Price
7,175 USD
Country
Tanzania
Duration
8 Nights
Dates
Safari Type
Camping, Mobile Safari
Location
Arusha, Northern Tanzania
Safari Rating
This is a different safari because the focus is not on the wild animals, but on the incredible landscapes that Tanzania has to offer. This is because the lake itself, in whose surroundings the rides take place, is particularly alkaline, very salty and can reach up to 50° Celsius, making it hostile to most species. Not, however, for the flamingos for whom this lake makes a perfect refuge.
It is often populated by several million individual birds. Watching the huge flocks of beautiful flamingos is a fantastic sight and when they all take flight you will witness a breathtaking spectacle. It is not only flamingos that enjoy this lake. It is also home and breeding ground for countless other bird species. You can expect a veritable concert of different bird calls, paired with a wonderful variety of colourful plumage.
The area around Lake Natron is dry, remote, stunningly beautiful and stretches across unimaginable expanses. You’ll find green grassy plains, dotted with acacia trees, (which in the midday heat are the perfect place for a well-deserved lunch break). There are the outlines of distant mountains in the background and the last active volcano in Africa, Oldonyo L’Engai, in the foreground and this scenery is of such a picturesque beauty you can hardly get enough of it.
Gentle green-grey hills stretch in infinite expanses before your eyes. Let your gaze wander in the distance and simply enjoy the pure wilderness. With 4 to 6 hours in the saddle each day, you will have enough time to observe the area’s unique beauty and immerse yourself in nature.
The adventure also doesn’t fall short on this riding safari. The unreal landscape with its flat plains is the perfect place for extensive and seemingly never-ending gallops, and the fantastic starry sky, under which you fall asleep each night, completes the unparalleled experience perfectly.
highlights
- Riding in a breathtakingly beautiful landscape.
- Observing up to 2.5 million flamingos at Tanzania’s Lake Natron.
- Enjoying stunning views of Africa’s last active volcano.
- Galloping across the seemingly endless expanses of one of Tanzania’s unique landscapes.
map and overview
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a transfer will bring you to:
- 1 night in a safari tent at the Polo Safari Club.
- 7 nights in a comfortable mobile safari camp.
After your last night in the mobile camp, a transfer will take you back to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your connecting flight.
If your flight leaves in the afternoon, a room in the Polo Safari Clubhouse will be available for your use during the day.
guides
All safaris are led by professionally trained and qualified guides. The guides have an incredible knowledge of and passion for Tanzania’s flora and fauna.
suitable for
- Since the ride takes place in big game terrain, only advanced and strong intermediate riders can participate in this safari.
- You must be confident trotting and galloping over long distances, feel safe in any terrain and at any pace and must be able to control your horse at all times. You should also be able to gallop out of risky situations.
- 4-6 hours a day will be spent in the saddle, in high temperatures. Therefore, good physical fitness is a great advantage.
- Maximum rider weight of 85kg in order to ensure the horse’s well-being.
- The minimum group size is 6 riders and the maximum group size is 10 riders.
detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
After arriving at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a transfer will take you to the Polo Safari Club, 35 minutes away, where you will spend your first night.
Enjoy time to settling in, relaxing and getting to know the other safari participants. After this, sundowners and a delicious dinner await you in the clubhouse. Your guide will also give a safety briefing for the safari.
Day 2: N'garuka Village
The next morning a big English breakfast awaits you. Well sated you then take a 4.5-hour drive to Kaskazi Fly Camp at the northern N’garuka Village. You will be welcomed with cool drinks and a warm greeting. After you have settled into your tent, a delicious lunch will be served. After lunch, you will be taken to the horses for an afternoon ride ensuring you have enough time to get to know your horse before the safari starts the next day.
Day 3: Maasai Cultures
In the morning you will be woken up with fresh tea and coffee and after a rich breakfast, the first day of riding will begin. Today’s ride is a scenic and cultural ride through Maasai bomas (small villages) and past huge herds of their cattle grazing in the middle of the wilderness.
When the sun is at its highest, a delicious lunch will be served in the shade of some trees. Well-rested you will continue at a fast pace to cover distance and reach the next camp in time for sunset.
Day 4: Natron Region
After another delicious English breakfast, you ride north with a view of the Gelai Mountains in the west and the Maasai villages, into the beautiful, surreal Natron region.
