On Arrival into Maun, you will be met and assisted with charter to Macatoo Camp.
The charter is on a scheduled seat in plane basis and there may be a few stops enroute.
On arrival a the camp airstrip you will be met by Macatoo guides and transferred into camp.
Check in for THREE nights on a fully Inclusive basis
After settling into your tent, you will be offered afternoon tea and homemade cake during a briefing from your guide before heading to the barn for a ride. The pace of the evening rides are deliberately slower giving you the time to enjoy the sunsets and make the most of the photo opportunities offered by the birdlife and game. After a hot shower and change, drinks and snacks are served in the comfortable mess tent ahead of a candle-lit dinner by the fire.
Please note that for safety reasons we are not able to take novice or beginner riders however an African safari adventure at Macatoo does not have to involve horses and we can easily cater for non-riding spouses, partners, friends and children. Indeed, many of our riding guests like to have time away from the saddle and take advantage of the wide range of other activities on offer.
Macatoo’s string of horses are as well looked after as their guests. Each horse – they are all boys – is recognised and appreciated for his unique ability and personality and every effort is made to match him with the most suitable rider. Our guests rotate between two or three horses during their time with us to ensure that each animal is given time to recover between rides. We have Thoroughbreds, Namibian Hanoverian, Percherons and Kalahari-Arab crossbreeds ranging between 14hh and 18hh (140-180cm).
With nearly 50 horses in the barn, all schooled and well-mannered, we are able to ensure everyone is fully fit and rested with downtime out in the paddocks to give our guests the best possible ride. One of the most popular spectacles at Macatoo is the sight of the resting horses galloping home from their mobile paddocks each afternoon.
Be prepared to spend up to six hours a day in the saddle. You will need to feel confident about keeping up with the group, capable of riding at all paces, rising to the trot and controlling your horse at the canter. You may be required to gallop out of trouble, so regrettably we cannot take novice riders. Riders need to be over 12 years old, be riding fit, and weigh no more than 95kgs (210lbs or 15 stone). Riders who are over the weight limit would need to make special arrangements for this with our reservations team and need to be advanced riders. We take a maximum of eight people in each group to ensure the best possible standards of safety and enjoyment. There is a choice of English and Western style trail saddles, each with their own water bottle.
You must be able to ride to one of the following competence levels:
Experienced: Confident at all paces on almost any horse, competes or hunts seriously. Intermediate: Ridden for a number of years. Able to control fit thoroughbreds at all paces.
Competent: Able to control a sensible/quiet horse at all paces and feels confident on such a horse. Balanced in the saddle and able to rise/post to the trot.
If you are not riding regularly we strongly recommend that you get in practice before joining us on safari. It will be at the discretion of the company whether less experienced riders will be permitted to ride, taking into consideration their safety and enjoyment and that of the group as a whole. We reserve the right to prevent any client from riding if we feel they do not fulfil the minimum competence level detailed above.
Many insurance companies will only insure you when wearing a hard hat or safety helmet whilst in the saddle. It is your responsibility to provide your own properly fitted hard hat or safety helmet. We cannot accept any liability whatsoever for head injuries sustained as a result of ignoring this advice. You must be insured to ride with us – please ensure your policy covers you for horse riding and includes medical evacuation cover.
You must be fully aware and understand that there are risks involved when around horses, in riding generally and in visiting and staying in remote wilderness areas in Africa due to the presence of wild and potentially dangerous animals. For these reasons you will be required to sign an indemnity form before you ride on our safaris confirming that you do so entirely at your own risk and that you have adequate insurance for all eventualities.
: All accommodation, activities, meals, selected local beverages, VAT and charter flights as indicated.
Travel and medical insurance - which is essential, International flights, Gratuities.
Premium Labelled drinks
Macatoo’s cheerful “tent ladies” will provide a gentle wake-up call along with your choice of tea, coffee and rusks which are served to you in bed. A light breakfast is set up around the camp fire ahead of the first long ride of the holiday. There is a wide selection of horses in our barn and Macatoo’s experienced staff have the knack of putting together great horse and rider partnerships. Depending on the season, the morning ride may involve some galloping across dried flood plains, swimming through flood waters or pushing-on through seas of tall grass to watch giraffe, zebra, antelope, elephant, buffalo - whatever is out there. A hearty lunch is served every day – you will need it after all those miles in the saddle – the chicken pie is a firm favourite and wine is always offered to encourage a little nap before tea and the evening ride. Sundowners are often enjoyed out in the bush before heading back to camp to freshen up. Dinner is always a great occasion at Macatoo,//but there is no guarantee that it is always eaten in the same place.......
After listening to the dawn chorus over tea, coffee and rusks in bed, you will have shaken off any first day riding nerves and be eager to get back on a horse. Heading off in a new direction, the landscape will be quite different to yesterday offering fresh game viewing possibilities and a varied pace of ride – guides are always hoping to see the rare semi-aquatic antelope, the red lechwe. After lunch, the camp pool is an ideal place to cool down, or stretch the muscles that are feeling the effects of the time in the saddle. The deck is a great place to soak up some sun, read and doze, but keep your binoculars and cameras handy as zebra, buck and elephant frequently pass in front of camp. The swimming pool is also a popular watering hole for families of baboons, the babies on their mother’s backs are particularly cute. After some lovely homemade cakes or scones, evening rides can be swapped for some sunset fishing from boats, or from the banks of pools where hippos wallow. Game drives, walks or boat rides – depending on the time of year – are also available for those wanting time away from the horses or for non-riding partners and guests.
After breakfast and check out, you will transfer to the camp airstrip where you will board a scheduled seat in plane charter to the next camp. Check in for TWO nights on a fully Inclusive basis
Whilst in camp your guide will plan every day for you and game activities will center around game movement and weather patterns. Activities include drives, mekoro and bush walks with surprise sunset and meal venues every day.
: All accommodation, activities, meals, beverages, VAT and charter flights as indicated.
Travel and medical insurance - which is essential, International flights, Gratuities.
Premium Labelled drinks
Full day at Nxabega
After breakfast check out and transfer to the camp airstrip where you will fly on a small plane seat in charter to the Maun airport for connection with the commercial flight to Johannesburg
(Commercial flight not included)
