globetrotting’s second ezine

Hello fellow Globetrotters!

If you’re a first time reader of our e-newsletter’s thank you for signing up. We can only hope that they excite and inspire you to dip your riding boot into the contagious and life changing realm of horse riding holidays.

Our Globetrotting Head Quarters is based in a beautiful, sublime pocket of the world known as the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. It’s quite common that I find myself with a huge grin on my face packing my chaps, camera and passport to explore and ride in far flung destinations to trial horse riding contenders for our mushrooming globetrotting portfolio.

So it was a welcome change when in March I travelled less than half an hour to participate on a six night, seven day bush and beach horse riding holiday conveniently located in my own backyard. In less than an hour from leaving home I was on a introductory ride with owners and guides Alex Watson and Rebecca Harr. I was mounted on a forward moving Australian Stock Horse gelding called Strawberry Dan weaving through a grove of paper bark trees while riding alongside Jane – a Londoner who had travelled from the UK to sample one of Australia’s best riding holidays.

Our aim at globetrotting is to offer you horse riding holiday moments, experiences and adventures from all corners of the globe where you get a sense of the horse culture and its people. We’re mindful not to forget about the destinations that are right under our noses! After riding for six days through lush, dense rainforest, wading across translucent creeks, loping along vast stretches of beach I am tickled pink to be promoting this quintessential bush and beach ride.

As an Australian this ride re-ignited my love for my birth country, I swelled with pride for the superbly bred, quick-witted Australian Stock Horses, the wildlife that I so often take for granted including the belly laughing kookaburras’ and the genteel wallabies and the Australian folk, salt of the earth souls that wear their patriotic badge with pride.

To view a photographic journey of this six night, seven day bush and beach ride on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland click here.

Upcoming Departure Dates for the Bush and Beach Ride for 2010

May 2 to 8, May 23 to 29, June 6 to 12, June 27 to July 3, July 11 to 17, July 25 to 31, August 8 to 14, August 29 to September 4, September 12 to 18, September 26 to October 2, October 10 to 16 and November 14 to 20.

$2,800 per person all inclusive of riding, accommodation and meals. The price does not include air fares or travel insurance.

To request a detailed itinerary or to book your saddle seat click here.

Globetrotting’s Guided Rides for 2010

destination Masai Mara migration ride in Kenya
when July 20 to 30, 2010

There are now only 3 saddle spots left for this awe inspiring ride that takes riders into the heart of the Masai Mara for ten days where they become apart of the most phenomenal wildlife migration of its kind in the world. Expect to canter alongside thousands of zebra and wildebeest, ride through panoramas that are synonymous with Africa, plains that are endless where acacia trees sprout from the ground, giraffes elegantly lope across the earth and ride past young Masai herders wrapped in bright, coloured shukas. It’s a honey-pot for big game which amps up the adrenalin a notch.

This is without a doubt a once in a lifetime ride for riders, but hurry up time is running out to secure your own saddle for this ride.

To read an article on this particular ride that appeared in The Weekend Australia, Travel section over the Easter weekend, click here.

This ten day horse-riding safari across Kenya’s world-renowned national park that includes two heart-in-your-mouth Mara River crossings is $6,700 US ($7400 approx) per person plus $500 AUS tailor made component. 
The price includes all riding and activities, full board accommodation, all drinks and two internal flights plus transfers associated with the safari. The price does not include international flights, travel insurance and accommodation before or after the ride.

Click here to request more information or click here to see more images of this ride.

destination South American Odyssey trip

when December 2010

Keen to explore South America with a group of like-minded riders within the safety net of an experienced guide who has ridden in both countries extensively? This guided group ride will immerse riders from top to tail in South American horse culture where riders will stay and ride at some of the best riding estancia’s and destinations that Argentina and Brazil has to offer.

To find out more or register your interest click here.

destination Polo week in Sierras Chicas, Argentina
when November 8 to 15 and November 22 to 29, 2010

This Argentinean estancia offers polo weeks specifically aimed at the beginner, novice or occasional player who wishes to learn how to play, brush up their skills or just have some fun in an informal and friendly environment.
The price is $2800 US per person which includes transfers to and from Cordoba airport, all food, drink and accommodation, all horses, equipment and grooms, daily 1/2 day polo sessions and daily trail rides (with the exception of Sunday afternoon) and a in-house polo tournament to end the week. The price does not include international air fares.

