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Ol Donyo Wuas
Click here for Ol Donyo Wuas and Ride Kenya riding safari itinerary, or read below for information on Ol Donyo Wuas Lodge.
Ol Donyo Wuas lies in the foothills of the Chyulu Hills halfway between Tsavo and Amboseli and is best reached by air from Nairobi (which takes 45 mins). The Ol Donyo Wuas concession is an enormous private area comprising nearly a third of a million acres and is part of the greater Amboseli eco-system. The Lodge consists of individual cottages built with local material. Each has en-suite bathroom, an open fireplace and a veranda with panoramic views of the plains and Mount Kilimanjaro, which is only 55 kms away. Two of the cottages have an additional bedroom for guests travelling with children. For honeymooners and couples looking for a bit of seclusion, we recommend The Hide, a separate cottage that overlooking a busy waterhole that is frequently visited by Elephants.
 Riding at Ol Donyo Wuas
The Chyulu Hills rise from 3,000 feet to 7,500 feet. In the low country you have dry semi desert rolling savannah plains and as you climb away from the plains you go through acacia woodlands before reaching the hills. The hills - which run for 40 miles - consist of a series of volcanic craters with the peaks covered with mist forests. Due to the lack of water in the hills, wildlife is more prolific in the low country where we have 38 recorded species of large mammals including all the big five - Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard and Buffalo, plus the plains game dominated by zebra, wildebeest and eland.
Riding can either be done as morning and afternoon rides from the main Ol Donyo Wuas Lodge. Alternatively, riding can be done as part of a mobile safari where you spend between one and six days away from the main lodge, staying in lightweight tented camps that are put up by a safari crew at the end of each days ride. For more detailed information see below.
Ride Kenya Chyulu Hills Riding Safari Itinerary - this can be done as a group trip, or tailor made to your requirements....
| Area: |
Amboseli, Chyulu Hills - Kenya |
| Length: |
7 days / 6 nights |
| Level: |
Experienced |
| Price: |
From £2,300 per person sharing (excluding flights) |
| Highlights: |
Stunning landscapes, elephants |
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Day 1
Arrival into Nairobi - Take any day time flight from London Heathrow or another European city to Nairobi (JKIA). Guests should aim to spend their first night in Nairobi to rest.
Day 2
Nairobi to Chyulu Hills (Lenkiliriti) - Transfer from the hotel early in the morning to Wilson Airport in Nairobi to catch the Safarilink scheduled flight at 0730 to the Chyulus (or to a private charter from other safari destinations in Kenya if desired). Guests will be met by Patrick and Nicola, Ride Kenya’s guides and hosts, and transferred to the first camp site.
After lunch in camp, guests have a chance to catch up on sleep before heading out for an afternoon ride at about 4 o’clock. The horses will already be in the camp waiting for you upon arrival. This afternoon’s ride is designed to give guests a taste of the safari to come and to ensure a perfect match between horse and rider before the safari departs.
The ride will meander through a spectacular volcanic landscape, known as Lenkiliriti to the local Maasai. The ride will emerge onto a vast plain where you will end the day with a sunset drink in a picturesque location. You will then return to camp for a hot shower, drinks by the fire and a three course dinner. Anyone who is not happily paired with a horse has a chance to change horses on this first day.
Day 3
Macaruru - After a delicious breakfast at the camp, guests and their guides will set out on a five-six hour ride through an area of Chyulu East National Park, known as Macaruru. This is a wild and untouched area of Kenya, where the scenery is incredible. The ride will take guests through a spectacular and wild landscape, with a picnic lunch to break up the riding. Guests will be met by a vehicle for lunch. Under the shade of a sprawling acacia tree, guests enjoy cool drinks and a picnic before continuing with the ride back to the Lenkiliriti camp. Tonight you can try your luck on a night game drive, as the area around this campsite is excellent for viewing nocturnal wildlife such as hyena, bat-eared fox, serval cat, porcupine and much more. Day 4
Crater Camp - Today’s ride leaves camp after breakfast and proceeds through the acacia forest up towards Chyulu East National Park. En Route, the ride will trek through seemingly endless stands of whistling thorn acacia as we begin our ascent into the Chyulu Hills. As you make your way, there are ample opportunities to canter, gallop and jump.
