Tanzania is one of Africa’s best horse safari destinations giving riders the golden opportunity to move with the wildlife in the wilderness in full view of the landscape in the surrounding. Horse safaris are better than safari drives as they give rider a more profound interaction with nature as you can easily navigate off the established path to unravel some of the most desolate parts of the jungle. In most instances horse riding safaris in Tanzania take place in the private conservancies bordering some of the leading parks in the country. In this guide we shall discuss some of the places where you can go for riding safari while in Tanzania.
1. Kilimanjaro wildlife estate
This should be your first riding safari in Tanzania that you should consider once you arrive awaiting transfer to destinations in the northern region. The rides take place in dolly wildlife estate in the Kili golf; one of the most prestigious golf courses in Tanzania. The small game sanctuary features some spellbinding sights of open savannah dotted by yellow backed fever trees. Here you will encounter wildlife like wildebeest, zebras, gerenuk, elands and gazelles as you ride down the pathways. The stable in the game sanctuary is ran by Kaskaz riding safaris and has some of the best horses for wildlife riding. The riding sessions are available for both beginners and experienced riders. Beginner training can be offered at small fee. Importantly the riding safari take approximately 2 hrs in the morning and in the afternoon.
2. Serengeti national park
Serengeti is Tanzania oldest national park and the most sought after safari destination. The park is known for the great wildebeest migration which is one of the worlds most famous land animal movement. Serengeti riding safaris occur in the Ndutu plains a game spot jointly shared with the Ngorongoro conservation area. The Ndutu plain migration rides occurs in the calving seasons when the migration herds are making a natural replenishment where over 500,000 calves are birthed in a space of 3 months. The rides here are conducted in the fly camping model where riders shift position everyday moving with a lightweight tent for accommodation. This guarantee a totally new experience in everyday of your safari.
3. Singita/ Grumeti game reserve
In singita, the rides safari are conducted at a stable near Faru Faru lodge where there are stables of mostly quality Boerperd bred. The Grumeti region is the most desolated part of the Serengeti plains mainly due its far distance from Seronera the most sought after location in the park. Here you can embark on a camp based riding excursion taking you to the furthest corners in the open Savannah where you will have an almost exclusive moments with the big game of Africa. Over the migration season you can go for a fly camping riding tour where by you will pitch tents 3 positions your last location being near the grumeti river where the migratory herds are crossing the crocodile infested channel in one of the riskiest events in the migration cycle. At grumeti you can customize your trip to a private experience where you will only ride alongside your travel partner/ parties and an armed ranger guide.
4. Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara riding safaris take place in Manyara ranch conservancy a 6 tented camp set in a 45000 acres private concession. The small conservancy is set along Kwakuchinja wildlife corridor along which animals move between lake Manyara, Tarangire, Lake Natron, ngorongoro conservation Area and Maasailand in the south. Since the conservancy is quite small there are no fly camping riding safari. Here its easier for rider to track the big games of Africa clustering the many dams that were initially set up for watering cattle before the land was converted to full conservation tract. Here rides are completely personalized and you couples can choose to have an exclusive guided experience.
5. Karatu Ngorongoro
Set on the Southern slopes of the Ngorongoro highlands, Karatu is an ideal stopover for visitors moving from Ngorongoro crater, approximately 1 hr drive, to Lake Manyara about 40 minutes drive. With a scenic hilly landscape, spellbinding view of coffee plantation and dense highlands forest; and the unbroken view of lake Manyara and lake Eyasi, Karatu horse rides are mainly for landscape and photography experiences. Here you will ride uphills to some of the most rewarding viewpoints in the highlands. The Karatu horse ridings are also ideal for amateur riders. Riding training could be offered on extra charges.
6. Lake Natron
Lake Natron is isolated on the northern border with Kenya. The lake is the perfect riding spot for honeymooners and couples who would like maximum exclusivity during their riding safari. The lake is famous for being the largest breeding ground for the lesser flamingo. Lake Natron is unique for having very high alkalinity which leads to thriving of certain microorganism that give the water a mind-blowing beautiful golden colour. Riding here take place along the shorelines where you are likely to encounter zebras, hyenas, kudus, impalas and elands. The lake also sit abreast the Ol Donyo Lengai a very photogenic cone shaped mountain and the most active volcano in the East Africa region. The riding tours are conducted by Kaskaz safaris which is one of the longest standing riding operators in Africa.
7. Arusha national park
Arusha National park sitting on the shadows of Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru offers one of the richest bush experience in Northern circuit. The park is well known for some of the most exciting flora diversity, a wide range of natural features and the unending list of fauna and avifauna varieties. Here rides are operated by kaskaz horse rides who are some of the best and most experienced riding guides in the African region. Here you will take your mount soon after you enter the park and follow a riders track taking you through different sections of the park and ending on the slopes of Mt Meru which is the backbone of the park featuring 6 distinct alkaline and freshwater lagoons. Horse rides in Arusha national park can be a 1- 2 day camp based experience.
8. Masai steppes
The horse safari is best combined with the Arusha ride. In the excursion, organized by Kaskaz Safaris, riders transverse the infamous Masai Steppes where you encounter some local people and their culture, transverse granite hills, and pass through farmlands and wildernesses where you will encounter herds of Zebras, hertabeest, antelopes and thompson’s gazelles. Masai steppes offer some of the best landscape photo opportunity with chances of capturing the mountains in Northern region including Kilimanjaro the highest pick in Africa.