To request a detailed itinerary or to book your saddle seat click here.

destination The Bellstone Trail Ride, Sierras Chicas, Argentina

when October 23 to 30, 2010

This is a eight-day, seven-night long distance ride that explores the scenic Sierras Chicas mountain range. The ride takes guests over the constantly changing geography of the region, through areas impossible to reach by car. Guests stay at a variety of locations from local estancias to very simple dwellings exposing guests to the life of the local people. The eight day ride is rich in local history and offers some exceptional riding.
The price is $2680 US per person which includes transfers to and from Cordoba airport, all food, drink and accommodation, all horses, equipment and grooms and support vehicles while on the ride. The price does not include international air fares or travel insurance.

To request a detailed itinerary or to book your saddle seat click here.

destination Bahia Beach Ride, Brazil

when July 21 to 27, 2010

This beach ride has to be one of globetrotting’s all time favourite foreign beach ride. Not only is it set in paradise: just imagine coconut laden palm trees that fringe the beaches, white sand, aqua marine water and eclectic coastal villages it also has a itinerary to satisfy every type of interest. The days are jam packed full of once in a lifetime experiences including swimming horses, dancing with Indians, hugging sloths, full moon beach canters, eating freshly caught seafood and enjoying spectacular sunsets whilst sipping on a caipirinha. Every day the riding offers complete diversity from the day before.

Alternative dates available are May 22 to 28, June 21 to 27, August 19 to 23, September 18 to 24, October 18 to 24, November 17 to 23.

To request a detailed itinerary or to book your saddle seat email us at kate@globetrotting.com.au

Come and meet us in the flesh

We will have a stand at the largest equine event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, Equitana, encompassing four days of everything equine at the Melbourne Showgrounds from the 18th to the 21st of November, 2010. If you happen to be in the area we would love to meet you in person, no strings attached, we’ll have oodles of photos and video footage to show you and its always nice to put a face to a name, is it not! And finally, if you have any friends that would be interested in hearing more about globetrotting please forward this email on or get them to visit our website and sign up to our globetrotting ezine.

www.globetrotting.com.au

Wet and wild riding in the Delta, Botswana

This is an article that I wrote for a African Lifestyle, Travel magazine on a riding safari in Botswana. 

Riding high in the Okavango

I wake to a grumbling, whirring noise within breathing distance of my head. A flimsy tent sheet lies between me and this “thing” which sounds like a contented cat purring although much, much louder. It’s guttural, hypnotic. It is pitch-black outside and tree branches snap in quick succession, resembling a New Year’s firework display.

I’ve been in Africa for six months now, but this noise is not one I am familiar with. I roll over in my bed discordantly, hoping to disturb my travel partner who’s Kenyan born-and-bred. Maybe Rawana can shed some light on this bizarre sound. Eventually, in my weary state, I conclude that it must be an elephant which has swallowed a harmonica and is playing tunes out of its belly button. But do elephants have belly buttons?

It is day one of our riding safari: we’re perched on a tropical island fringed by fast-flowing waters, buried deep within the Okavango Delta. If we were to pull out a map of Botswana, we’d be in an unidentifiable green speck south-west of the Moremi Game Reserve, in the middle of the largest stretch of continuous sand in the world – the Kalahari Basin.

We’re here to ride for five days and it’s the holy grail of global horse riding safaris. According to those in the know – the hunting circles of England, the racehorse trainers of Ireland, the polo players of Australia and the endurance riders of America – riding in the Delta is the bee’s knees. It offers the perfect blend of well-oiled steeds, “Garden of Eden” wildlife, luxurious camps, oodles of water for the horses to swim in and a turn of speed that is guaranteed to turn your knuckles white. Our guides are PJ and Barney Bestelink, husband and wife team of Okavango Horse Safaris, who have been leading happy hackers through the veins of the Delta for 23 seasons.

