The Bushveld

Day 1: Arrival

Your adventure begins the moment you’re greeted at Johannesburg airport and whisked three hours into the South African Bushveld. After a light lunch beneath the lodge’s shady trees and a lavish afternoon tea, you’ll meet your horse and head out on a gentle introductory ride across the reserve. Think purposeful walking, soft canters on sandy tracks, and your very first encounters with zebra, giraffe and hippo. Sundowners on the plains seal the perfect first day in Africa.

Day 2: Signature Lodge

Your first full day at in the game reserve reveals just how wild and wonderful the Waterberg truly is. Riding alongside game in their natural habitat is a pinch-yourself experience – the horses blend seamlessly into the rhythm of the bush, letting you get astonishingly close to the wildlife. Expect splashy canters along the dam, a cooling swim with your horse, and a sunset viewpoint that will stop you in your tracks. As dusk falls, you’ll stroll back to the lodge buzzing from an unforgettable day in the saddle.

Day 3: Savannah Lodge

Saddle up early for a long, exhilarating route that carries you from Signature Lodge to either Savannah Lodge in the southwest or Seringa Lodge in the southeast. Familiar trails soon give way to fresh vistas: thick bushland that opens into sweeping grasslands, herds of blesbok and eland in their hundreds, and an ever-shifting tableau of zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest, ostrich and giraffe. The final stretch winds along a wooded stream where kudu and bushbuck ghost between the trees. After a relaxing break at your lodge, you’ll ride into the southern reaches of the reserve in search of Cape buffalo – powerful, unpredictable, and utterly unforgettable. A blazing sunset over the Waterberg escarpment brings the day to a dramatic close.

Day 4: Signature Lodge

Another long and varied ride brings you back toward Signature Lodge via a totally different route. Today is a masterclass in ecosystems: nyala and bushbuck tucked in deep forest, blesbok on the plains, waterbuck hugging the streams, and reedbuck grazing in the wetlands. A magnificent wild fig tree is the setting for a bush breakfast cooked over an open fire, before a shady return to the lodge. A swim with your horse is the perfect finale to your morning. In the afternoon, it’s time for a game drive on a neighbouring reserve, where you’ll seek out Africa’s iconic Big Five.

Day 5: Camp Davidson

Today’s adventure takes you to Camp Davidson, a luxury tented camp perched high on a ridge overlooking a vast wilderness. You’ll track north-east through untouched bush, skirting Sunset Lake – home to hippo, crocodile, otters and an array of birdlife. Expect honks and snorts of hippo as you glide by on horseback, plus splashy canters and wide-open stretches perfect for long, rolling gallops. As night falls, porcupines rustle through camp and leopard tracks often appear outside the tents by dawn.

Day 6: Polocrosse

Ride through a neighbouring conservancy in search of majestic sable antelope with their striking markings and sweeping horns. If conditions allow, you’ll enjoy another splashy canter along the property’s dam before returning to the lodge for a relaxing afternoon by the pool. Later, get ready for the wildly addictive joy of polocrosse – no experience required, just a sense of humour and a competitive streak. It’s guaranteed to leave you grinning from ear to ear.

Day 7: Signature Lodge

An early start launches you into another neighbouring conservancy – prime Cape buffalo country. Cantering alongside wildebeest is a genuine thrill, and the wide open tracks invite long, exhilarating stretches. In the afternoon, optional cross-country jumps dot the trail en route to sundowners overlooking rolling golden hills. Tonight’s dinner begins with a wine tasting, complete with paired amuse-bouche – the perfect introduction to South Africa’s legendary wines.

Day 8: Departure

Your final morning ride is entirely yours to choose – revisit a favourite route, chase one last canter, or savour a quiet wander among the antelope herds. After lunch in the garden, it’s time to say your goodbyes and begin the road transfer back to Johannesburg for your onward travels.

Additional Activites

On Wednesday afternoon there is the opportunity to venture to Entabeni Private Game Reserve and take part in the Big Five Game Drive (subject to weather conditions). This is an additional £98 GBP per person (price is subject to change) which can be paid on-site with cash or card.

