Horse riding safaris are some of the most memorable holidays you will ever experience, with the list of locations always expanding.

 

Some of the most popular rides are:

 

 

We hope you enjoy just a sample of the safaris listed.

Please contact us for further information on our extensive range of horse safaris around the world.

email@wowtravel.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

3 – 12 July, 2009
"The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth"

 

For 10 exhilarating days every July, the Old West comes alive with a city wide celebration of true western hospitality and rousing fun!

 

From the world famous, ground shaking, Chuckwagon Races to the richest eight seconds in Rodeo to the spectacular evening Grand show extravaganza, the Calgary Stampede offers a non-stop action that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. The high steppin’ two hour parade kicks off to the streets with a burst of energy, colour and music.

The top professional cowboys compete in a myriad of rodeo events, including bull riding, roping, bareback riding, steer wrestling and barrel racing. Ditch your city slicker look and grab your western duds, and join in on pancake breakfasts, square dancing, the hair-raising rush of the midway, authentic Indian Village, re-created frontier town, gambling hall and dazzling fireworks.

 

If you thought the Wild West had been tamed… you’re only half right. The legend continues...

Year round attractions at the Calgary Stampede include the Stampede Casino, Thoroughbred and Harness Racing, Historical Murals, the Grain Academy, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Stampede Store.

 

 

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Experience the ride of a lifetime on your real Australian Outback adventure!

30 July -  25 August 2010

 

Divided into 6 tours of 5 day duration each.

Cost is approximately $3200.00 per person for a 5 day tour

plus the cost of travelling to the departure point.


The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive is the ultimate Outback holiday. Climb into the saddle and help herd cattle along one of Australia's most evocative stock trails, passing through inspirational landscapes and collecting a swag of adventure stories along the way.

Your companions will be visitors from across Australia and around the world, riding with some of Australia's finest drovers, to see inspiring Outback landscapes and to make firm new friends.

Relive a very real part of Australian history on this Outback adventure - book early for five day/four night tours in 2010.


You don't have to be an experienced horse rider to take part. New riders and riders at all levels enjoy the friendship and adventure of the Cattle Drive.


Each Cattle Drive tour has its own highlights and each is five days and four nights. At the end of your 5days, you'll have unforgettable adventure stories to take home with you.

As you set off on your day's adventure while a support crew tends camp. The camp is a village of superior tent accommodation with facilities including hot showers, flushing toilets, bar, library and a kitchen of top caterers specialising in Australian cuisine.

Every tour has its own camp - a vibrant and comfortable environment where you can unwind and share stories with other riders. Enjoy superb catering and unwind beside a roaring campfire under a canopy of stars.

 

 

 

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At Varden you can stay as many days as you like, with each ride being unique and

where you can choose the terrain and difficulty of your safari.

 

Upon your arrival into Harare, you can either take the 3 hour drive to Varden or travel by light aircraft to the Varden airstrip - just 12kms from the camp site.

 

Your accommodation, whist at Varden, is spread through out the property:

 

Kopje Tops Lodge: Can accommodate up to 12 guests in six chalets, with full ensuite facilities.

 

Bat Caves Camp: Up to 8 guests. Rustic bush camp, a day's ride from Kopje Tops Lodge. Four rooms, each with its own long drop loo and hot-bucket shower offsuite.

 

Explorer Safari:Max 6 guests - experienced and competent riders only. Minimum of six nights. Parts of this safari involve sleeping out "rough". Minimal equipment, porterage by packhorse.

 

Tinga Valley Safari: Maximum 6 guests.

 

At Varden there are a variety of animals to see:                                             

Elephant, buffalo, eland, sable, kudu, zebra, rhino, hippos, Egyptian fruit bats and many other species. Birds include eagles and buzzards. There are also fully guided bird watching safaris, with over 300 species in the area.

