Glamping With Giraffes: My African Safari on Horseback

The elephant charges straight for us. I’m on horseback—my mind blanks, time freezes. A trumpet blasts, impossibly loud. The bull is sounding the alarm; intruders are afoot, and we are them.

In a split second, my horse spins and gallops full speed in the opposite direction. Angry African elephants are hot on our trail. The thunder of hooves pounding, the crack of bull whips, the yelling in the distance… It’s pure chaos.

Later on, our guides will tell us we survived something that “almost never happens.”

Part of the Herd

It’s December, and I’ve traveled to Africa and joined up with a group of three other equestrians. A British polo player, a French dressage rider, a German jumper. Then there’s me, an American who’s done everything from show jumping to herding cattle.

The safari, dubbed “The African Explorer,” begins with glamping in the lush wilds of South Africa, then moves on for more glamping and safari in the dry bush of Botswana. I’ll be going where there are no roads. I’ll stay in tents without electricity and be so far off the grid, the Apple AirTag I’m wearing won’t register with family back home.

Champagne and cold towels as we dismount.

On a traditional safari, you ride in a Land Cruiser or modified Jeep and you’re restricted to roads cut into the bush. On horseback, you’re afforded the ultimate freedom… to explore off the beaten path among the animals. There’s a tree in your way? Circle back and jump it. A rocky hill between the ground and the sky? A horse can scale what a truck can’t.

We’ll have the same horses throughout our time in South Africa. I’ve been paired up with Chase, a hearty and wise Boerperd, a breed native to the country.

An equestrian safari provides another unexpected angle: Animals in the wild see horses as bigger zebras without stripes. You’re not a foreigner; you’re part of the herd.

South Africa: Sundowners and Starry Nights

Horizon Horseback can create a glamping experience; as luxurious as you can get in the middle of the bush. As the evening light wanes, our horses trek up to a lookout worthy of The Lion King, where a leather-bound trunk filled with sundowners is waiting. There’s even ice. The German jumper mixes gin and tonics, while the British polo player cracks open a beer. We’re horse girls in the African frontier, but we can still be fancy.

South Africa’s Waterberg region is green and lush.

Late in the afternoons of each day, we ride back to main camp with long easy canters and periodic trots, greeted with champagne and cold towels as we dismount.

We have time to shower at our tents each evening and there are always cocktails before dinner. The dining tent is a cream canvas canopy on teak, with luxurious rugs, leather loungers, mahogany dining table, and fully-stocked bar. The table is set with china and silver on cloth napkins, for even the simplest meals. Before and after our rides, we’re treated to elaborate dishes with fresh baked biscuits and fruit with shortbread. The swimming hole is the view as we dine, a crystal-blue free-form pool surrounded by natural stone. The highlands beyond stretch farther than the eye can see.

My tent is set apart from the rest, across a rocky path and down a narrow winding boardwalk. The fully-furnished tents are on hard African wood platforms and have an Out of Africa vibe, offering a full private ensuite with platform beds and mosquito netting with crisp white linens.

With no light pollution in the bush, the starry nights of Africa are serene and magical. I wake to the sounds of birds rising with first light, and tea left on my veranda at dawn. It’s not the Four Seasons… It’s better.

Learning From the Locals

Wandering through the trails of South Africa, we’re surrounded by vibrant emerald trees with leaves like butterflies, greenery that heals superficial scratches, and foliage used by locals in laundry to give it that uniquely fresh African savannah smell.

Traveling Africa’s vast plains, the landscape is sprinkled with ruins… ancient stone water troughs, crumbling fences, a giraffe femur from a time before now. The hills stretch on into eternity, fading from pure, rich sapphire to lighter and lighter hues of blue.

South Africa’s Waterberg region (one of the northernmost municipalities in the continent’s southernmost country) is green, lush, and alive.

Here, we ride among docile wildebeest, curious warthogs, eland, kudu, and impala, all part of the antelope family. Zebra and their foals graze beside my horse and me, unbothered. Giraffe make the occasional grand appearance, lumbering across the landscape with graceful serenity.

PREPARE AND PACK FOR ADVENTURE

Preparing for an equestrian safari is not like other vacations.

You’re not sitting on the beach or causally drifting in the sea. You’re riding a horse for approximately six hours a day. It’s important to ride, A LOT, in the time approaching your trip. But cross-training is beneficial too. I ran, did yoga, swam, and surfed as much as I could. I wanted to be in cardio shape, as well as riding shape… On an equestrian adventure in a group, guides are required to ride according to the ability of the weakest rider. I did not want to be that rider.

I found in Africa, in no uncertain terms, the US dollar is king. It’s the only currency they’re interested in. Bring cash, but not too much to be tempting.

Packing required careful thought and preparation. I was determined to take a carry-on—if the airlines lost a checked bag, my entire safari would unravel. (A lost bag won’t find you in the wilderness… without your riding boots and gear, it’s over before it begins.)

If you’re wondering how you can survive a 10 day vacation with one carry-on bag, fear not. Most luxury safari experiences offer laundry service, so pack light.