On the second day of our safari, unfortunately for us sleepyheads, the morning tea and wake-up call arrives on time: at five o’clock! The gentle light of dawn creeps above the horizon, and the temperature is cool. We’ve been told that this is the best time to start riding since midday temperatures can reach a scorching 40 degrees centigrade and riding early-morning and late-afternoon is kinder on the horses: it also offers optimum game encounters.

Around the smouldering campfire, our fellow safari-companions nurse cups of coffee: two Irish couples in their late 20s, and a South African lass who is a second-time guest of PJ and Barney.  Sarah Humble, one of our guides, appears immaculately dressed in her riding attire with a pair of gloves tucked into her belt. A five-foot-three-inch blonde dynamo, Sarah is an English nurse who became addicted to the Delta in 1999. Now she does full-time guiding and helps with the logistics of running this remote camp. She has a vibrancy that’s infectious. “Did you hear the washing machine last night?” she asks. “It’s our resident bull elephant. He appeared in camp three days ago and doesn’t seem to want to leave. He makes this strange noise in his gut; sounds like a washing machine.”

We greet the horses who are saddled and waiting patiently for their riders. The grooms scurry around tightening girths, untying ropes and leading each horse to its mounting block. “Don’t forget to take a handful of pony nuts for your horse,” says Barney, rattling a bucket. The horses whinny at the familiar sound. The tack – all leather – has been cleaned to within an inch of its life; compact saddle-bags sit on the front of each saddle, each with a full water bottle. Once we are mounted, Barney, beloved English Bull Terrier in her wake, tells us a little about our steeds: “He’s quite a strong horse, okay? But he’s lovely all the same,” she says of my horse, Donotsi. The wellbeing of the horses is Barney’s number-one priority and it can’t be easy to manage a herd of 58; especially given the added challenges presented by limited vet-assistance, unknown riders and a precarious ground-surface which is covered in thorns, Moklowane palm-seeds and holes that can easily lame a horse.

Barney leads the charge, urging her horse into a strong canter close on the coat-tails of a 200-strong herd of buffalo. At this point I’m seventh in line, behind Nevel, the Irish plasterer whose bottom bounces in and out of the saddle. My horse and I are itching to get out of line. Then we hit an ankle deep malapo – seasonal flood plain – at speed: there’s a deafening noise as 12 horses hit the water. I can’t help but squeal in delight, and the buffalo begin to pick up speed.

The following day we canter across the floodplains towards our next camp at Moklowane, which stands on an island dotted with African Mangosteen trees, their crowns resembling a Bob Marley hair-do. A variety of plains’ game which includes lechwe antelope, zebra and kudu, graze on the sweet grass. Today I’m riding Duba, a powerful horse with a wicked personality.  “Lion!” yells someone from the rear. We grind to a halt. I squint, trying to see what’s happening. It’s not a lion, it’s a spotted hyena that appears out of the knee-high grass. His cover blown, he runs with a peculiarly loping gait towards the dense woodland. “Good eyes!” remarks Barney.

As evening falls, we ride into camp and I’m transfixed by the burning amber of the sunset. The colours remind me of an Australian bush fire. A date palm stands alone on the edge of the Matsebe River, where our spare horse wades belly-deep into the water to graze on the reeds. We toss our stirrups over our saddles, lift our legs up jockey-style, and guide the horses across the deep moat that surrounds the camp: a cluster of open-air tree-houses, each with a private bathroom. Once in camp, we head straight for the campfire which stands on an abandoned termite mound, overlooking the water, and surrounded by slouching deckchairs. Percy, a burly Botswanan with a cheeky sense of humour, hands out drinks and the odd joke before supper. We’re treated to a wholesome three-course dinner every night: the logistics required to ensure that there is cold water, ice and gourmet food in camp is mind-boggling. Later, as I lie under my mosquito net, our tree-house is illuminated by a full moon; the night-noises of Africa resonate – a hippo blows and a storm grumbles away in the distance.

