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Riding safaris in the Chyulu Hills and Laikipia
Author Alice Gully
Whilst in Kenya in March, Alice also took the opportunity to sample a couple of other riding safaris – one in the beautiful Chuylu Hills to the south of Nairobi and the other in the northern Laikipia region.
Ride Kenya – Chyulu Hills.
This outfit operates excellent mobile riding safaris in the Chyulu Hills which has to be one of the most spectacular areas in East Africa. The riding is similar to that I experienced in the Masai Mara with good horses, some fast riding and a bit of optional jumping. You need to be able to ride well and cross tricky terrain at times. There is slightly less wildlife than in the Mara but the scenery is more diverse and during a week’s ride you would camp in a greater variety of areas. Every day is spent in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro and each morning I had to pinch myself at the sheer space (the riding is over 1.4 million acres) and we did not see one other person – something I thought unheard of in safaris these days.
Typically, you ride every day and move camp every couple of days. There is the chance to take vehicle based game drives so get to see as much as possible. On night drives we spotted hyena and one evening came across a cave full of bats which was an incredible sight. Guests with Ride Kenya also have the opportunity to spend a couple of nights at the nearby Ol Donyo Wuas Lodge which would make an extremely comfortable start or finish to a riding safari.
There was a capable calm professional and fun atmosphere here. The riding was exciting and exhilarating but not too challenging. It was a beautiful spot and wish I could have done a full mobile riding trip for a week to fully understand the area.
Sosian Ranch - Laikipia
Tristan suggested I spend a couple of nights at Sosian Ranch which is another property in his Offbeat group and from which we’ve had wonderful client feedback recently. This working ranch on the Laikipia Plateau offers a wide variety of activities including horse and camel riding, bush walks, camping under the stars and game drives. Riding was gentler here than in the Mara and Chuylu Hills but riders still need to be of a reasonably good standard as there are plenty of elephant around. It’s more a place to ride for a couple of mornings or afternoons rather than a longer multi-day trip but I found it a great contrast to the other riding I’d done. The hosts, Annabelle and and Steve (one of Zimbabwe’s best guides) are outstanding and really make Sosian the exceptional place that it is. Annabelle’s exceptional culinary skills mean that the food is to die for and Steve is perhaps the best guide to go on safari with and will ensure that guests never have a dull moment.