• The carry-on bag itself is critical. Choose a soft sided bag with wheels and keep the airline carry-on size parameters in mind. The bush planes require soft-sided luggage with weight and balance being factored in for all flights.
• This part of Africa is hot. Pack breathable, quick-dry fabrics.
• You don’t need eyeliner in the bush, but bring sunscreen and face wash. You will most likely need more than travel size sunscreen. One hack is to buy it at the airport once you land.
• Due to poaching issues, camouflage clothing is illegal in many African countries.
• For riding clothes, consider riding tights as opposed to breeches, and for women, sports bras and tank tops work well with the heat. Make sure your riding boots are well broken in. Most equestrians ride in tall boots or field boots and half chaps. Thick athletic socks are ideal. I packed socks, underwear and sports bras inside my tall boots for space saving efficiency and I carried my riding helmet in my backpack.
• Don’t forget your bathing suit. Many camps have pools and you may even be lucky enough to swim with your horse. Watch out for hippos!
• Bring a windbreaker/raincoat, too—it’s Africa and there will be weather.
• A mini first-aid kit is imperative. Aspirin, cold meds, allergy pills, bandages, and blister patches. Muscle ache pads and chafing cream is also wise.
• Bring a hip pack or small body pack with a zippered pocket that you can wear and ride with hands free.
• Take an actual book, you may be off the grid with no wifi and power.
• Take an actual camera. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you don’t want to miss a thing. You want that zoom, you want that clarity.
• Bring an international power converter, portable charger, and flashlight or headlamp.

Botswana: Where the Wild Things Roam

After several days in South Africa, we’re chartered through winding mountainous roads—with occasional monkey sightings—to the border, which we cross on foot. Botswana, directly north of South Africa, is desert-like and dry, a filter of haze stretches over the reserve.

After crossing the soupy, crocodile-plagued Limpopo River in a rickety cable car (which we’re required to sign a waiver to ride), we reach Botswana passport control. Our bags are nonchalantly searched. From there we take a Land Cruiser to the barn, about five miles down the dusty road, and meet our Botswana horses. I’m assigned to Allegro, a grey Irish Sport Horse, who ultimately became my hero. We ride three hours out to our first camp, arriving just as the sun begins to set.

As I settle into my tent, the guides warn me to look for eyes in the night before stepping outside. Later that evening I lie in my bed, alone in the darkness, and hear the roar of lions.

Botswana is famous for the “Big Five”: lions, leopards, African buffalo, rhino, and of course, the real royalty of the land, elephants. We’re not lucky enough to spot the elusive rhino, but they’re out there; the proof is in the poop scattered along the trail. We’ll also encounter African wild dogs skulking through the trees, along with hyenas, notorious for eating their prey while it’s still alive.

Botswana is famous for the ‘Big Five.’

With our first glimpse of the sublime African elephant, they’re commanding and watchful, the epitome of zen. Until they’re not.

When that elephant bull sounded his trumpet, everyone split up, scattering in different directions. The guides yelled and snapped their bullwhips, bravely putting themselves in harm’s way to divert attention from us.

My little horse Allegro knew his job. He tore off full speed across the plains, jumping dense brush, weaving through trees. Nearly blind with adrenaline, I hung on and rode like my life depended on it. Because my life depended on it.

I’d trained my whole life for this—even if I didn’t know it. On an equestrian safari in Africa, riding has to be second nature. When your mind goes blank, your body takes over. You ride on instinct. You survive on muscle memory.

The Journey Home

The adventure wasn’t over yet. The journey home is an experience in and of itself.

Starting at dawn in the rain, deep in the Mashatu Reserve of Botswana, we ride our horses three hours through the game reserve. Once we reach main camp, we say goodbye to our loyal steeds, and hop into a Land Cruiser to get to the border. We climb back into a rickety cable car and cross the rushing, crocodile-infested river. Our transport to Johannesburg airport hasn’t yet arrived, so we walk. It’s about a mile to the South African gate—on a muddy dirt road in a downpour.

It’s three hours back to O.R. Tambo International in Johannesburg, then another 32 hours home, all while wearing underwear I’ve had on for what feels like three days.

Over a day later, just after two a.m., I reach my car at the South Florida airport. I don’t know what comes over me, but I sit in the parking lot and sob. Not because of a brush with death in Africa… or relief to be home… but because I couldn’t wait to go back. I’d intended to leave myself behind on safari. Instead, I found myself.

South Africa is a soft landing on the continent, Botswana is real Africa. The dichotomy between raw adventure in the wild and civilized glamping allows you to experience the ultimate dreamy excursion. Just remember—in Africa, the animals govern. We’re just passing through.

THE INTERNATIONAL EQUESTRIAN

Traveling to Africa for an adventure is not the time to take a risk. Talk to the experts. Spend the money. Kayleigh Taylor, Senior Horse Safari Specialist with with African Horse Safaris, facilitates all my riding trips in Africa. We’re currently planning my next adventure to Egypt later this year. Think galloping Arabian horses out to the Great Pyramids and the Valley of the Kings.

Horizon Horseback, based in South Africa and Botswana, is the all-inclusive go-to for equestrian safaris in the two countries. They have it all down to a science, with guides who are welcoming, fun, and knowledgeable about everything from horse care in the veld to the native African trees, plants, local life, and animal tracking, while prioritizing safety.

The African Explorer safari is for advanced riders only. You cannot think you are an expert rider—you must know. The African backcountry isn’t the place for over inflated abilities and denial. You’ll be tested upon arrival in Botswana. If you don’t make the cut, you will be turned away and sent back to South Africa. They’d rather you be disappointed than dead.

However, if your abilities are not expert, there are options. Ant Africa Safaris in South Africa offers fabulous experiences for beginner and intermediate riders. They even offer safe family-friendly options for those with “cubs.” I myself have every intention of spending some time at Ant’s in the future with one of my favorite, less experienced travel partners… my seven-year-old.

Ask Kayleigh about a post-Safari relaxation trip to let the adrenaline settle. The luxurious island of Mauritius is nearby, or for something more affordable, try Mozambique.

Holly Andrew is IL’s Managing Editor and a lifelong equestrian. She loves traveling the world, best seen through the ears of a horse.