 

At Varden you can experience rides on 4 categories of horses:

Ex-Polo ponies, Arabs, Quarter horse-cross and Thoroughbreds.  All sure footed, experienced and very well schooled by talented grooms. The horses are all conditioned to seeing game. Between 14 - 16hh in height.

 

Novice riders are welcome, however on Explorer Safaris, only competent riders are accepted. 

 

You can decide on the type of terrain you want to ride and how hard or easy it should be. Some rides are mountainous with precipitous paths, some quick and relatively easy. Some are best for Cave Paintings; others meander along rivers lined with tall waterberries beside open vleis.

 

Every safari is accompanied by a fully licensed professional guide.  Your guide will give you a comprehensive safety talk prior to each safari. Guides also carry fully-equipped first aid kits. Hard hats are also available.

 

An experienced groom accompanies each safari as well as your professional guide. The groom will tend to the horses during the day and nights as well as tacking on any shoes that should come off.

 

Fresh bush cuisine is prepared every day by our experienced chefs. Specific dietary requirements can be catered for on request.

 

December to early March is rainy season (summer), with heavy showers usually in the mornings and afternoons. March to November usually dry. May to end July is winter season - and can get chilly in the mornings and evenings, however the days are normally very mild, with daily temperatures averaging 26 degrees C.

             

 

 

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What better way to see Mongolia than as the locals do, by horse ! Chinggis Khaan and his armies travelled to Europe by horse, and to this day it remains the most common and reliable form of transport. Horses can go where roads and petrol do not exist, and where walkers would be exhausted by the rough terrain. Most nomadic families have a herd of horses, the size of the herd being a status symbol.

 

Every morning the cooks will serve a hearty breakfast to prepare you for the day ahead. Whilst we are packing up, the local horsemen will be saddling up the horses. Start riding at approximately 9 o'clock, keeping to a pace which is comfortable for everyone. If the standard of riding varies greatly between members of the group, we can divide into smaller groups, each with their own local horseman in charge. We stop at mid morning for a snack, then for an hour at lunch time. The cooks will have travelled ahead by jeep to prepare the meals. Continue riding in the afternoon for a further two or three hours before arriving at camp.

 

Some of our tailor-made horse riding tours are based at the ger camps and we take day rides in the area around the camp. On continuous horse treks like our scheduled group tour, we are riding in such remote places that there are no facilities and we camp in tents. This is a really wild experience, with the lack of luxuries such as a flush toilet or hot running water, being as much part of the adventure as the horse riding itself. We provide a pit latrine and toilet tent at each camp site and most nights we camp near to a river so that (cold) water is available for washing.

 

Gobi Grasslands Trek

A good choice for riders who wish to experience the adventure of riding across the vast Mongolian steppe, but who are not experienced enough for the more aggressive Karakorum itinerary. This takes place south of Ulaanbaatar, along the edge of the northern-most fingers of the Gobi Desert. The classic Mongolian steppe landscape is accented by dunes and unusual sandstone formations. Camp is moved each day on camel-drawn carts.

 

Karakorum with Naadam Festival

A fast-paced horseback ride through Central Mongolia's mountains, mighty rivers, and wide valleys dotted with the nomadic people's gers and herds of sheep, horses and yaks. Visit monasteries enroute, with the Naadam Festival as a dramatic finale. (There are also other dates available, which do not include the festival.)

Khentil Wilderness Ride

A packtrip into one of the world's most inaccessible regions. Cross high mountain passes, ford rivers, ride through tundra and taiga forests to reach Black Lake in the heart of this truly pristine landscape.

 

Mongolian Classic 

A cross section of Mongolia, this horseback riding combines the lush beauty of the Khentii Mountains, the Gobi Desert's colorful cliffs, dunes and unusual wildlife. (With four days of optional riding, this is a good choice for non-riders.)

 

Spirit of the Reindeer Herders

From camps deep in the remote mountains of the north, riders explore the heart of this wild region and meet the nomadic herding families who depend on reindeer for their very existence.

These are just a few suggestions contact WOW! for more detailed information.

 

 

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