Late the following afternoon, the gentle sound of swish… swish… swish… as our dugout canoe glides effortlessly through the water lulls us into hypnotic mode. The reeds and papyrus brush against my skin as we follow the “hippo highway”, the principle motorway of the Delta. As Tirelo, our guide, paddles us expertly through the reeds, he names the birds, frogs and antelopes that catch our eye. Having been in the saddle all morning I love this gentle experience, and the chance to spot the smaller wildlife that is normally hidden from us on horseback. A painted reed-frog clings tentatively to the tip of a reed; red-winged dragonflies land and take flight. Rawana, who is a keen “twitcher”, has her binoculars glued to her eyes, and reels off a list of impressive birds.

On day five of our riding safari, Barney receives a radio message: a pride of lion are close by. Since we’ve reached our lunch spot, we make the unanimous decision to dismount and look for the lions in the Land Rover before they move on. Percy drives, explaining the lion protocol as we go. “No one speaks, moves or stands-up when we see them,” he says. Some minutes later, we spot the resting pride, cutting the engine some 50 metres away. There are four cubs, three lionesses and two males sprawled beneath the canopy of a tree. They’re drifting in and out of sleep, stomachs bloated and mouths ajar as they pant in the heat. The larger of the two males lies with his back to us, his handsome mane hangs heavily around his neck like a two-tone Elizabethan neck-ruff.

That same evening, as we ride into camp, everywhere I look there are elephant – big ones, small ones, muddy ones, pink ones and purple ones. Some 500 metres away our path is blocked by a huge breeding herd. “I’ve never seen so many elephant,” says Barney. “But we don’t want to end up in the middle of them.” A young bull suddenly appears just a few metres away, stopping dead in his tracks. He stares at us. “Baboons riding zebras: how strange!” he must be thinking. I hold my breath. Lucky it’s not his mother. He shakes his head and, disgruntled, scoots off to find his mates.

The end of the safari has come. I try to make time stand still: Pumbi, our beloved safari companion, nudges up to me. I give him a hearty pat before I am directed to the Land Rover to make our journey back to Maun. For me, riding in the Delta is the icing on the cake of a long list of riding safaris in Australia, Argentina, Chile and Kenya.

How can I explain the last five days to friends back home? How will they appreciate the haunting sounds of Washing Machine – the elephant, swimming bareback beside pods of hippo, cantering alongside herds of buffalo, the most dangerous animal in Africa? They simply wouldn’t believe me.

THE DELTA

The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana is made up of a labyrinth of lagoons, lakes and hidden channels covering an area of over 17,000-square-kilometres. The largest inland delta in the world, trapped in the parched Kalahari sands, it is a magnet for the wildlife which depends on it.

The area was once part of Lake Makgadikgadi, an ancient lake that dried up some 10,000 years ago. Today, the Okavango River has no outlet to the sea. Instead, it empties onto the sands of the Kalahari Desert, irrigating 15,000-square-kilometres of the desert. Each year some 11 cubic kilometres of water reach the Delta.

The water entering the Delta is unusually pure, due to the lack of agriculture and industry along the Okavango River. It passes through the sand aquifers of the numerous Delta islands and evaporates, leaving enormous quantities of salt behind. These precipitation processes are so strong that the vegetation disappears in the centre of the islands and thick salt crusts are formed.

The waters of the Okavango Delta are subject to seasonal flooding, which begins about mid-summer in the north and six months later in the south (May-June). The water from the Delta evaporates relatively rapidly given the high temperatures, resulting in a cycle of cresting and dropping water in the south. Islands can disappear completely during the peak flood before reappearing at the end of the season.

TRAVEL FILE

Tourism is Botswana’s third biggest foreign revenue-earner – after diamonds and beef. However, to prevent over-utilisation of its wilderness resource, Botswana follows a low-volume tourism policy. The Government, recognising the country’s tourism potential early on in its development, put aside 17 percent of its total surface area for game reserves and national parks. Wildlife management areas cover a further 22 percent of the area which means that 39 percent of the country is devoted to conservation.

When to go

Botswana’s summer months are from September to April. October, November and February are the hottest months (temperatures varying between 12 and 38 degrees centigrade). The rains begin around October with the occasional thundershower. December to February are the wettest months. May to the end of August is Botswana’s winter (little or no rain with cold evenings and early mornings.