With luck, you will encounter large herds of zebra or wildebeest as they cross the vast plains. You stop for another refreshing lunch in the wilderness before continuing to the next camp.
Day 5: Oldonyo L'engai
After the morning routine, the horses are mounted. Today you explore Africa’s last active volcano, Oldonyo L’engai. The landscape is breathtaking and you will spend the day wondering at its beauty.
In the late afternoon, you return to camp for a tasty lunch and a well-deserved break. The rest of the day is spent at your leisure and invites relaxation for both man and horse.
Day 6: Hot Springs
Today you will undertake the longest and toughest ride of the journey. A distance of about 60 kilometres is covered today with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius.
With the volcano in the background, the route leads into a dry riverbed that provides some welcome shade before crossing the open grasslands.
Your lunch break will take place in the wilderness, under some shady acacia trees, to collect energy for the last part of the route. The final stretch takes you to your new camp near some hot springs. From here you have a wonderful view of the lake.
Day 7: Hot Springs
After breakfast, this day starts a little differently. The horses are given a well-deserved break and you have the opportunity to visit the lake’s hot springs on a bushwalk.
After the high temperatures and dust you have experienced, a small bath followed by a tasty lunch will be the perfect restorative for you. Back at camp, you will take an afternoon ride when the temperatures have dropped and the sun is lower. At this time of day, you may even spot some hyenas or jackals on the ride.
Day 8: Oldonyo L'engai
Today day begins early because today the route takes you out of the dry, desolate and haunting beauty of the lake. We return through the riverbed and past the Oldonyo L’Engai volcano.
Tonight will be spent at the same comfortable camp as last night.
Day 9: Departure
After breakfast, you will say a fond farewell to the camp and the safari team. It’s time to pack up and go for your last ride. The ride will lead you to a runway where a charter plane is waiting to take you back to Arusha.
accommodation
You will spend your first night in a permanent camp at the Polo Safari Club. You will stay in spacious, traditional safari tents with access to the cosy ambience of the colonial-style clubhouse and its facilities. The camp is in the middle of a wildlife estate overlooking Mount Meru, and on clear days you can even admire Mount Kilimanjaro. The 10 safari tents are fully equipped with private bathrooms, toilets, fluffy towels and warm, comfortable beds.
The clubhouse has Wi-Fi, a gym, a spa and a swimming pool for ultimate relaxation. 2 large polo fields spread out in front of the clubhouse, and it is common for zebras and wildebeests to use these enticing, green areas for grazing.
Your remaining nights will be spent amid the wilderness in a mobile safari camp. Comfortable and spacious 3-meter x 3-meter tents with mosquito protection will be your home for the next 6 nights.
The tent’s lower walls are removable, allowing you 360-degree views while drifting to sleep. Each is equipped with folding beds, cuddly blankets and solar lights, as well as an en-suite toilet and bucket shower, which is traditionally hung on a tree under the open sky in the shower tent.
price
Price 2024/25
- USD 6,215 per person sharing
- USD 960 park fees
- USD 625 flight
- Single supplement USD 70 per person per night
Included:
- Full board accommodation.
- Locally sourced beverages (other requirements can be arranged prior to arrival and will then be charged at cost price).
- Return airport transfers.
- Flying doctor membership.
- National Park fees.
- Wildlife Department fees.
- Village fees.
- Return internal flights to Lake Natron – Arusha.
Not included:
- International flights.
- Gratuities for the camp team and guides.
- Any personal purchases.
- Visas, medical and travel insurance, which must be arranged prior to arrival.
additional information
All of the horses waiting for you in the Polo Clubhouse have been specially trained as safari horses with a lot of love and patience. Most are a mixture of a native breed and thoroughbreds.
Riding is done in the Western-style, so you can control your horse with one hand whilst taking pictures or using your saddlebag. A few are trained in the English style. You should indicate your preference so that the right horse can be found for you.
Each horse is given a lot of love, attention and care. They are reliable safari horses each with individual characters and the perfect companion is available for every rider.
Each horse has its own saddle, either an Australian Stock saddle, a Wintec or an English eventing saddle and they are ridden with a simple snaffle bit. Saddlebags for vital elements on safari such as water, sunscreen and cameras are attached for each guest.
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