the few rhinoceros known to be in the area. We couldn’t find anything more than their tracks until the next day on horseback when we stumbled across a mother with her calf. Off Rodgers went again, on a merry chase trotting and cantering to get a glimpse of the great ungulates.

For three nights our home was at Mokolwane Camp, a full day’s ride away, which allowed us to have a wonderful picnic lunch on the trail complete with swimming in the river on the way to and from. Mokolwane is a type of palm tree common in the area, of which you can have wonderful views from the amazing tree house tents. These tents are on platforms 10 feet of the ground, the front wall totally open to the sounds and views of the spectacular country. I watched an elephant browse right below me, and baboons calling and traveling only a few feet away. The sounds of nature were amazing here, and it was unbelievably beautiful to wake up to the sunrise seemingly right there in the tent with you.

So many aspects of this trip were so special and entirely unique:  access by helicopter to see spectacular bird and wildlife, guides who were so knowledgeable about the area, the game drives that allowed us to get great views of animals like lion, and the island like location of the camps that meant we crossed by mokoro (canoe), boat or horse, adding additional fun to the exotic experience. The camps were so fabulous that I didn’t want to leave, and the opportunities for excitement and relaxation both made this an African adventure to always treasure.

By Megan Barrett, excited watcher of hippos

Following Mel and Bayard Fox’s ride in Morocco in March, they put together the following photo slideshow. Enjoy!

Please enjoy the below photo slideshow created by Mel Fox following her Glacier Estancia ride in Chile.