How to get there

Air Botswana (www.airbotswana.co.bw) flies from Johannesburg to Maun, the tourism headquarters for the Delta. Okavango Horse Safaris can not only book international flights but also arrange light aircraft transfers from Maun to the nearest airstrip to the camp of departure.

To book

Visit www.globetrotting.com.au or email info@globetrotting.com.au

Horse riding safari in Kenya

This article appeared in The Weekend Australian, Travel & Indulgence section over the Easter weekend.

Pony express across Kenya

words & photos kate johns

I lean into my horse’s neck as her gallop quickens. The herd swerves to the left as my mare expertly follows, gaining ground on a couple of tail-end zebras. My hands tighten on the reins as I encourage her deep into the stampeding herd of zebra, stripes of black and white move in a cryptic wave around me. Impala leap hysterically into the air, eland stampede and giraffes dance awkwardly on the outskirts of the herd. The thundering noise of hooves hitting the ground is deafening and the heady smell of dirt and horse sweat swirls in the air as my mare tugs on the bit.

This is Kenya on horseback.

I’m six days deep into a ten-day horse riding odyssey through Kenya’s heartland, the world-renowned Masai Mara. I’ve been proposed to by a toothy, over-ambitious 22-year-old Maasai warrior, waded my horse across the tea-stained waters of the Mara River while hungry hippos and smiling crocodiles watched from upstream and been petrified at night by peeping toms (baboons) outside my tent.

It all began in Nairobi less than a week before when my father and I joined two eager, jodhpur-clad riding enthusiasts from the Unites States and were transported six hours by car to the foot of the Lolita hills. Our riding guide for the ten days is Jakob von Plessen, a twenty-seven-year-old Argentinean who has adopted Kenya as his home for six months of the year.

Arriving into our first camp nestled amongst a grove of fever trees, we greedily consume our sundowners. Traditional safari-style green canvas tents blend into their surroundings; the spacious walk-in tents have comfortable make-shift beds with a side table and an outside wash basin with hot water. A long-drop loo sits privately behind the tent and hot showers are available each night.

Owners Tristan and Lucinda Voorspuy go to great trouble to make sure their riders are comfortable on safari. It’s the finer details that make the real impression on guests.

Going to bed on my first night, the baboons cackling in nearby trees, I slip underneath my sheets to find a hot water bottle lovingly placed under the covers.

The next morning I’m woken by a Maasai outside my tent repeating the words cheerily ‘morning, morning.’ In the darkness of the morning, he leaves a tray of steaming hot coffee and two digestive biscuits on my bedside table, sustenance for the dawn ride.

The five horses are saddled and tied to an overhanging rope when I arrive. The grooms, dressed in their blue overalls, introduce themselves, sharing toothy grins and firm handshakes. The horses are in exceptional condition and glisten in the morning light; Jakob matches rider with horse according to ability. They recommend that riders are comfortable at all paces and able to gallop out of trouble if the need arise.

I’m teamed with a smart chestnut thoroughbred mare named Witch. The riding posse spreads out over the rolling plains and we ease into our first canter. Witch forges ahead, stretching her legs across the earth. With the steady drum of hooves hitting the ground, we disturb a grazing herd of impala and zebra who scatter like ants across the savannah on our approach. I gasp in delight as the scene unfolds  – a rare opportunity to watch the wild game in full flight.

After a sumptuous three-course breakfast, Jakob introduces us to father and son Lemeria and Parseina (also known as James) Letoluo, members of the Maasai tribe who own the land. The men greet us with ear-to-ear grins revealing amber-stained teeth, asking us our names and the country we are from in broken English.

Colourful beaded bangles cling tightly to their skinny black arms signifying their age and multi-coloured tartan shukas are slung around their tall, lean bodies.

James is 22 and has a wife and infant son. He explains to us the period of warriorhood for the Maasai. Traditionally, the Maasai warriors had to kill a lion for initiation, however with the increasing numbers of tourists to the area and education the Maasai understand the importance of lions for tourists and money.

