Horse Riding Royal Tree Lodge, Botswana
Learn about a destination in Botswana where novice riders can saddle up to view wildlife on horseback
A great destination for less advanced riders and families with kids who want to saddle up to observe wildlife is Royal Tree Lodge in Maun, Botswana. Maun is the gateway safari town to the Okavango Delta, and Royal Tree Lodge is located on its own private game reserve about 20 minutes from the heart of the village.
We arrived to the lodge after being in the vast salt pans of the Makadikadi and were very excited to have electricity and nice hot showers. After plugging in all of our equipment and batteries to charge, I explored the grounds, which consist of a comfortable main lodge, where people gather to eat and socialize, a small swimming pool, and a variety of large well-appointed tented bungalows and chalets, situated on higher wooden decks.
Royal Tree Lodge is the kind of destination that you can feel good about visiting, as all proceeds from your stay there are invested back into the community of Maun through the nonprofit work of Love Botswana Outreach Mission. Love Botswana Outreach Mission works to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in Botswana, mentor young people to be future leaders, and help those who care for the sick or needy in Botswana.
The stables are located on the reserve and are home to a variety of horse breeds, including the friendly Appaloosa that I rode. David Foot, a longtime Africa safari guide, runs the horse operation here. You’ll be led out by David or a local guide while riding at Royal Tree.
I was excited to continue riding with David, who had taken me out in the Makadikadi, and KB, a local rider and guide. David’s children, Julie and Harry, also rode with us.
We rode out from the stables in search of wildlife, which wasn’t hard to find. We passed giraffe, kudu, zebra, springbok and ostrich. That’s the beauty of discovering a destination on horseback -- unobtrusively getting up close to wildlife.
While our film crew, who was in a vehicle for this shoot, had trouble getting around some of the foliage to find us on horseback, usually observing some giraffe or another animal, we zig zagged around small trees and shrubs and easily spotted the wildlife.
After our first day’s ride, I was ready for tomorrow’s trek down to the Thamalakane River, but first, I’d enjoy a great dinner with the other guests at the lodge, people from all over the world.
Learn about horse riding at Royal Tree Lodge at EquitrekkingTravel.com. Learn more about travel to Botswana at the Botswana Tourism website.
