Horse safari in the Okavango Delta

Many horse lovers are lovers of other creatures as well, so the idea of going on a horse safari in one of Africa’s most biologically diverse places to get up close to elephants, hippos, impala, giraffes and cheetahs (just to get started.) makes sense. A jeep safari is ok if you don’t have a lot of time but animals will be spooked by the noise of your approach and a walking safari is good as long as you’re not hoping to see too much diversity in your surroundings, so a horseback safari makes logistical and practical sense as well.

The best time to see wildlife is early in the morning and at dusk when animals are most interested in feeding and watering themselves and the Okavango’s multiple channels of flowing water make it easy to observe without getting too close. There aren’t set paths to take across the plains and through the jungle, you follow the wildlife to a certain extent, watching for tracks and broken bushes where large animals have passed by. This is a remote oasis of life in the middle of dry plains so animals who have made it here don’t usually stray too far onto the surrounding plains until the wet season, so you have a good chance of seeing the game you came to see.

When the river is full expect the going to be soft under hoof. We ended up using the channels as a thoroughfare when the surrounding jungle got too thick, which the horses seemed to enjoy. Obviously we’re talking about animals meeting other animals here so there is an element of danger so it’s important that you go with experienced guides. You also need to be an experienced rider just in case there is any trouble and you need to be able to make a quick get away. We met with an elephant who I felt very nervous around, ears flapping with a little too much hostility, eyes looking at me a little too intently, but my guide was calm… This is the kind of real life adventure story your friends will be happy to listen to again and again and again.