Out of interest, I ask James when he will take his second wife (a practise allowed in Maasai culture); he quickly retorts looking directly into my eyes, “I will marry you, how much?”

Thinking on my feet, I remember James and his father boasting about their herd of four hundred cattle.

“Four hundred head of cattle,” I rebut.

He gasps at my audacity and says, “You are too much, too expensive.”

I leave the table happy with my negotiation skills.

I return a short time later to see my father and James sitting smugly at the table. My father smiles and says, “Kate, I have negotiated with James over your pending marriage and the final agreement is seven cows, five goats, blankets for the second wife, snuff, 10kgs of honey and the first son will be given thirty cows.

“Also you will have to build your own cow dung hut to live in.”

I laugh nervously and politely decline the offer.

That evening Jakob announces that the local Maasai have offered to sing for us before dinner. We sit with our backs to the fire, the night dark except for the illumination of a hurricane lamp and the bubbling embers of the fire.

In the near distance, the sound of rhythmic heaving is heard resonating in the surrounding bush. The guttural sound becomes louder and louder as a line of ten Maasai men appear pounding the ground with their bare feet, thrusting their heads back and forth in harmony with their singing.

They perform the traditional Maasai jumping song. Two young warriors enter the centre of the circle and started leaping high into the air, maintaining a narrow posture, never letting their heels touch the ground. From time to time a wild, animalistic scream erupts as another two warriors enter the circle.

The Maasais’ black-as-coal faces glimmer in the moonlight as the hypnotic hum sends shivers up my spine.

The next day we break camp early as it’s the longest ride of the trip, covering nearly 48 kilometres across the Mara Game Reserve. The reserve belongs to the Maasai people and their villages are sprinkled beyond the borders.

We reach the crossing of the Mara River before lunch time.

Our guide takes the lead, looking up and down the fast-flowing river before he pushes his horse into the murky water. The honking sound of a nearby pod of hippopotamus resonates upstream as I direct Witch in. I remembered a conversation the night before with Jakob when I voiced my concern about the dangers of crocodiles when crossing the river. He answered my question casually, “don’t worry they are more than likely to take your horse before you!”

I need not have worried.

With five horses and their riders safely across the river we gradually ascend to our next camp on the edge of the Mara Game Reserve atop the escarpment of the Rift Valley.

After two days of riding along the Rift Valley, a lush plateau resembling a manicured golf green which was the perfect playground for large numbers of zebras, eland, Thompson gazelles and giraffes, we move towards our final camp beside the Mara River.

An hour into the ride, we find ourselves in a Mexican stand-off with two aggravated bull elephants wanting to reach the river. The bulls are uptight and looking confused by the strange scented animals with creatures atop their backs resembling hairless baboons who are blocking their path. My horse immediately spins on the spot sensing the nearing danger.

Jakob yells for us to get behind him as the larger of the bull’s flaps his ears back and forth, trumpets loudly and begins to charge. Jakob makes an attempt at cracking his whip. The noise deters the massive grey mammal long enough for us to make a shotgun getaway across the river.

The next day we bid the Maasai Mara a sad goodbye and drive to Deloraine, a debonair, colonial homestead where we will spend our last two nights.

The next two days we ease back into the unadulterated pleasures of long, soaking baths, sun baking beside the pool, lazy lunches and morning rides. Even with these luxuries I find myself yearning for the smell of wood fires, the long rewarding days of moving camp on horseback, open showers beneath a night sky pinpricked with millions of stars and cantering alongside Africa’s wildlife.

There is something beautifully intoxicating about crossing the Masai Mara on horseback.

Checklist

A ten-day horse riding safari across Kenya’s world renowned national park that includes two heart-in-your-mouth Mara River crossings but does not include the guarantee of marriage proposals, is $6700US per person. Horse riding holiday specialists http://www.globetrotting.com.au has a guided group ride scheduled for July 20 to 30, 2010 in accordance with the annual migration.

The price includes all riding and activities, full board accommodation, all drinks (except Champagne) and two internal flights plus transfers associated with the safari.

For bookings contact horse riding holiday specialists www.globetrotting.com.au