Deep in the forest, guests are likely to come across some of our exceptionally large, resident, bull elephants browsing. As you ride, we are likely to meet zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, oryx, gazelle, cheetah and even lion. Over the course of the day, the ride ascends about 2,000 feet above the plains with stunning views stretching for 90 miles on a clear day.
Today’s camp is nestled into a forest next to a large volcanic crater. It is situated over looking the quintessential East African plains that lead up to Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Upon reaching the camp, guests are invited to spend the late afternoon climbing the volcanic crater in pursuit of the very rare Verreaux’s Eagle which nests in the nearly inaccessible rocky outcrops that line the rim of the crater. As an alternative, guests can opt to explore the lava tubes that lie within walking distance of the camp. These jagged caves stretch for miles as they lead away from the crater and have been used by hunter gatherers for generations as shelter. Guest return to camp before sun-down for a shower, drinks and dinner. Day 5
Mist Forest - Today’s ride ascends another 2,000 feet higher into the Chyulu Hills. A noticeable change in climate and temperature occurs as you reach over 7,000 feet above sea level. The ride is dominated by incredible views of the vast wildernesses of Tsavo East National park to the east and Mount Kilimanjaro and Amboseli national park to the west. Today’s riding traverses steep slopes and valleys and leading of the horses may be necessary at times. Due to the altitude of the area, clouds often sit on the top of the Chyulu Hills. This consistent moisture has given rise to miniature jungles that dot the summits of the hills. Today’s ride takes about four hours and ends at one of the largest mist forests in the hills.
Whilst the horses get sent back to the Crater camp, guests and guides have a chance to enter the mist forests on foot, in pursuit of the buffalo, leopard, syke’s monkey and giant forest hog that reside within it. We will have a picnic lunch on the edge of the mist forest, overlooking the vast landscape below. After lunch guests will be driven back to the camp, where they can enjoy a relaxing sundowner, hot shower and dinner. Day 6
Kopjes - Today the ride descends out of the hills, through a sprawling acacia forest and on into a large, open, sandy lugga. Over the years, wind erosion has exposed these ancient soils in which archeologists have discovered stone tools made by some of the first hominids to walk the earth. Stone chips and simple stone tools known as hand axes have been collected in this region. As you ride, you always keep our eyes out for signs of artifacts used by our ancient ancestors.
In this area, you will also keep your eyes open for signs of lion. Although, it is highly likely that the lions will be fast asleep deep inside the shady lava flow, you will be able to get a picture of their most recent activity by the tracks they have left the night before. With these tracks, you will be able to formulate a plan to come back after dark, in a vehicle with a spotlight and try your best to locate the lions as they come out to hunt.
After about a five hour ride, guests will arrive at the new campsite which is set on the plains, with a view of some spectacular granite rocks, or Kopjes. This evening you aim to enjoy sunset on top of the rocks themselves, with a stunning view of Mount Kilimanjaro. Day 7
Kopjes - For our final day’s ride we plan to explore the vast wilderness out behind the Kopjes, heading towards a dry river bed. As it can be hot riding in the area during the midday heat, we suggest a dawn ride, enjoying the wildlife early in the morning, and watching the sunlight catch on the summit of Kilimanjaro as the sun rises over the Chyulu Hills.
On this ride you can expect some sightings of large groups of elephant, which dig in the dry riverbed for water. Riders will love the chance to canter up and down the banks of the riverbed and can let their horses gallop through the soft sand. You are also likely to encounter some local maasai herdsmen, who also survive in this area by digging into the dry riverbed for water.
Today’s five hour ride will finish back at the Kopjes camp for lunch, after which guests can plan to enjoy a last game drive or bush walk, or both.
Day 8
Airstrip - After breakfast, guests will leave on the Safarilink schedule flight, at 0830, (or private charter) to Wilson airport in Nairobi. From Nairobi we will collect you and transfer you to your next destination (either homeward bound or to the beach!)....
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Intermediate