Day 1: Arrival

Welcome to South Africa! Today you’ll fly into Johannesburg and be met by representatives from our ride partners, who will transfer you to Camp Davidson, nestled amongst sandstone ridges overlooking game-filled valleys. The drive takes around 3 hours and you’ll arrive in the afternoon. After a late lunch, you’ll meet the horses and mount up for your first South African safari – hooray! You’re in the Bushveld, a huge subtropical woodland ecosystem teeming with animals and blessed with firm yet sandy soil that is perfect for riding. The landscape ranges from forest to grassland to wetland.

Tonight you’ll savour the many delights of Camp Davidson – think ‘hotel under canvas’. Wear your stretchy pants – dinner is going to be a feast!

Day 2: Sunset Lake

After tucking into a continental breakfast, you’ll mount up for a morning ride to the banks of Sunset Lake, with its resident hippos, birds and the odd sly crocodile, before heading upstream to an adjoining reserve, where you’re likely to spot wildebeest and zebra. The riding is delightfully varied, from canters along sandy tracks to winding through rocky outcrops and dense forest. Returning to Camp Davidson for lunch and a dip in the pool, you’ll feel reinvigorated for the shorter afternoon ride through the nearby plains.

At night, there’s the option of a night sky safari with an astronomer, for a small additional cost.

Day 3: Horizon Dam

This morning’s ride takes you past a brown hyena den, around the upper reaches of the Horizon Dam, across a wide, grassy valley and through a dense woodland home to shy species such as kudu, bushbuck and vervet monkeys. Emerging from the woods, the horses can stretch their legs along open sandy tracks, and even pop over a few jumps if you’re so inclined. You’ll also have the chance to swim bareback in Horizon Dam!

Climbing a mountain pass through boulders and rocky outcrops, you’ll reach Camp Davidson in time for lunch. Then you’ve got some free time to enjoy before remounting for a ride across the plains to catch the sunset alongside a herd of zebra.

Day 4: Savannah Lodge

Today you’ll pack your bags and ride south from Camp Davidson to the game conservancy. The route traverses a wide wetland, dense woodland, and open grasslands with sweeping views of the surrounding hills. Known as ‘Little Serengeti’, these plains support herds of eland, wildebeest, kudu, sable antelope, red hartebeest, cape buffalo and giraffe.

Lunch will be enjoyed poolside at Savannah Lodge, then after the customary midday rest you’ll ride on to explore more of this rich game area. Evening brings sundowners overlooking the plains and yet another delicious dinner at Savannah Lodge.

Day 5: Mashatu Game Reserve

Rising early, you’ll ride to the main lodge in time to change into something more comfortable for the three-and-a-half hour drive to Botswana. Departing at 9:30am, you’ll reach Botswana in time for a light lunch. After a short introductory ride on your new horse, the journey to Two Mashatus Camp begins. It’s highly likely that you’ll be graced by the presence of Africa’s largest herd of wild, free-roaming elephants on private land!

Your base for the next two nights, Two Mashatus Camp is named for the two big, beautiful mashatu trees that shade it. It consists of a pair of traditionally built Lala Palm rondavel huts for relaxing and dining, a pool, and large A-frame tents with ensuites set on teak platforms. A three-course dinner will be served in the cool of evening.

Day 6: Two Mashatus Camp

Waking up to birdsong in the surrounding canopy and tea or coffee delivered to your tent (heaven!), you’ll fuel up on breakfast and hit the saddle. This is a very different landscape with a truly wild atmosphere. The wide open, sprawling savannah is punctuated by giant Baobab trees and striking rocky outcrops boasting never-ending views across the plains. After lunch and a siesta at camp, you can opt for another ride, or a game drive to see lions and watch the sunset.

Day 7: Tree Camp

You’re moving camp today, and it’s another full day’s ride through the wilderness to reach the extraordinary Tree Camp. Nestled four metres above the ground in the bough of a giant mashatu tree and two ancient leadwood trees, your childhood dreams of sleeping up in the arms of a tree will be completely fulfilled! Dinner will be served al fresco, overlooking the Majale River.

Day 8: Departure

Your final ride is one to remember, with a glorious long canter through the savannah and an elephant sighting capping off this incredible safari. Arriving back at the Botswana stables mid-morning, there’s time for a quick shower and fond farewells before catching a charter flight back to Johannesburg for your onward travels.

Additional Activities

You will have the opportunity to participate in a game drive in Mashatu Game Reserve for an additional cost of approximately $86 USD per person (price is subject to change) which can be paid on-site with cash or card.